The Trinidad Police Department is being disbanded after a Texas regulatory investigation found the small East Texas agency failed to meet minimum standards and could not demonstrate that it provides a public benefit to the community.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE, notified Trinidad’s mayor that the department would be shut down following an investigation that exposed deficiencies in the agency’s resources and policies.
TCOLE is expected to strip the department’s licenses by Friday.
The state action comes about a month after Henderson County prosecutors stopped accepting criminal cases brought solely by Trinidad police, effectively transferring much of the department’s law enforcement responsibility to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.
TCOLE Finds Missing Resources and Policies
According to the letter sent to the city, TCOLE found that the department “failed to meet minimum standards” and was “unable to provide evidence that the agency provides public benefit to the community.”
The agency also found that Trinidad police lacked basic resources, including bulletproof vests and an evidence room.
Nearly two dozen required policies were also missing, according to TCOLE. The policies covered areas including use of force, active shooter incidents, vehicle pursuits and professional conduct.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office will now provide law enforcement services within Trinidad. The city’s long-term policing arrangement has not been announced.
County Prosecutors Had Already Cut Off Police Cases
The state’s decision follows an August move by the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and Henderson County Attorney’s Office to stop accepting criminal cases that were investigated or filed solely by Trinidad police, The Dallas Express reported.
In an August 10 letter, prosecutors said they would not accept such cases “until further notice.” The offices said they had requested the current TCOLE audit and that Sheriff Botie Hillhouse had agreed to dispatch deputies to investigate crimes inside Trinidad.
Cases already filed by Trinidad officers were to be reviewed individually.
The decision meant that cases more serious than Class C misdemeanors would generally involve the sheriff’s office rather than Trinidad police.
Sheriff Hillhouse said his office had agreed to respond because Trinidad residents still needed law enforcement services, even as the TCOLE investigation was underway.
Controversial Arrests Drew State Scrutiny
The department came under intense scrutiny after the May arrest of citizen journalist Jennifer Combs over a Facebook post concerning Trinidad’s troubled water system.
Combs was charged with felony false alarm or report after posting that she had received reports of people being hospitalized because of the city’s water. A Henderson County grand jury later declined to indict her.
The controversy expanded the following day when citizen journalist Winston Noles was arrested during a protest outside Trinidad City Hall. Noles was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct over a sign containing expletives directed at police. A municipal judge later dismissed the charge.
The city subsequently fired Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens, who had dismissed Noles’ charge. Bivens said she was considering legal action and characterized her removal as retaliation.
Judge Questioned Police Account
Further scrutiny followed when Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee, who had approved a search warrant connected to Combs’ arrest, questioned the information provided by two Trinidad police officers.
McKee wrote that he later questioned the “accuracy, completeness, and reliability” of information that was presented to him at the time that he approved the warrant.
Former Police Chief Charles Gregory resigned effective June 19 following the controversy. Interim Chief Cameron Beckham subsequently told FOX 4 that he believed problems within the department went back years.
Beckham said he would have referred the Combs and Noles cases to the District Attorney’s Office rather than filing the charges directly.
Water Crisis Remains Part of Broader Dispute
The police department’s problems unfolded alongside continuing concerns about Trinidad’s water system.
A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality report released in July detailed problems involving aging water distribution mains and system design. The report also identified chemical levels more than 300% above the federally allowed limit in certain testing.
The water controversy has also resulted in lawsuits and additional leadership changes within the city.
City Faces New Approach to Public Safety
With the Trinidad Police Department set to lose its TCOLE licenses, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office will assume responsibility for law enforcement in the city.
Councilman Steven Stearman told Fox 4 KDFW that the shutdown was the result of accountability problems that had developed over time. He also suggested the city could redirect some police funding toward addressing its water problems.
For Trinidad, the state order marks the latest development in a chain of events that began with controversial arrests, expanded into state and county scrutiny, and ultimately left the municipal police department without the authority to continue operating.
The city has yet to announce a permanent plan for policing after the department is disbanded.
Provided by Dallas Express
