Charles L. Cotton wrote:nightmare69 wrote:Charles L. Cotton wrote:As others have said, my comments are directed at the current state of the law, not at any Forum Member.
I think we should repeal all peace officer authorizations for everything other than DPS, sheriffs and deputies, constables and police officers. We have gone way overboard in authorizing various state agencies and schools to create police forces. For example the State Board of Pharmacy, municipal utility districts, Comptroller officers, water control and water district officers, Texas Medical Board investigators, Hospital District officers, Texas Racing Commission investigators, and numerous others. (See
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... 2.htm#2.12" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
This is crazy!
Chas.
I agree there is a huge list of who are peace officers in Texas.
Well, you aren't saying whether you support or oppose this huge list. We don't need 36 flavors of LEOs. We don't need, nor should we want to support, more than DPS, Sheriffs, city police and constables (limited to civil service). Nothing good comes from having a baker's dozen time three (almost). Crime isn't reduced and the tax bill for all of these folks, equipment, etc. is wasted money that could be used elsewhere.
One of the best, most candid, statements I've ever heard about the impact LEO's have on crime was made by a female city police officer. She said,
There is no 'thin blue line.' That's just something we COPs tell ourselves to make us feel important." She wasn't saying LEO's are useless or they serve no purpose. She was saying that COPs don't prevent crime and more COPs doesn't even reduce crime, because criminals aren't afraid of getting caught. She was also saying that people cannot rely upon COPs keeping them safe because only the very lucky will have a COP present when they are victimized.
It appears that every state agency, local agency, unit of local government, or even private colleges and universities, feel they must have their own police force/officers in order to play with the big boys. I don't care to stroke their egos.
Chas.
