Law enforement structure.

[Dcav]

New to Texas, on the Houston/Spring border. Some dumb-asses where fighting in the parking lot and police came. There vests had constable on the back, noticed it as I watched the ruckus out of my bedroom window. So far I have seen Houston police, and constables, just curious what the structure is. In NY we had local, county, and of course the state police.

 

[Jason]

All I know if they were in Austin and black the city would be getting sued shortly after the outcome of the event especially if one of "them" gets shot or killed by the police. This is of course no matter what they were doing to get shot or killed. Only other NWVDDC's are allowed to kill NWCDDC's.

 

[Willy]

I think most constables are part of the county law enforcement. They have recently been given the power to write traffic tickets, but their main purpose is to serve warrants. The perp may have had a warrant out for his arrest and they called in the constables to arrest and transfer the perp. At least that's how I understand it. Feel free to correct me, somebody.

 

[txinvestigator]

Constables are elected officials. The Texas Constitution calls for each county to have precincts, and a Constable for each precinct. The Constables hire deputies. They have traditionally served to bailiff the Justice of the Peace Courts and serve warrants and civil process.

They have always been full Texas Peace Officers, and could always write traffic tickets.

The JPs handle small claims and class C misdemeanors from the LE agencies other than the city police. City police Class Cs are handled through the city courts, called Municipal Courts.

Class C misdemeanors are crimes punishable by only a fine, and are our lowest class of crime. Traffic violations are mostly class C.

Other LE agencies are the city police, who investigate all crime within the jurisdiction. Some towns have Marshals, who focus on serving the warrants of municipal courts.

The Sheriff is an elected official, and he is tasked with running the county jail as well as Law Enforcement within the county. While Sheriff's typically concentrate on the unincorporated areas of the county, their LE jurisdiction is the entire county. Of course, they hire deputies.

The Texas DPS is our state LE agency. They began with the creation of the Texas Rangers in 1823. In 1935, the Department of Public Safety was officially started, with the combination of the Rangers, License & Weight, and Highway Patrol. The Rangers are our state Investigative Agency.

There are other LE agencies, such as Dallas' Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police, colleges and hospitals can have their own agencies, there is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Park Rangers, etc.

All LE agencies can arrest on warrants issued from any court.

Below is a complete list;

Texas Code of Criminal Procedures

Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. The following are peace officers:
(1) sheriffs, their deputies, and those reserve deputies who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(2) constables, deputy constables, and those reserve deputy constables who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(3) marshals or police officers of an incorporated city, town, or village, and those reserve municipal police officers who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(4) rangers and officers commissioned by the Public Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public Safety;
(5) investigators of the district attorneys', criminal district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
(6) law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission;
(7) each member of an arson investigating unit commissioned by a city, a county, or the state;
(8) officers commissioned under Section 37.081, Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
(9) officers commissioned by the General Services Commission;
(10) law enforcement officers commissioned by the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
(11) airport police officers commissioned by a city with a population of more than 1.18 million that operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
(12) airport security personnel commissioned as peace officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
(13) municipal park and recreational patrolmen and security officers;
(14) security officers and investigators commissioned as peace officers by the comptroller;
(15) officers commissioned by a water control and improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
(16) officers commissioned by a board of trustees under Chapter 54, Transportation Code;
(17) investigators commissioned by the Texas Medical Board;
(18) officers commissioned by the board of managers of the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
(19) county park rangers commissioned under Subchapter E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
(20) investigators employed by the Texas Racing Commission;
(21) officers commissioned under Chapter 554, Occupations Code;
(22) officers commissioned by the governing body of a metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108, Transportation Code, or by a regional transportation authority under Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
(23) investigators commissioned by the attorney general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
(24) security officers and investigators commissioned as peace officers under Chapter 466, Government Code;
(25) an officer employed by the Department of State Health Services under Section 431.2471, Health and Safety Code;
(26) officers appointed by an appellate court under Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
(27) officers commissioned by the state fire marshal under Chapter 417, Government Code;
(28) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner of insurance under Section 701.104, Insurance Code;
(29) apprehension specialists and inspectors general commissioned by the Texas Youth Commission as officers under Sections 61.0451 and 61.0931, Human Resources Code;
(30) officers appointed by the inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019, Government Code;
(31) investigators commissioned by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under Section 1701.160, Occupations Code;
(32) commission investigators commissioned by the Texas Private Security Board under Section 1702.061(f), Occupations Code;
(33) the fire marshal and any officers, inspectors, or investigators commissioned by an emergency services district under Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code;
(34) officers commissioned by the State Board of Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject to the limitations imposed by that section; and
(35) investigators commissioned by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission as officers under Section 141.055, Human Resources Code.

 

[Dcav]

Thanks TX, that's the kind of answer I was looking for. Just trying to keep myself informed of my new surroundings.

 

[armadillo]

In the Houston area it is common practice to have Deputy Constables doing patrol work outside the city limits. The large subdivisions contract with the elected Constable to provide a set number of patrol hours for a fee. As I understand it - the Constable is allowed to use these funds to hire extra Deputies outside his official budget. Many of the Deputies are retired PD officers and Deputy Sheriffs.

 

[cuate]

"Texas has the Biggest and Mostess of everything". Like nutty drivers around the big cities, road hog 18 wheelers, Elmer Fudd poke along drivers holdin up traffic, dark tinted window gangbangers with firearms aboard, speeders. tailgaters, litterbugs, wierdos, dingbats and hippies....Along with accompaning Barney Phifes by the millions enriching the coffers of their LEO courts with dollars almost as great as the spending
spree of the obomanites...Revenuers properly labeled. All because so many people have the "get there-itis" and their personalities take over the steering wheel and gas pedal ! Did I leave out the "po" illegal aliens who don't seem to have drivers licenses, liability insurance, or a permanent address when they can be found once they T Bone your shiny new car? Maybe we need some extra Constables...

 

[ZX9RCAM]

For the record, ISD police CAN write tickets outside of school areas.....I always thought they could not.

 

[txinvestigator]

For the record, ISD police CAN write tickets outside of school areas.....I always thought they could not.

What do you mean by "school area"? The entire land area that the ISD encompasses (everywhere that pays an ISD property tax) is their jurisdiction.

 

[txinvestigator]

..Along with accompaning Barney Phifes by the millions enriching the coffers of their LEO courts with dollars almost as great as the spending
spree of the obomanites...Revenuers properly labeled.

I have done exhaustive research on this. Fact; in Dallas the ENTIRE fines collected by municipal court (that includes PD, FD, code enforcement, etc) are less than 5% of the city budget. Public Safety is by far the biggest expenditure the city has.

I have looked at all of the major cities, and the numbers remain true. Revenue is just not the reason for traffic enforcement.

 

[Big country]

I have a question and I'm by no means trying to be a smart ass. If the revenue from traffic fines don't help anything why does the fine go up $20 a year? If the city isn't making any money why do they issue the fines in the first place? And if the money isn't a source of revenue why do they issue warrants the payment is late?

 

[ZX9RCAM]

What do you mean by "school area"? The entire land area that the ISD encompasses (everywhere that pays an ISD property tax) is their jurisdiction.

I was refering to school zones & property.....that is were I thought their jurisdiction ended. I did not realize they had "power" outside of those areas until a few years ago.

 

[txinvestigator]

I have a question and I'm by no means trying to be a smart ass. If the revenue from traffic fines don't help anything why does the fine go up $20 a year? If the city isn't making any money why do they issue the fines in the first place? And if the money isn't a source of revenue why do they issue warrants the payment is late?

There are fines to gain voluntary compliance. We, society, don't want people jailed for violating minor traffic offenses. So how else do we get compliance unless we hit them in the wallet?

If the payment is late, you ignored your punishment. There HAS to be corrective action. Anyone with kids knows this.

 

[Big country]

I got the warrant issuance part down ( i learned the hard way about writing down your traffic court dates.LOL) but it seems to me that the cities and counties make a little bit cash of these fines to.

 

[txinvestigator]

it seems to me that the cities and counties make a little bit cash of these fines to.

No doubt, but the purpose of traffic enforcement is not the generation of that revenue. If it was, no one would be found not guilty, allowed to take a deferred plea, etc.

 

[Big country]

Fair enough.

 

[Burt Gummer]

I was refering to school zones & property.....that is were I thought their jurisdiction ended. I did not realize they had "power" outside of those areas until a few years ago.

Our ISD officers are Peace Officers and they often help us out in surrounding neighborhoods near the school.
Mostly it involves the high schoolers skipping but they cruise around the surrounding neighborhoods in marked patrol cars and have authoritai! to write citations if need be.

 

[Buckles]

Our ISD officers are Peace Officers and they often help us out in surrounding neighborhoods near the school.
Mostly it involves the high schoolers skipping but they cruise around the surrounding neighborhoods in marked patrol cars and have authoritai! to write citations if need be.

ya. our UPD at Sam Houston State has jurisdiction in all of walker county and any other county that Sam Houston State has property in.

 

[Big country]

Leander ISD uses officers from Cedar Park PD, Leander PD, and any other local PD that applies as the SRO.

 

[kingofwylietx]

Wow! Lots of good info here.

So, can ISD officers issue speeding tickets anywhere in their geographic ISD (for example, on the highway that is nowhere near a school)?