Texas State Police
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Among its members were Sheriff Jack Helms of DeWitt County, Texas who served as a Captain. He was 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.
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. 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] Reference
- 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
