State regulators have pulled the plug on the Trinidad Police Department, revoking the small North Texas town's authority to appoint its own officers after an inspection turned up sweeping failures to meet minimum standards. The town of fewer than 1,000 residents, located about 70 miles southeast of Dallas, must now lean on Henderson County deputies for coverage after its five full-time and several part-time officers lost their law enforcement authority.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, known as TCOLE, inspected the Trinidad Police Department in August 2026 and found it was not meeting state requirements, according to FOX 4 News. Investigators determined the department had failed to meet minimum standards and could not demonstrate it provided a public benefit, and they identified deficiencies spanning officer policies, secure evidence storage, and required equipment. TCOLE ultimately revoked the city's license to operate its own police department.
The scope of the missing paperwork was substantial. FOX 4 News reports investigators found the department lacked 18 required policies altogether, including rules governing use of force, vehicle pursuits, professional conduct, and active-shooter response. Haws told the outlet the shutdown was not a shock, though he admitted, “It was not a shock. I'm not gonna say that it was,” while acknowledging he was still surprised by just how many problems the investigation uncovered.
A Department Dogged By Questionable Arrests
A Department Dogged By Questionable Arrests Haws also said the department had faced a pattern of questionable arrests, with underlying issues reportedly dating back 20 or 30 years. Among the cases that drew scrutiny: a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict citizen journalist Jennifer Combs, who had been arrested and charged with a felony over a Facebook post about the town's water issues, per the same FOX 4 News account. A municipal judge separately dismissed a disorderly-conduct charge against citizen journalist Winston Noles following his protest outside Trinidad City Hall.
The fallout extended into the courthouse as well. In August, the Henderson County District Attorney's Office announced it would stop taking cases from the department altogether, according to the report. Former Police Chief Charles Gregory had already resigned by then, with his final day on the job coming June 19.
Residents Brace For Longer Response Times
Residents Brace For Longer Response Times With the department's licensed officers gone, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office now responds to a large share of calls in Trinidad and is expected to provide ongoing law-enforcement support for the town. Mayor Haws said he hopes the sheriff's office will keep the community safe, but residents have voiced worry that deputies will simply have more ground to cover across the county now that Trinidad no longer fields its own force. Some residents, including Sharon Woods, have questioned how emergencies will be handled going forward.
Not An Isolated Case In Texas
Trinidad's shutdown fits a broader pattern playing out across small-town Texas this year. TCOLE deactivated or cited several other small police departments between May and July 2026, according to Police1. The most direct comparison is Staples, where the Staples Police Department was deactivated in July 2026 after TCOLE found it failed to provide a measurable public benefit.
Police1's reporting on Staples paints a similarly stark picture: the department's seven officers, including its chief, were not paid wages by the city, and it failed to show sustainable funding and required policies and had no records of calls or arrests. TCOLE records cited by the outlet showed Staples had no documented record of responding to calls or making arrests from January 2024 through September 2025, even though Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office data showed Staples police responded to just 10 of 145 dispatched calls during that same stretch. The Staples City Council ultimately voted to dissolve its department on July 28, 2026, after leaning on backup coverage from the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
State regulators are also tightening the rules going forward. An amendment adding more detailed factors for evaluating whether a local police agency provides a genuine public benefit was set to take effect September 1, 2026, per Police1's reporting.
