This Texas town has about 250 people. It has 50 sworn police officers.

[@dillardphilosophy3333]

Without even hearing the news report, I knew that this town was located along a major highway, and that these aren't cops: they're revenue collection agents. I'd bet good vegas odds that 99% of the citations they write are for people that don't live in that city, and that the city has been transformed into a speed trap with sudden and unnecessary drops in the speed limit.

[@josecorona4159]

The first time I passed through there there was between 2-3 cops entering the town and exiting it

[@glep3570]

But, 50 cops to collect 1 million dollars? That is only 20k each...

[@iwannaseethereceipts]

I live in Texas, and there's one of these type towns on pretty much every highway. Distinctly predatory speed limit changes and the cops hide behind buildings and signs. Coffee City seems like the most aggressive and brazen of the bunch, though

[@annem7806]

I was warned of Surfside​@@iwannaseethereceipts

[@chonqmonk]

They should change the name to Doughnut City.

[@jacksonmarshallkramer5087]

Jeremy Rogalski has a history if taking on the police. In May 2000, he was a reporter in Indianapolis. He did a story on Jack Cottey. He was the Sheriff of Marion County in central Indianapolis. He was hammering deputies for drinking off-duty. Jeremy started following the Sheriff around for a few weeks and discovered that he was doing the same thing. It caused a big stink. Sheriff Cottey assigned a few if the Covert Ops guys to follow Jeremy around for a while and returned the favor. I was a deputy back then and there was definitely a double standard. Nice to see him still sticking it to the bullschitters.

[@joe1940]

Were they drinking and driving? Going to the bar when you're off the clock isn't illegal.

[@indianoutlaw5702]

Sounds to me like this reporter has a grudge against the police and is trying to make his fame off the topic. Objectively this was an extremely one sided story.

[@420.........]

That's why acab b

[@420.........]

​@@indianoutlaw5702wtf, freedom of press doesn't mean illegally harassing the press

[@indianoutlaw5702]

@@420......... My point is everyone has an angle.

[@smorris281]

There’s something really funky going on in that town. Plus, it doesn’t take someone too smart to realize you can provide the same level of police protection with a 1/3 of the officers. Seems like their shaking people down every chance they get.

[@newvillagefilms]

This is just like Stallone's movie "Cop Land" except it's in TX. 😂

[@ctcanine]

The chief is the head of that criminal enterprise, and should be immediately fired and prosecuted

[@chrisjames3087]

Kiowa Oklahoma was a well known speed trap on Hwy 69, just north of the Red River and the Texas state line. You couldn't get to Dallas from Tulsa without driving through Kiowa. They had a similar Police Department. It finally became so notorious that the state shut it down.

[@shanemoves2567]

💯% They didn't even have a court house, just a "P.O. box to mail your money", was exactly what a cop road pirate told me. "If you dont your license will be suspended AND a warrant for your arrest issued", for 3mph over. I guess they had a P O box AND a jail is all- probably all bluff. Kendleton TX had a similar scam for years.

[@nancyenkelmann7801]

They are sooo crooked. Have been through there multiple times, along with Atoka. Notorious speed traps.

[@TeutonicTribe]

Yeah, I got a speeding ticket there. Never again stopping or spending another dime in that dusthole.

[@St.Twizz214]

I got a speeding ticket for going 2 mph over

[@brilliantlybritt1928]

I’m from Tulsa and I go back home like twice a year. I got a ticket like 4 or 5 years ago for like $250! I may or may not have paid it 😂

[@davidmichalak6023]

This absolutely terrifying. This isnt a police force its more like mob enforcers

[@Fudge_Fantasy]

It shouldn't be. These type of cops are everywhere.

[@bombomos]

It's not the cops. It's the town itself. The town literally has no income. So they deputize the citizens so they can get the town income from speed tickets.

[@5tyxx]

I am not on either side of this but until I see criminals getting put in jail after their 3rd criminal act I think its VERY fair that cops get a second chance since criminals get like 5-10 chances

[@beaudwayful]

Police State

[@luvthigod]

The Chief said he tries to see the good in everybody when he referred to the hiring of his cops … how come he couldn’t see the good in all those “traffic violators “ that brought in millions for the town treasury…

[@dvdmex1978]

I've been through coffee city plenty of times and this report is spot on. It's a scam

[@marklewis4421]

Facts ...stupid

[@benharrell3002]

This kind of behavior breeds contempt for law enforcement amongst law abiding citizens. How do you think that affects a society? Do the city council members even care?

[@-in-the-meantime...]

"Not sorry couldn't hear you with all the job security and paid vacays on my mind" - council

[@turtletruth]

Traffic tickets have never changed any person's driving habits, ever! POLICE are the #1 most hated TAX Collecting TYRANTS" in the nation! QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IN ITS ENTIRETY: "Must be abolished" ...!

[@danieltouton7547]

What kind of a good can you find in the total corruption of the entire police force in my opinion

[@turtletruth]

You can't be an honest citizen, love freedom, God, and the Constitution, and still back the "non-accountable" blue! (It's hypocrisy!). QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IN ITS ENTIRETY; "Must be ABOLISHED " ...!

[@pablohassan6897]

The irony of it all is the fact they need to prey on motorists to pay the huge wage bill you get from paying 50 cops in a 249 person town, just ludicrous

[@thomastheengineer783]

This is hilarious, should be a TV show concept. Imagine it gets to a point where it's a city of just police officers.

[@featheredserpentofthewest2049]

😂😂😂😂 exactly

[@flat6fever680]

Now that's a good story line. Even if just for an episode of Criminal minds or a 2 hour movie. Hilarious and scary at the same time.

[@9fj1]

Arresting each other!😅😂

[@newvillagefilms]

It was a 1997 movie called Cop Land.

[@hamplus163]

Well then they’d need a police force to police the police force, drawn from the current by police force of course

[@sliedogg]

If you dont think we are in a police state you aren't paying attention.

[@rk-us3zl]

if you think we're in a police state, you have never lived overseas.

[@kylem2693]

Thats why I moved out the state. Born and raised in Houston, big difference in my opinion living in Northern Virginia the level of aggression from the cops compared to TX

[@mia1shooter]

When cops get fired, their law enforcement credentials should also be revoked

[@jimyeats]

You can’t just say that unilaterally. If an officer is fired for something specifically related to being a danger to the public exc then by all means, but most officers are fired for the same stuff most people are fired for; not doing paperwork, showing up late, office politics, exc exc.

[@craigkling5125]

Could you provide some backup of that claim? @@jimyeats

[@yourmom2819]

If they have had prior disciplinary action and still got fired they should 100% be stripped of credentials

[@rogerargueta5769]

You should have to have a state license to be in law enforcement... revocable and monitored. Nail technicians require it and they don't kill people

[@jimyeats]

@@yourmom2819 again it depends what the disciplinary action was for. I’m in the medical and nursing field. Lets say a doctor gets “disciplined” for not finishing his charts. Sure, his employer may fire him, but that doesn’t have any direct action on their license, nor should it, because it has nothing to do with their direct patient care. Edit: Sure, overdue charting has some indirect patient care applications, but mostly it just means you’re a bad employee, not that you’re unsafe or violating your licensure.

[@kimipoo]

Avoid Coffee, TX got it 👍 👌

[@eddiemunster4094]

For real 😬

[@happyone9074]

@johnscott9180nope just avoiding speed traps

[@West_Coast]

Dozens of dirty cops on the city payroll, shameful.

[@dannydaniel623]

There is no payroll they are working for free. They take their volunteer uniform and badge drive to Houston work security at $50.00 plus an hour.

[@AlbertoGonzalez..]

Sickening

[@hellogoodnite8447]

@johnscott9180isn’t that the case for most corrupt cops. They don’t really get held accountable either way unless the media covers it.

[@t-l-taylor]

​@@hellogoodnite8447especially when you investigate your own crimes

[@98slime86]

@johnscott9180i know a couple of guys with dropped cases dont mean you didnt do shit just means they couldnt or in these cops cases DIDNT WANT to prove it

[@peytonbrown5394]

I live right next to Coffee City and when driving down 155 through Coffee City there's a half mile slowdown from 60mph to 55 mph, and if you go anything over 55 they will ticket you. They're like vultures

[@steveh5882]

Corruption at it's finest.

[@bossmaynemarco]

​@johnscott9180or just get rid of those who are corrupt and who abuse their authority.

[@GrannysWatching13]

​@johnscott9180But does it mean the neighbor didn't just because charges were dropped?

[@rednekokie]

or worst!

[@tsangdennis1953]

Ex-criminals in police uniform. That's the understanding. You expect them to uphold the law ?

[@briccc4why518]

He probably needs crooked cops who will look the other way about his own corruptness.

[@sublimedivinity11]

This is the only logical explanation to me💯 He is the top wolf in charge.

[@LadyAtheOnly]

That’s it and that’s all.💯🎯

[@rogersmith7808]

Why didn't he ask the Chief why he needed so many cops? Why didn't they ask the Chief and the town Mayor who is paying for this excessive law enforcement payroll. Thie Chief is dirty and he clearly is benefiting monetarily from this somehow.

[@zoot6581]

Terrifying, thank God I don't live in or near this incredibly corrupt community, polluted by criminal police officers.

[@nitdiver5]

This happens in every state

[@jlyle51]

I is not that bad. Do not speed. Do not drive to the beer store in Coffee City while already drinking. Coffee City is one big beer store. Close to a large dry County.

[@eduardodelagarza4787]

You live in Houston lmao

[@mikewaterfield3599]

So much better to live in an area polluted by libtards and corrupt DAs who refuse to prosecute. Ask San Fran how that one is working out.

[@Lonesome__Dove]

When was the last time you heard of a cop killing someone or abusing someone in coffee city? You should be more afraid in houston.

[@mid_century_me]

Wow. Looking forward to this investigation. Love local news reporters.

[@anthonyf4439]

“ we investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing “

[@GracefullySo]

😅😅

[@jefferypease3920]

This is why there should be a decertification of cops who are fired for serious offenses

[@texascookingtoday5873]

Cops get away with behavior like this because they have qualified immunity. End qualified immunity. Share this message, end qualified immunity.🤨

[@armorers_wrench]

What if you just reformed it?

[@larrysmith665]

​@@adog3336seek Jesus Christ

[@Adam-om9hu]

Considering nowadays cops are sued personally and charged for every crime doesn't sound like qualified immunity is working for them anyway.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@JB-lp9xr Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.

[@CastleRaccon]

@Adam-om9hu Who told you that lie. You can't even legally sue a cop directly. The only time a cop gets charges is when the media is involved.

[@JOHNNY-pf3jx]

😐 so basically each family of 5 has their own private security since there's one cop for every 5 people.

[@secondamendment8558]

I used to live out there. They are nothing but a bunch of bullies and they abuse their authority.

[@Drew791]

What made you want to move away? Did you move away specifically because of this excessive police situation, or something else?

[@sik59rt]

Why not interview town board members or mayor or anyone that has oversight over the police force and ask them how they can justify it?

[@AMDixon]

Wait, who is paying for all these cops??? Surely the 250 people in Coffee don’t contribute enough in taxes to pay 50 officers…so where is this pay coming from???

[@willieverusethis]

Traffic fines. Probably anyone driving through the "city".

[@CEOkiller]

Speeding tickets… reminds me of New Rome, OH

[@workinprogress3609]

All of them aren't on payroll. This wouldn't even have been a story if he didn't pee someone off in Houston. We have NO room to point fingers when our local government is one of the filthy, dirtiest in the country.

[@ryshellso526]

Literally "highway robbery"...😂😂😂 it's like having an extremist tribe in Afghanistan.

[@jcasetnl]

I'd bet big money that's a narco distribution town.

[@WeLiveWeDie]

This is happening everywhere !!!!

[@JackReacheround]

Texans: We're all about freedom and eradicating tyranny!. Also Texans: Help help were being oppressed!!

[@jimmygilliland3619]

Ya texas is about like everywhere else you got us real ones then ya go a whole lot of lil bs why nothing will change in this country

[@acewings221]

This is what living in a police state looks like. Think about this when you decide to be a bootlicker and “back the blue”

[@Snicesqwork]

Good job guys, I don’t remember the last time I’ve looked forward to a local news story coming TOMORROW! (5pm?)

[@rebeccaoliver7977]

Thanks for your post. I find myself often complaining that news agencies aren’t being journalists. Then when I finally see it, I didn’t stop to thank them.

[@patrickarmstrong8908]

Some small towns in Texas are notorious for make their money from the motorist who drive through them. Taxation through citation. They will pull you over if you go 1 mile over the speed limit, and of course, accuse you of changing lanes without signaling.

[@dannydaniel623]

It’s got to be a major speed trap. This little town remind me of Nolanville, Texas.

[@buyacka9]

Lol I stay next door in Killeen/Copperas cove 😂

[@gigibluestockings5168]

​@buyacka9 I was there twice and rarely drove through that hell hole.

[@texez_angel]

Lived there in nolanville

[@buyacka9]

Nolanville is where I got my first ever ticket at age 20 and I'm early 40's now 🫣

[@jimmygilliland3619]

Shit they get you for going 1mpg over or if they think you in the left lane to long they need to go bunch lil bs

[@mariovo5]

🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩🍩

[@woog74]

Tries to look at the good in everybody, believes everybody deserves an opportunity. Why doesn't he extend the same view to citizens passing through the town?

[@fracturedangel1835]

All of this... AAAANNNNNND becomes a Cop!

[@LolUGotBusted]

The town used to have a thousand people but they torched a black community. Now they are jam-packed with cops and someone visits Lenny's house twice a day.

[@georgegravette1132]

How does this even happen? If it's an incorporated city, how does the city council justify paying the salaries of so many cops, taxation-wise? And if it's not incorporated, what authorization does the police department have to even exist?

[@donpierce7405]

They have to remain self funded through traffic tickets. If they don’t they’re gone.

[@johndunn9819]

​​@@donpierce7405 🤔 Hmmm. You don't think dirty cops would create "crime" in other cities across the nation just to justify their existence too ,do you?

[@rodrigomorales3906]

@@johndunn9819there is enough blacks doing that

[@rileymcphee9429]

wouldn't be surprised to see many members of city council are in the police force. That's an easy way to do it.

[@amyturpen4726]

With all the money from traffic citations being brought into the city their salaries are covered with plenty left over for the councils benefit. I'd be investigating how much of that is going directly into their pockets to incentives this nonsense. 20 part time officers would still provide 24/7 coverage of 3 officers on duty at all times.

[@scwaty180]

It would be interesting to see the crime statistics for this town, and whether or not the increase of officer did anything to reduce crime, or did it just line their pockets

[@jimmygilliland3619]

I assure you it hasn't the crim is getting worse and worse these cops need to go I live right next to coffee city

[@skie6282]

No. So the concept of more police means less criminals is flawed because of corruption. In a perfect world its good, but so is communism. In reality bad law enforcement creates criminals. Say they pull a guy over doing 5 over. They dont cut him a break cause their corrupt, they give him a hard time and a ticket. Well now hes in the system. They harrass him more, one day they pull him out of the car, say he resists, jail. Now he has a bigger record. Maybe he actually starts breaking little laws due to stress, he cant affoed basic neccesities anymore. He can pulled over again, charges brought up from nothing, he cant ger a good job anymore maybe he looses his license. Maybe he starts drinking or dealing drugs for money cause he cant get a good job. Now multiple that by all the people in the city. Currupt cops over policing create criminals. Because in the eyes of the cop anything you do or say is a crime, they just havnt thought of it yet. Edit spelling

[@chumps7974]

I'm guessing the officers are committing some of the crimes

[@Kaas_Frijoles]

Since 11:00 a.m. I can tell you that the crime statistics for property, crime and violent crimes are above the national average.

[@t_money1850]

Looks like a cartel to me

[@joe1940]

It's up to the state legislators to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen.

[@debrakleid5752]

Remind me not to move to Coffee City. This really is bizarre to hire that many police officers and really strange to hire so many with troubled pasts. I would be more concerned with the officers with disciplinary problems than the town’s residents at that point

[@blueokie]

You would be perfectly safe as long as your a towny its the out of towner they target

[@MrFALLENHER0]

@@blueokieso don’t go to that shit hole , got it

[@turtletruth]

Traffic tickets have never changed any person's driving habits, ever! POLICE are the #1 most hated TAX Collecting TYRANTS" in the nation! QUALIFIED IMMUNITY IN ITS ENTIRETY: "Must be abolished" ...!

[@shanemoves2567]

Civil SERPENT'S DEN

[@StudioDaVeed]

Where is all that fine money going????

[@rogerargueta5769]

That means that the chief of police or the mayor or both... run an incubation/asylum for bad cops. I wonder if there is a fee to get in and stay in.

[@TheHolyGhost777]

Yeah, it's called fraternal order of police union fees. No matter how crooked you are, the other cops pretend like you're not lawless. ("He was doing his job.")

[@lightxgrenade]

Over 5,000 tickets in a town of 250. That's basically 20 tickets issued per person. That's insane...but I guess the key piece of info was actually the over $1M in revenue raised from the tickets. They should see where that money is being directed to.

[@nessiedestiny8252]

What they fail to say is many of those are not even for coffee residents. Tyler county is dry so many people at the UT or even others go down there to buy liquor.

[@SKAEDDIESS]

I smell a Uvalde Texas on the making all criminals

[@AJ12Gamer]

1:43 😂😂😂😂 His Micro Expressions says he's lying 😂😂😂😂 Try to hide the smirk a little better next time ex police capt. 😂😂😂😂

[@sting114]

Corruption at its finest

[@scottleppard288]

Though we are small, the State of New Hampshire is governed by NH Police Standards. If you have a criminal record don't bother to apply. NH is very strict on hiring standards and practices.

[@fixento]

State need to remove the incorporation from the town, like they did in Florida on a ticket machine. Something else is going on, 1 million in tickets is only $20K per officer without payroll taxes, retirement, uniforms, vehicles the State of Texas needs to investigate. .

[@jacobjones5269]

If 50 cops are making 80-100K on the side job, then that’s 4-5 million.. Which makes it pretty easy to take 25% and spread it around to the chief and 1or 2 key council members..

[@misterrees]

Send em to police the border for that kind of money 💰 💰

[@TheWtfnonamez]

The commercialisation of policing is a horrific abuse. We are getting that over here in the UK with the Proceeds of Crime act. Basically, when they suspect people of certain crimes, they get the court to seize their "proceeds of crime", true or unproven. Then they seize all the persons wealth and its up to the individual to get back what belongs to them. The fact that they did this to a 100% law abiding bank manager because of mistaken identity speaks volumes. He basically fitted the description of a black drug dealer, and by sole virtue of this mistake, the Police took everything he had, and it took him nearly half a decade to get his money back. The Police do not exist to extract extra-judicial taxes from the populace.

[@fracturedangel1835]

Holy hell - that's f'd up! So the Cops become bigger thieves then anybody, and the Courts encourage it. That's one hell of a system they cooked up there!

[@DaveT0818]

Take the money out of policing... not one cent should go to the municipality or the department... charge the Mayor and the Chief under RICO if they are encouraging the Police Dept to write more citations in an effort to bolster the coffers ..

[@VulcanGunner]

Hello from the People's Democratic Republic of Crook County, Illinois.

[@forkthepork]

Sounds like a town and county to avoid like the plague. Good luck, small business owners in the area.

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

Probably just a speed trap town. There’s a ton of them in Tx, NM, Az. Generate revenue through traffic stops, catching smugglers with drugs coming in or confiscating cash going out, DUI’s.

[@phyllisswett3780]

Note to self,... steer clear of Coffee City. Disturbing story. I grew up in a small town in upstate N.Y. We had 1400 people and 1 constable. He was able to handle and few problems we had. This situation stinks.

[@AlphanumericCharacters]

Bet that small town in NY is very different now. No jobs and full of meth and fentanyl.

[@hokehinson5987]

No surprise from a state that bred LBJ & ESTES.... every has a speed trap city but this one is dun Texas style its a mobile gang. Badges...."badges? we don't need no damn badges"

[@nitinbhakta4787]

The state of Texas and FBI need to investigate this entire police department including the chief. Get rid of them. Usually, a town with small population is unincorporated and is supported by the county meaning the town does not have its own government - no mayor, no court, no police or sheriff dept, no fire dept, no post office, no water dept.

[@rk-us3zl]

Coffee City is incorporated. It's also unconstitutional to investigate someone without a crime. What crime is being committed? Writing tickets to speeders?

[@smorris281]

Maybe they will after this report. Seems like nothing gets done until the fourth estate gets involved. These investigative reporters can really put their at risk sometimes, no joke.

[@drew3693]

@@rk-us3zlYou’re the type of person who could get pissed on three times and just think it’s raining out. 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@rk-us3zl]

@@drew3693 Good one. When you can't refute facts, rely on ad-hominem attacks. I follow the Constitution.

[@rk-us3zl]

@lawlesslee1405 take your sovereign garbage elsewhere. Do you have a drivers license, registration, pay fuel taxes? If not, you will someday be arrested and you will lose in court.

[@JULYXXIV]

To justify that many sworn officers, the population should be around 25K-30K. Most towns with a population of just 250 persons don’t even have the tax base to support the salary of just ONE police officer. So they don’t. 50 sworn officers is what you would expect at Texas Tech, or any moderate-sized D1 school.

[@crossroads5771]

Justice system is a disgrace. From AG to the local gang member.

[@redsocks771]

50 Police for 250 population? There must be some really bad Mofos in that town.

[@steveladner4346]

People that pull you over to ask if you're carrying a large amount of cash are not here to protect you.

[@steveladner4346]

@johnscott9180 Explain to me how it's okay to take cash from someone that hasn't done anything wrong!

[@NAT-turners-Revenge]

So, you're a "civil forfeiture" advocate 🙄

[@cajunguy6502]

That entire area is wildly corrupt. The US Justice department needs to spend a few years just investing everyone in Tyler, Tx snd Smith County. Its baffling how corrupt this place is.

[@joekev27]

Criminals with badges thats all I see. That chief loves to give his officers second chances and the benefit of the doubt but I doubt he treats the citizens the same way. Im sure whenever he deals with a citizen his mindset is they are guilty until they prove they're innocent.

[@BigBone4u-fn3dx]

NOTHING new. The american way. Right.

[@terryl.cooper]

I already knew the chief was dirty if he had that many cops on the books.

[@jamesjenkins9916]

He looks at the good in everybody ? Humm, does that go for the average citizen too ? How many of those 5,000 citations were for the GOOD of the community ? Yeah, right.

[@getplaning]

The business of law enforcement. Any other profession would not allow this.

[@My-Pal-Hal]

They didn't mention the 250 people work at the Donut Shop selling Coffee 😂

[@curiouslyt2123]

If these things were overturned then why they there and not back home working. DWI, theft, public drunkenness, family violence at home and endangering a child, those reasons for being let go don’t sound like good cops getting caught up in police politics! I didn’t say it, this guy who hired them threw the past employers like him under the bust by implying they either lied or let their officers go dorky on politics. Even if that WAS the case, you can’t take in every stray off the street! Only in a republican state that claims to live law and order so much it a town could get away with being a haven for let go cops from all around. Who else LOVES to hire charters with a tinge of dirt and put them to work for them? Trump, Putin, this towns police force, Ukraine military and their police love utilizing people with questionable character because they get the job done they want and it’s usually not what the citizens are looking for.

[@justinw123]

They don't have 50 officers working every day. THere must be 50 on the pay roll. They only got like 5 cop cars. This town has been like this the last 30 years. All the locals, unless your stupid know to not speed through there.

[@MrSesmith11]

It’s like that scene in Blazing Saddles where mayor Hedy, I mean Hedley LaMar asks to assemble a posse of “Russlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters,…”

[@MuzixMaker]

And Methodists!

[@mauganra2589]

Sounds like an organized crime racket, likely with the mayor and city council involved.

[@ekoopasetapart3933]

I been saying they are corrupt, but everyone just gets mad when I say it with no explanations....

[@bwofficial1776]

If you don't explain it, people will assume you're making a baseless accusation. You have to back it up.

[@ExCinereForge]

Birds of a feather flock together. This sure sounds more like a criminal enterprise than a police department. Just another example of how you get what you vote for.

[@johnjohnjohnjohn921]

Good work by the news team out there journalism not dead

[@pwu8194]

Small towns in Texas are known to get their money from traffic tickets. It's the Texas way. 😆

[@1jimmarch]

If there's a huge number of reservists you could be seeing another problem entirely. Some people pay really good money for a badge because of a federal law called LEOSA from 2004 that lets cops carry guns in every single state. This includes states like New York and California which don't recognize Texas carry permits and won't even allow somebody from Texas to apply for their permit. A reserve deputy badge is a way around that problem due to federal law overriding those state's carry bans.

[@rk-us3zl]

Texas requires a full academy (700 plus hrs/ 6 plus months) to be a reserve officer. Most Texas reserve cops were full time and moved on to another career. Some other states have very minimal training requirements (NM, LA etc).

[@bwofficial1776]

That was my thought too. The chief has all of his friends listed as being police so they can carry under LEOSA. It wouldn't be the first place this happened.

[@autoteleology]

Can you tell us more about how this works and how you know about it? This is incredibly interesting and I've never heard about it before.

[@PremiumFuelOnly]

Whats wrong with that?

[@1jimmarch]

@@PremiumFuelOnly You want rich assholes like Kid Rock buying *actual law enforcement status*? Yeah, that sounds great. Not!

[@4dpeepscom]

all trash ends up somewhere , i feel bad for those people

[@curiouslyt2123]

Giving these cops a second, no they burned that long before they got there but giving these bad cops a job just to make them feel all warm and welcome paying 50$ a hr has come at the expense of the 249 pee that live there. There’s no way a cop could come from this town themselves and be so ready to do this to their home. There is more to it than what this jerk is trying to make it sound like. There’s like 1 cop for every 5 people!!!! That’s bs!

[@featheredserpentofthewest2049]

Absolutely astonishing!

[@newvillagefilms]

I'm surprised they didn't rename the city "Donut City"! 😂

[@woodsman1382]

Well I'm sorry for the citizens of the city but in retrospect they have done what other departments have never done and that to put all the bad apples into one basket, well not all of them but you get the point. Now the true criminals here are the city council who allows this chief to hire all these bad apples.

[@phillipdavidhaskett7513]

Sound's like Diboll, right outside Lufkin on Highway 59. I received a red light camera ticket going through there after the yellow light lasted two seconds. They actually forced me to do a jury trial comprised on six locals who knew damned well the light was rigged, but they convicted me anyway.

[@jacobjones5269]

Yeah, Diboll.. World renowned speed trap..

[@jacobjones5269]

Your lawyer sucks, then, because I told the judge I wanted to question my accuser, the camera, and he threw the ticket out.. You always get the opportunity to question your accuser..

[@alisonfowler8193]

Disturbing...

[@joegug4751]

Where does over a million dollars of revenue go ? 50 cops at 100k a year salary ( and that’s on the high end ) that leaves 500k a year unaccounted for.

[@JC-jj6qi]

Fantastic investigative reporting 👍👏

[@facetiouslyinsolent8313]

Just listening to the Chief even he sounds like a criminal attempting to get out of something. Oh Texas...

[@taskforcekarma6945]

I can see 50 officers in a town/small city of around 20,000-35,000 people but a town of 250 you would generally think would either have the Sheriff police it or a small department of maybe 1-6 officers total.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

The average across the US is one officer per one thousand population. Normally, a town of 250 population would either have no police force or part-time (Fri-Sat night) at most. Usually off-duty deputies or state troopers.

[@BigBone4u-fn3dx]

A cop for every 5 people. Then there shouldn't be any crime in that town. But I'll bet there is and the cops are the one's committing them.

[@Dytopjewa7631]

Another example that PDs/personnel do What ever the hell😈 they want …Police reform 👊🏽👊🏻👊🏾

[@crinklecut3790]

This sounds less like a sheriff’s department and more like a criminal enterprise. And of course it’s in Texas.

[@madpatriot4608]

Really honorable and outstanding,law enforcement team,and they all been Brady listed,

[@buckminsterfullerene11]

"Coffee City" you can't make this stuff up 🤣🤣🤣

[@samliveleakful]

It doesn't make sense that one person could approve 50 people for 50 positions in small town ! While a big city boy takes 1 year to get hired as a janitor! Lol

[@countbenjamin1442]

All those cops for such a small town....yeah it's a money trap and that usually doesn't end well for the city citizens. One lawsuit and they make national headlines and the citizens will have to pay legal fees and fines if those cops hurt people

[@enriquecintron7613]

They should all become sworn in Police Officers then they won’t have any reported crime!

[@elumiluce]

So let's have a whole town of Redcoats?

[@enriquecintron7613]

@@elumiluce I say this in sarcasm but in reality because the people allow it to happen and become a fixture in there town or city then after that point they are forced to live and deal with it because they had their chance to do something about it and chose not to..

[@elumiluce]

@@enriquecintron7613 agree 100%

[@John-rz4cu]

Undermining the public’s faith in law enforcement. Way to go chief.

[@RiverRat-2112]

Oh BTW, Why did we ever start allowing public servants to profit off of their day job powers? I would think the legal liability would be huge if someone representing themselves as an officer of "town X" committed some crime at their moonlight job.

[@coloradodrives7784]

No different than if they commit one while at their regular job. A lot of cops in a lot of places rely on these extra jobs because the police departments themselves don't pay enough.

[@RiverRat-2112]

@@coloradodrives7784 The difference is that the moonlight job is likely to have shallower pockets than "town x" and the taxpayers will be paying.