Texas police department disbanded after arresting mom who criticized local drinking water on social media

Texas police department disbanded after arresting mom who criticized local drinking water on social media Jennifer Combs was arrested for felony false alarm in May and spent a day in jail - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A Texas police department that arrested a woman for complaining about contaminated drinking water has been ordered to disband after the state found it “failed to meet minimum standards.” Last month, state officials began investigating the Trinidad Police Department, around 70 miles south of Dallas, after Jennifer Combs was arrested for felony false alarm in May. The mom had made a Facebook post that claimed bacteria in the city’s water pipes had sent residents to the hospital, Fox 4 reported. Combs wrote on Facebook that locals were “sharing concerns, photos and videos” with her regarding their discolored water, in the hopes that they could “better map out the reported issues and inform the state.” She was handcuffed and spent 23 hours in jail. Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory had defended Combs’ arrest, saying that her claims about hospitalizations were “simply false and have only caused unnecessary fear and confusion in our community.” A supporter of Combs was also arrested in May for misdemeanor disorderly conduct after he protested her detainment outside city hall with a “F*** bad cops” sign. Charges against the protester and Combs were later dropped. An environmental investigation also subsequently uncovered issues with Trinidad’s water supply, according to Fox 4. However, the arrests drew national outcry and prompted the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to investigate. The state agency sent a letter to Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws on September 9 revoking the city’s license to operate its own police department. The letter, published by KETK, detailed how the department “failed to meet minimum standards” and was “unable to provide evidence that the agency provides public benefit to the community.” The investigation found that the department didn’t have 18 required policies in place, including on use of force, vehicle pursuit, professional conduct and active shooters. The police chief resigned from his position in June following the controversial arrests, telling reporters at the time that he had “nothing to hide.” Following his resignation, the judge who approved the search warrant for Combs said the department misled him by omitting important information when it requested an arrest warrant for Combs. After the department was ordered to shut down, Combs wrote on social media: “For months, citizens who questioned this department were dismissed, attacked and in my case arrested. Now the state agency responsible for regulating Texas law enforcement has confirmed that this department could not demonstrate compliance with even the minimum standards.” “We were never the problem. We were exposing it,” she added. The Trinidad Police Department employs five full-time officers and several part-time officers. The officers will be transferred to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office after the department shuts down Friday. Trinidad will now receive law enforcement support from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. The mayor said the city will look into getting a designated deputy from the sheriff’s office. “There’s been a lot of neglect through the years,” Haws told Fox 4. “We are moving in a positive direction. We’ve got to get past all of this.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments