The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) is revoking the Trinidad Police Department’s authority to appoint or continue employing licensed officers, effective Friday, after months of controversy surrounding the small Henderson County city’s 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 flagged shortfalls in basic resources, including bullet-resistant vests and secure evidence storage, and said the department was missing 18 required policies covering use of force, vehicle pursuits, professional conduct, active shooters and misconduct investigations.
At a City Council meeting Tuesday night, Interim Police Chief Cameron Beckham placed blame on previous leadership and pushed back on parts of TCOLE’s findings, saying many of the cited deficiencies had already been fixed.
“Piss-poor management is what I’m just going to say,” Beckham told the council.
The scrutiny began in May, when Trinidad resident Jennifer Combs was arrested on a felony false alarm or report charge after posting on Facebook about the city’s water supply. Combs said in a May 20 post that she had been gathering residents’ photos, videos and accounts of water problems to document complaints and push state investigators to test water at homes in the city. She spent 23 hours in jail before a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict her.
Citizen journalist Winston Noles was later arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct while protesting outside City Hall. That charge was ultimately dismissed.
Former Police Chief Charles Gregory resigned in June. Combs has since filed a federal lawsuit against the city and Gregory alleging political retaliation. Separate reporting has documented that former Trinidad Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens was dismissed after throwing out Noles’ charge.
Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee has also 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 have not disclosed its scope.
Mayor Haws told reporters that city leaders will meet with their attorney Friday morning to discuss next steps, and said the meeting could involve several options rather than focusing solely on keeping the department open. At Tuesday’s meeting, he said the early timing would give the city room to pursue measures such as an injunction or appeal if counsel advises it.
“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 makes clear that revocation does not relieve Trinidad of continuing obligations tied to personnel records, 2026 traffic-stop data reporting, and unresolved misconduct investigations.
