In response to the recent cancellation of 19 peace officers’ licenses by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader has issued a statement addressing the matter.
According to Sheriff Rader, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) conducted a Basic Peace Officers Training Class in 2022, which was sponsored by the College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Academy. Subsequently, the LCSO received notification from TCOLE informing them of the decision to rescind the Basic Peace Officer Licenses of the 19 graduate students.
The College of the Mainland Law Enforcement Academy had previously reported to TCOLE that all the graduates had met the minimum requirements for the class. However, TCOLE’s investigation revealed that the academy had not provided accurate records to substantiate that the graduates had received the requisite training.
This failure to adequately document the training led to TCOLE’s decision to rescind the licenses, as the terms of the agreement between the College and TCOLE were not fulfilled, Rader said.
Despite TCOLE’s decision, LCSO maintains that the graduates did meet the minimum requirements and highlights that they successfully passed both the academy and TCOLE tests.
According to Rader, the College of the Mainland has presented a proposal to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, which is currently under scrutiny. Additionally, legal representation has been secured for the graduates, with the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) and Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) offering to represent them.
LCSO will provide updated information on the matter as soon as it becomes available.
[…] Liberty County sheriff responds to 19 peace officers’ licenses being canceled […]
All that time spent in the academy for not??? This is not right!
My son is the Eagle Scout that organized the painting of the canon that some of the academy graduates in question helped with for two days. I would appreciate it if Bluebonnet News clarified that the academy graduates did nothing wrong by helping with a very worthy Eagle Scout project that had the full support of Commissioners Court. Instead, the academy failed those graduates by not providing them with the training they were required to receive. My son was concerned that somehow he contributed to the graduates being penelized for helping him. I’m sure Bluebonnet News does not want the community thinking that my son or his Eagle Scout project was anyway responsible for this unfortunate situation by mentioning, “painting a canon” in their report.