Key facts
- The Trinidad Police Department in Texas has been ordered to close by state officials.
- The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCLE) cited the department's failure to meet minimum standards and provide public benefit.
- The department's actions, including arresting Jennifer Combs for social media posts about contaminated water, led to the investigation.
- Combs was arrested in May on a now-dropped felony charge of making a false report or alarm.
- A supporter of Combs was also arrested on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, which was later dropped.
- The department lacked basic resources such as bulletproof vests and an evidence room.
State officials have ordered the closure of the Trinidad Police Department in Texas after an investigation revealed it failed to meet minimum standards and could not demonstrate any public benefit to the community. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCLE) informed the city's mayor, Dennis Haws, on September 9 that the agency would be disbanded. The decision followed an incident in May when Trinidad police arrested local resident Jennifer Combs for complaining on social media about the city's contaminated water supply. Combs spent a night in jail on a now-dropped felony charge of making a false report or alarm. At the time, then-chief Charles Gregory stated the charge was justified because hospital claims were "simply false and have only caused unnecessary fear and confusion in our community." The day after Combs' arrest, police arrested a supporter for displaying a "fuck bad cops" placard, a charge also later dropped. Gregory resigned in June after a grand jury declined to indict Combs. The citizen journalist has since filed a wrongful arrest lawsuit against Trinidad, alleging political retaliation. Henderson County Judge Scott McKee stated he was misled by the police department regarding an arrest warrant for Combs. The TCLE letter also highlighted issues with use-of-force policies, active shooter situations, vehicle pursuits, and officer conduct. The department reportedly lacked essential resources like bulletproof vests and an evidence room. A separate investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality found problems with the city's water supply, which officials have promised to address. Mayor Haws acknowledged "a lot of neglect through the years" and expressed optimism about moving in a "positive direction."