STAPLES, Texas — A small-town police department staffed mainly by non-salaried officers retired from other departments has been shut down by the Texas state law enforcement board, KENS reported.
The Staples Police Department had seven officers, including its chief. The city did not pay them wages but agreed to provide their commissions in exchange for at least 16 hours of service each month.
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Before its deactivation, the department supplemented coverage provided by the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety, KENS reported.Officers provided their own ballistic vests, but the city covered several other expenses, according to KENS.
“We didn’t pay them directly, but we paid for their training, which I have records of,” City Councilmember Miles Muller told KENS. “We paid for their ammunition, supplies, fuel for their cars.”
The city was in the process of seeking grants for body cameras when the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) deactivated the department on July 21, stating the department did not meet minimum standards.
A letter from TCOLE provided to KENS stated that the department failed to demonstrate a public benefit, show sustainable funding and provide required policies and training.
Local officials disputed the decision and TCOLE’s statements that it was unable to reach any officers within the department, saying instead that they were unable to contact a TCOLE inspector who told them the department was “90% there.”
The TCOLE letter also stated that the department had no record of responding to any calls or making arrests from Jan. 1, 2024, through Sept. 1, 2025. However, data from the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office obtained by KENS shows that of 145 calls dispatched during that period, the Staples Police responded to 10 of them. The dispatch numbers also include fire and EMS dispatches.
The sheriff’s office found no arrests by Staples officers, nor any dispatch records of them calling on and off duty. City officials stated they kept their own log of hours worked.
The city voted to dissolve the department on July 28. The Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide law enforcement service to the area, though agency officials told KENS that it will be unable to add personnel to the Staples area specifically.
“This is another example of the sheriff’s office being asked to absorb additional responsibilities without corresponding increases in staffing,” the agency stated.
TCOLE also deactivated or cited several other small-town police departments from May to July. An amendment to TCOLE’s minimum qualifications, which provides more detailed factors for considering the public benefit offered by a local agency, is set to take effect Sept. 1.
