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Starbase, home to SpaceX, launches hiring for new police department

Starbase, a city that grew out of SpaceX’s development of its South Texas launch site, is looking to hire six officers and two sergeants to patrol the industrial area in Cybertrucks

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City of Starbase/Facebook

STARBASE, Texas — The freshly formed Starbase Police Department has started efforts to recruit officers to join its ranks, ValleyCentral News reported.

Starbase is home to SpaceX, with nearly every resident working for the company or being related to an employee. The department is aiming to hire six officers and two sergeants.

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The department also hired Chief Glenn Bennett in June, as well as an administrative assistant who will start on Sept. 1, ValleyCentral reported.

“I’m confident we’ll have a wonderful team,” Bennett said. “We just have to sort through all the applications to find them.”

The complex elected to create its own police department after a deal with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office to assign a team of deputies dedicated to Starbase fell through. Security incidents prompted the town to seek police protection, as multiple incidents of people showing up to see or speak to Elon Musk were reported, ValleyCentral reported.

Officers with the new department will patrol the area in Cybertrucks and are reviewing options for uniforms. An internal memo stated that the uniforms would be “comfortable,” “futuristic” and “cool.”

When officers begin patrols will depend on when equipment arrives, whether sufficient staffing is maintained and whether the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement gives its approval.

Starbase grew out of SpaceX’s development of its South Texas launch site near Boca Chica Beach, where the company broke ground in 2014 and later began developing and testing its Starship spacecraft. The name Starbase came into use as SpaceX pursued plans to turn the site into a permanent community. Voters approved incorporating it as a city in 2025, ValleyCentral reported.

The city is currently home to 500 full-time residents.

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Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com