The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has ordered the Trinidad Police Department disbanded after an investigation found that the small Henderson County agency failed to meet minimum standards and could not demonstrate a public benefit to the community.
Dallas Express reported that TCOLE plans to remove the department’s law-enforcement licenses by Friday, September 18. The state agency’s notice identified missing basic resources, including bulletproof vests and an evidence room, along with nearly two dozen required policies. The missing policies covered subjects such as use of force, active-shooter incidents, vehicle pursuits and professional conduct.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office will provide law-enforcement service inside Trinidad. City officials have not announced a permanent arrangement. The transition follows an August decision by the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office and County Attorney’s Office to stop accepting criminal cases investigated or filed solely by Trinidad officers. Prosecutors said previously filed cases would be reviewed individually, while Sheriff Botie Hillhouse agreed to dispatch deputies for new investigations.
The regulatory action follows months of controversy involving the department. Citizen journalist Jennifer Combs was arrested in May after posting on Facebook about reports of illnesses connected to Trinidad’s water system. She was charged with making a felony false alarm or report, but a grand jury declined to indict her. Another citizen journalist, Winston Noles, was arrested during a City Hall protest and charged with disorderly conduct over language on a sign. A municipal judge later dismissed that case.
Dallas Express also reported that the city subsequently fired the municipal judge who dismissed the charge. The former judge characterized the action as retaliation and said she was considering legal action. That is her allegation, and no court finding on the claim was reported.
Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee, who had authorized a search warrant connected to the Combs case, later questioned the reliability and completeness of information officers had presented to him. Former Police Chief Charles Gregory resigned in June.
The shutdown is significant for public integrity and due process because it removes police authority from an agency the state found unable to meet baseline operational requirements. It also shifts responsibility to county law enforcement while leaving the city to determine a long-term public-safety plan and address questions surrounding past arrests, evidence handling and departmental oversight.