Trinidad, TX, located about 70 miles southeast of Dallas, is left without a police department after state officials determined the squad provided “no public benefit.”
An investigation was launched into the department after a resident was arrested for reportedly complaining about the town’s water quality.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Jennifer Combs was booked on charges of spreading "false information that creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community" after criticizing the town’s water on social media, with then-Police Chief Charles Gregory doubling down after the arrest calling the issue "cut and dry" on social media.
Though the charges were dropped, an investigation was launched by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, who sent a letter to the city notifying it that the five-member police department would be closed effective Sept. 18.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement said that the department “failed to meet minimum standards,” and “failed to provide sufficient evidence that it provided a public benefit to the community."
The department also failed to provide resources to its officers, including bulletproof vests and an evidence room.
Law enforcement duties for now will be transferred to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office until a permanent solution is found.
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