The state pulls the plug

Texas is disbanding the Trinidad Police Department after a TCOLE investigation found the small East Texas agency failed minimum standards and could not show it benefited the community.

“unable to provide evidence that the agency provides public benefit to the community”

Licenses gone by Friday

TCOLE notified Trinidad's mayor of the shutdown and is expected to strip the department's licenses by Friday, leaving it without authority to operate.

No vests, no evidence room

Investigators found the department lacked basic resources, including bulletproof vests for officers and a room to store evidence.

Two dozen missing policies

Nearly 24 required policies were absent, covering use of force, active shooter response, vehicle pursuits and professional conduct.

Prosecutors moved first

In an August 10 letter, Henderson County prosecutors said they would stop accepting cases investigated or filed solely by Trinidad police until further notice.

“until further notice”

The sheriff steps in

Sheriff Botie Hillhouse agreed to send deputies into Trinidad because residents still needed policing. Anything above a Class C misdemeanor now runs through his office.

Two arrests started it

In May, citizen journalist Jennifer Combs was charged with felony false report over a Facebook post about the city's water. A grand jury refused to indict her.

Then the judge was fired

Citizen journalist Winston Noles was arrested at a City Hall protest over a sign with expletives. The municipal judge who dismissed the charge, Shellena Bivens, was then fired and called it retaliation.

A warrant built on doubt

District Judge R. Scott McKee, who approved a search warrant tied to the Combs arrest, later questioned what two Trinidad officers had told him. The chief resigned June 19.

“accuracy, completeness, and reliability”

Water money instead

A July state report found chemical levels over 300% above the federal limit in some testing. A councilman suggested redirecting police funding to fix the water system.