Texas Revokes Trinidad Police Authority Over 18 Missing Policies and Failed Standards
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Texas Revokes Trinidad Police Authority Over 18 Missing Policies and Failed Standards
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16
Summary
Effective Friday, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will bar the Trinidad Police Department from appointing or employing licensed officers after finding it failed minimum standards.
A Sept. 9 letter said the department could not show a public benefit to the community and lacked basic safeguards, including bullet-resistant vests, secure evidence storage and 18 required policies.
Interim Chief Cameron Beckham told the City Council many problems stemmed from prior management and disputed parts of the findings, while Mayor Dennis Haws said officials will meet counsel Friday to weigh an injunction, appeal or other options.
The move follows months of scrutiny after resident Jennifer Combs spent 23 hours in jail over a Facebook post about water concerns before a grand jury declined to indict, and after another protest-related charge was dismissed.
Trinidad still must maintain personnel records, submit 2026 traffic-stop data and handle unresolved misconduct investigations as a Texas Rangers probe remains open.