The Texas Highway Patrol is a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety and is the largest state-level law enforcement agency in the U.S. state of Texas. The patrol's primary duties are enforcement of state traffic laws and commercial vehicle regulation, but it is a fully empowered police agency with authority to enforce criminal law anywhere in the state. Also, they respond to emergencies on Texas’s highways. Highway patrol troopers are also responsible for patrolling the state Capitol Complex in Austin and providing security to the governor. The current Chief is Colonel Freeman F. Martin.
The highway patrol was founded in 1929 as the Highway Motor Patrol, the first statewide law enforcement agency in Texas since the establishment of the Texas Rangers in 1823, and the first such force to be uniformed and regularly trained. Since 1935, the agency has operated under its current name. Since its inception with just 60 officers, then known as "inspectors", the Texas Highway Patrol has grown to meet the increasing volume of vehicular traffic on Texas roads, modern security threats, and the requirements of twenty-first century policing, currently employing over 2,800 sworn troopers.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and by extension the Highway Patrol, is Texas's de facto state police.
History
Early law enforcement in Texas began with the establishment of the Texas Rangers in 1823 by Stephen F. Austin. The Rangers were originally formed to protect American settlers from Indian attacks, and over the years transformed into a paramilitary force. Rangers fought in the Texas Revolution, Mexican–American War, and Civil War. They quickly developed an international reputation for their exploits and perceived fearlessness (Mexican soldiers nicknamed them "Texas Devils" for their scouting and fighting abilities). From 1823 to 1845, they were a territorial force made up of volunteers charged with fighting Native Americans, guarding the Mexican border, and capturing thieves, murderers, and other criminals, occasionally by controversial methods. Nonetheless, it was not until the latter stages of the 19th century and the Texas cattle boom that the Rangers took on a law enforcement, rather than frontier militia, role. The Rangers faced new challenges as population increase. Their focused moved from defending outside threats to maintaining order within the communities. As more people were in need of courts, sheriffs, and police force the Rangers were positioned into the law enforcement. In 1935, the Rangers were moved under the Texas Department of Public Safety.
From 1845 (when Texas was annexed by the United States) until the early 20th century, the Rangers were the only form of state law enforcement available. The force was temporarily disbanded by the federal government after the Civil War, and replaced with the short-lived Texas State Police. This agency lasted only three years before the Texas Rangers were reorganized. Until the introduction of the automobile, they remained the only state criminal law enforcement agency in Texas.
The Texas Highway Patrol was established in 1929 as the Texas Highway Motor Patrol, tasked with enforcing traffic laws on Texas roads. The original force was made up of about 60 officers who patrolled on motorcycles, often in pairs. Because of this, it was not uncommon for troopers to drive criminals to jail in the offenders' own cars, then return later for the motorcycle left on the side of the road. When the Texas Department of Public Safety was formed in 1935, the Highway Motor Patrol was transferred into that department and was renamed the Texas Highway Patrol. The use of motorcycles was phased out after World War II, and cars became troopers' main mode of transportation. Two-way radio and teletype were also added in the late 1940s, allowing troopers to communicate with regional dispatch centers. The Aviation Unit was established in 1949 with the purchase of a single-engine aircraft based in Austin.
The 1960s saw some advances in technology, such as radar speed detection. Nevertheless, troopers' work was still mostly based on instinct and visual detection, and was often very hazardous. High-speed pursuits of bootleggers were common, and troopers were required to act as "storm chasers" for the National Weather Service because of the limited weather radar at the time. Motorcycles were introduced again in the 1970s, but the idea was quickly abandoned when the bikes proved unreliable.
Modern troopers use highly sophisticated technology to conduct their duties. GPS lets regional dispatch centers identify a patrol unit's exact location, and in-car computers (Mobile Data Terminals) allow troopers to receive knowledge of a person's background before ever approaching a vehicle. Troopers are increasingly armed with less-lethal weaponry, such as Tasers. The highway patrol was also one of the first agencies in Texas to use digital citation printers en masse. These systems, mounted in the patrol car, allow traffic citations to be largely completed by scanning an offender's identification card into the Mobile Data Terminal. This innovation allows for quicker ticket writing and more legible citations.
As of 2021, the Texas Highway Patrol employs 2,802 sworn troopers; this is an increase of almost 30% from the 2,162 troopers employed in 2014. Despite the size of the highway patrol and its unique name and function, however, many Texans refer to troopers simply as "DPS", referencing the THP's parent agency. Some are unaware that an entity by the name of "Texas Highway Patrol" even exists, or is distinct from its parent.
Organization
The Texas Highway Patrol is divided into seven regions and nineteen districts. Historically, these regions were numbered I-VII, but were assigned geographic nomenclature in 2018 in order to facilitate easier identification by the public.
North Texas Region: Garland District A: Dallas District B: Tyler District C: Mount Pleasant District D: Hurst Southeast Texas Region: Houston District A: Houston District B: Beaumont District C: Conroe District D: Bryan South Texas Region: McAllen District A: Weslaco District B: Laredo District C: Corpus Christi District D: McAllen West Texas Region: El Paso District A: Midland District B: El Paso Northwest Texas Region: Lubbock District A: Lubbock District B: Amarillo District C: Abilene Central Texas Region: San Antonio District A: San Antonio District B: Austin District C: Waco Capitol Region: Austin
Further division is complex. Districts are divided into two or three sub-districts, each overseen by one or more lieutenants. These are then divided even further into patrol areas encompassing one or two counties, depending on size and population; troopers are assigned to specific counties. Sergeants are responsible for these patrol areas. Captains oversee districts, and majors oversee regions.
Training Trainees are housed at DPS headquarters in Austin and receive training both there and at the department’s Tactical Training Center in Williamson County, north of Austin. Academies are paramilitary in nature and are physically and mentally demanding. Academies are styled as Class A/B-(Year), and last approximately 29 weeks. On average, two academies are held per year; this number can be altered by the Texas DPS director as necessary, and has been as high as four per year as recently as 2017. Hands-on material covered includes weapons training, crash investigation, arrest and control tactics, pursuit driving, and intense physical readiness. Classroom study, such as fraudulent document recognition and legal and ethics code study, also plays a large role in trainees' training. Due to the difficult nature of the academy, some classes have graduated fewer than 20% of the starting number. Class A-2021, which graduated July 30, 2021, was the largest academy in THP history, with 145 trainees ultimately being commissioned.
Trainees are allowed to select a duty assignment from a list of available stations throughout the state, although Texas Highway Patrol makes the ultimate decision on troopers' stations. Priority in assigning posts is typically given to married trainees, but most trainees nonetheless receive their requested assignments. Troopers are typically allowed to request a station transfer after one year of satisfactory service. With the creation of 250 new authorized assignments along the Texas-Mexico border in 2017, many of them in remote locations such as Sanderson, Marfa, and Pecos, it has since become routine for the majority of new Troopers to be assigned to border stations, replacing predecessors who had likewise been stationed there upon graduating the academy and then transferred after one year.
Duties Texas state troopers perform a number of law enforcement duties and tasks:
Enforce state traffic laws by patrolling the highways and issuing warnings or citations to violators. Provide statewide criminal law enforcement, especially in rural areas where local police are limited. Respond to, investigate, and report traffic crashes in rural areas. Provide security to the state capitol complex and governor. Inspect commercial vehicles for load and driver fatigue violations. Assist other DPS divisions with felony investigations, such as narcotics smuggling. Educate citizens on traffic safety practices such as child safety seats and proper vehicle maintenance. Participate in selective specialized units, such as regional SWAT teams, marine patrol, and dive recovery.
Variation, Specialization, and Changes
General Law Enforcement
Although the highway patrol's primary task is enforcement of state traffic laws, many remote areas of the state require troopers to serve general policing duties because of limited local law enforcement. These duties may include responding to civilian calls for service, serving warrants, patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, conducting investigations, and other responsibilities.
In other areas, troopers provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies, such as United States Customs and Border Protection, Texas State Game Wardens, and various local and county police entities.
Notwithstanding these duties, the Texas Administrative Code (which codifies operations of state agencies) officially considers traffic patrol and crash investigation in rural, unincorporated areas the priority of the highway patrol.
Special Units
Tactical Marine: Consists of six armed patrol vessels used to interdict drug traffickers and human smugglers along the Rio Grande and combat violent Mexican drug cartels The Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT): The SWAT headquarter is located in Austin. It is a highly trained team who responds to nationwide critical incidents in high risk environments such as active shootings and hostage situations. Explosive Ordinance Disposal: This team is to respond to and dispose of bomb threats that are unsafe and harmful to the public. Bicycle Patrol: The Bicycle Patrol Unit operates within the Capitol Region. Its mission is to take a proactive stance in deterring criminal activity; traffic enforcement through arrests, citations, and written warnings; educate the public in traffic and crime prevention; and apply community policing concepts to those working in and visiting the State Capitol Complex. Motor Unit: The unit began as an experiment in July 2011; now a fully functioning unit with Troopers assigned to the State Capitol Complex. The Motor Unit is responsible for assignments such as crime suppression, tactical operations, community engagements, traffic control, and escorts.