GEORGETOWN — Three months after renewing a contract with the TV show “Live PD,” Williamson County commissioners next week will consider breaking the agreement and ending participation in the program.

County Judge Bill Gravell confirmed the development Friday but declined to comment further.

The vote, set for Tuesday, comes after the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV began raising questions this week about the preservation of potential evidence gathered by film crews at a crime scene or during an arrest.

Under the contract, the county had agreed that Big Fish Entertainment, the company that produces the show, maintains ownership of all video — both raw footage and aired video — and destroys the footage within 30 days.

District Attorney Shawn Dick and Williamson County defense lawyers began arguing in June that the footage should be preserved because it could help bolster an investigation or prove someone did not commit a crime. Their worries generated a series of memos and emails at the time but resulted in no action.

The video is of particular interest because, unlike officer-worn body cameras or dashboard cameras that may not offer the clearest perspective, “Live PD” footage is taken by professional photographers, Dick said. “I didn’t think there was any issue with that footage being unavailable.”

But Jason Nassour, an assistant county attorney representing the sheriff’s office, wrote in an email in June that because “Live PD” crews are not law enforcement, they are not legally bound to supply the footage.

“The agreement with Live PD is technically not a contract all,” Nassour wrote. “Rather it is a detailed access agreement and quite frankly no different than allowing a private citizen to ride along. Shawn has attempted to and incorrectly placed a responsibility on the WCSO.”

However, Dick said citizens do not have the same unfettered access as “Live PD.” Citizens, he said, are generally kept behind yellow police tape, risking arrest if they get too close to deputies.

The latest dispute has increased attention on the county’s participation in the TV show at a time when it has been under scrutiny. As part of the program, broadcast on the A&E network, film crews follow law enforcement officers on their patrols, broadcasting their encounters live to a national audience.

Officials for Big Fish Productions did not return an email for comment Friday.

Williamson County commissioners in May narrowly approved renewing the agreement after two commissioners said they thought the show portrayed the county as less safe than it is.

Sheriff Robert Chody has said the show provides meaningful insight into the work of law enforcement and has helped with recruitment and public relations. Chody has hosted standing-room-only watch parties.

The issue of video preservation arose soon after the commissioners’ contract vote in May. Defense attorneys studying the agreement saw the provision concerning ownership and retention of video and objected.

“The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office has granted producers special access to record the WCSO personnel executing their duties,” Stephen Hesse, president of the Williamson County Defense Lawyers Association, wrote June 11. “This agreement does not recognize that the special access granted to the producers results in the creation of evidence in a criminal investigation. The sheriff cannot contractually sign away his duty to collect and retain evidence.”

Dick said he became concerned about whether prosecutors could run afoul of the law, specifically the Michael Morton Act, which requires prosecutors to give defense attorneys all evidence they have. The law is named for a Williamson County man who spent 25 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of his wife’s murder.

“I recognize that we are the county that changed the discovery laws in Texas,” Dick said. “It’s not a time to be creative in our logic about whether this a violation of the Michael Morton Act.”

Dick wrote Chody a memo June 19 saying that for prosecutors to go forward with cases, sheriff’s deputies and investigators should note whether "Live PD" was at an arrest and give names and contact information of crew members. He also wrote that the agency should collect and give prosecutors all raw video.

“Understand that if the foregoing case requirements are not met, my office may not be in a position to accept and prosecute cases involving Live PD evidence,” Dick wrote.

Dick and Hesse said 30 days does not give prosecutors or defense attorneys ample time to receive a case and subpoena footage.

Dick said his office has several dozen pending felony cases in which “Live PD” was on the scene and will review each case to determine how to proceed. He said investigators have gathered footage that aired on television but have unsuccessfully sought additional video in three or four instances.

“The only footage they will refer us to is the live, aired footage,” Dick said. “That’s a problem.”

The upcoming vote comes in a turbulent time for the sheriff's office.

In April, Cmdr. Steve Deaton was accused of challenging deputies in a staff meeting to have sex with a female “Live PD” producer. Chody said he interviewed 17 people at the meeting who reported Deaton asked whether any of them had been having sex with her, but Chody said he found Deaton had issued no challenge. Chody gave his commander an oral reprimand and said Deaton acknowledged some people considered the question inappropriate.

In July, officials said they had opened an investigation into allegations of excessive force during a traffic stop of a man that “Live PD” crews filmed.

The Statesman also reported last month about concerns involving Facebook posts Deaton made that used pictures of dolls to make light of date rape, kidnapping, demeaning sexual acts and the mutilation of a black football player.

Commissioner Cynthia Long said in a statement Friday: “Filming and then airing individuals at their worst on national television for the entertainment value of others continues to be a bad idea in my opinion. This is not a reflection of who we are as a community.”