Texas State Police
The Texas State Police were formed during the administration of Texas Governor Edmund J. Davis on July 22, 1870, to combat crime statewide in Texas. It was dissolved April 22, 1873.
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[edit] History
Among its members were Sheriff Jack Helms of DeWitt County, Texas, who served as a captain. He was later killed by John Wesley Hardin during the Sutton-Taylor feud. Another notable member was Leander H. McNelly of the Texas Ranger Division. Outlaw William P. Longley claimed to have killed members of the Texas State Police in 1866-1869 -even before it came into existence.
Despite the success of the State Police, the fact that the force employed African-Americans and was controlled by Governor Davis made it unpopular. Some of the State Police members certainly deserved criticism. Captain Jack Helm, for instance, was accused of murdering prisoners; he was fired, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Others committed crimes for which the charges were dropped as soon as headquarters was advised. James Davidson, the Chief of the State Police, embezzled $37,000 and disappeared.[1]
In September 1870 Hill County, Texas local citizens refused to cooperate with the TSP from moving against the Kinch West gang; in December 1870 Hill County citizens blocked the TSP from arresting the killers of an African-American couple.[2]
[edit] Disbanded
On April 22, 1873, the law authorizing the State Police was repealed. Former policeman Leander H. McNelly and at least thirty-six other State Police members became Texas Rangers. Although in older studies the State Police have been described as politically oriented and corrupt, available evidence does not substantiate the charge. More recent studies claim that earlier Texas historians of Reconstruction allowed bias against Republican organizations to influence their work.[3]
Of ten members of the TSP known to have been killed in the line of duty, four members died as a result of a shootout on March 14, 1873. Two others (Privates Jim Smalley and Green Paramore) were killed by outlaw John Wesley Hardin in 1871.
The Texas State Police was abolished in 1873, but in 1935, the Texas Department of Public Safety was formed to serve as the state police force (The TDPS predecessor was the Texas Ranger Division formed by the Texas Legislature as McNelly's "Special Force of Rangers" and the "Frontier Battalion" in July 1874). Other state agencies, including Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, provide complementary state police services focused on their areas of responsibility. Today, no agency is formally named Texas State Police, but the generic term "state police" is still used to describe state law enforcement officials.
[edit] Fallen officers
During the tenure of the Texas State Police, 10 officers died in the line of duty.[4]
| Officer | Date of death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Private Jim Smalley |
|
Gunfire |
| Private General Bell |
|
Gunfire |
| Private Robert Steen |
|
Gunfire |
| Private August Werner |
|
Gunfire |
| Special Police Officer Green Paramore |
|
Gunfire |
| Private John Americas Stewart |
|
Gunfire |
| Private Wesley Cherry |
|
Gunfire |
| Captain Thomas G. Williams |
|
Gunfire |
| Private James M. Daniels |
|
Gunfire |
| Private Andrew Melville |
|
Gunfire |
[edit] See also
List of law enforcement agencies in Texas
[edit] References
- Texas State Police from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Jack Helms from the Handbook of Texas Online
- William P. Longley from the Handbook of Texas Online
