Texas moves to shut down police department over failure to provide 'public benefit to the community'

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is revoking the Trinidad Police Department’s authority to appoint or continue employing licensed officers effective Friday, following months of controversy surrounding the small Texas city’s police force.

In a Sept. 9 letter to Mayor Dennis Haws, TCOLE said the department “failed to meet minimum standards” and “was unable to provide evidence that the agency provides public benefit to the community.”

Regulators also cited deficiencies involving basic resources, including bullet-resistant vests and secure evidence storage, and said the department lacked 18 required policies covering areas such as use of force, vehicle pursuits, professional conduct, active shooters and misconduct investigations.

At a City Council meeting Tuesday night, Interim Police Chief Cameron Beckham blamed previous management for the department’s problems and disputed aspects of TCOLE’s findings, arguing that many of the deficiencies had since been addressed.

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Police escort a Texas mother from her home after a Facebook post about Trinidad’s discolored water led to a felony arrest. (Jennifer Combs)

“Piss-poor management is what I’m just going to say,” Beckham told the council.

The department has faced scrutiny since May, when Trinidad resident Jennifer Combs was arrested on a felony false alarm or report charge after posting about concerns surrounding the city’s water supply.

Combs said in a May 20 Facebook post that she had been collecting residents’ photos, videos and accounts of water problems in an effort to document complaints and encourage state investigators to test water at residents’ homes. She spent 23 hours in jail before a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict her.

Jennifer Combs says she was arrested on a felony charge after using Facebook to collect reports about water concerns in Trinidad, Texas. A grand jury later declined to indict her. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Citizen journalist Winston Noles was subsequently arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct while protesting outside City Hall. That charge was later dismissed.

Former Police Chief Charles Gregory resigned in June. Combs has since filed a federal lawsuit against the city and Gregory alleging political retaliation. Prior Fox News Digital reporting also documented that former Trinidad Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens was dismissed after throwing out Noles’ charge.

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Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee also later questioned the “accuracy, completeness, and reliability” of information Trinidad officers provided while seeking a search warrant connected to Combs’ arrest.

The Texas Rangers confirmed in July that they had opened an investigation involving Trinidad but did not disclose its scope.

Haws told Fox News Digital that city leaders will meet with their attorney Friday morning to discuss their next steps. He said the meeting could involve several options rather than being focused solely on keeping the department open.

Police cruisers with the Trinidad Police Department. (Facebook/Trinidad Police Department)

At Tuesday’s meeting, Haws said the early meeting time would leave the city time to pursue measures such as an injunction or appeal if advised by counsel.

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“We are going to work through this process according to the law and at the direction of our attorney as we go through it,” Haws said.

TCOLE’s letter also states that revocation does not relieve Trinidad of continuing obligations involving personnel records, 2026 traffic-stop data and unresolved misconduct investigations.

Fox News Digital reached out to TCOLE for further comment.