Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education:

An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1965-2001

Agency History

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education was created in 1965 by Senate Bill 236, 59th Legislature, Regular Session. The initial purpose of the Commission was to establish standards for the training and certification of peace officers, reserve law enforcement officers, and county jailers; to provide for proper training of peace officers and county jailers; and to conduct research and consultation aimed at improving law enforcement management. In 1969 the legislature made the standards established by the commission mandatory. Currently the commission develops and enforces minimum qualifications for the selection, training, and licensing/certification of the following: peace officers, reserve law enforcement officers, county jailers, armed public security guards employed by political subdivisions and by the state, certain homeowner insurance inspectors, crime prevention inspectors, telecommunications personnel, and peace officers who use investigative hypnosis in the investigation of criminal cases.

The commission regulates its licensees by: developing training and continuing education programs; licensing and evaluating training academies and their instructors; administering licensing examinations; and investigating possible violations of the commission's enabling statute, and ordering the denial, revocation, or suspension of licenses.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education makes policy through a 14-member commission, composed of nine members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms, and five ex-officio members. The members elect the chair. The appointed members include the following: three members, each of whom must be either a sheriff, a constable, or a chief of police; three members who must be licensed by this commission (two of whom must be peace officers holding non-supervisory positions with a law enforcement agency); and three members of the general public. The ex-officio members include: the attorney general, the director of the Department of Public Safety, the commissioner of education, the commissioner of higher education (added in 1969), and the executive director of the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor's Office (added in 1987).

The Texas Law Enforcement Management Institute was created in 1989 by Senate Bill 223, 71st Legislature, Regular Session, for the training of police management personnel. The Institute was governed by a board of nine members, each appointed by one member of the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, plus the same five ex officio members as the Commission. In September 1993 (by House Bill 977), the 73rd Texas Legislature placed the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) under the control of the President of Sam Houston State University and moved the headquarters to Huntsville. It is operated and managed as a joint program between Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, and Texas Woman's University. In addition to the ex officio members of the old board, the new board is composed of nine members: three licensed peace officers with supervisory experience (one each appointed by the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House); three members appointed by the presidents of Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, and Texas Woman's University; and three members appointed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (two of whom must be licensed, non-supervisory peace officers).

The Texas Peace Officers' Memorial Advisory Committee (to the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education) was created in 1989 (Senate Bill 892, 71st Legislature, Regular Session) for the establishment of a monument memorializing peace officers killed in the line of duty. The duties of the advisory committee included selecting a site on the grounds of the Capitol complex; implementing procedures to solicit designs; raising funds (both public and private); and establishing a schedule for design, construction, and dedication of the memorial. (The memorial was dedicated in May 1999, although it was not quite completed. It is located to the west of the Sam Houston State Office Building.) An important ongoing task of the Committee is to establish and maintain the criteria and procedures for the formal adoption of the names of those to be honored by the memorial. The Advisory Committee is composed of sixteen members, including the following: the attorney general, the director of the Department of Public Safety, the architect of the capitol, three licensed peace officers (appointed by the governor), one surviving spouse of a peace office who died in the line of duty (also appointed by the governor), and nine members who were each appointed by one member of the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

These records consist of copies of minutes, press releases, correspondence, membership lists, catalogues, calendars of training, newsletters, and a timeline. The minutes are for meetings of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, 1965-2001; the Texas Law Enforcement Management Institute Board of Directors, 1988-1993; and the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial Advisory Committee (and its Funding and Design Subcommittees), 1990-1997. The minutes document the work accomplished at each meeting. For the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, this work includes: reports by the Executive Director on staff activities; committee reports; final orders and agreed final orders (denial of licenses, revocations, suspensions, voluntary surrenders); motions for rehearing; certifications of training academies; discussions of and decisions on proposed rules; discussions of the strategic plan, legislation, litigation, budget, etc.; comments from interested parties and the general public; etc. Committees established by the Commission include the following: Curriculum, Basic County Corrections Curriculum, County Corrections In-Service Curriculum, Basic Peace Officer Curriculum Standing Revisions, Standing Revisions, License, Law Enforcement Training Provider Evaluation Task Force, etc.

The minutes for meetings of the Texas Law Enforcement Management Institute (LEMI) Board of Directors (January 1988-June 1993) document such issues as admission standards, curriculum, class size, length of modules, the examination process, the graduation ceremony, evaluation of graduates, budget and funding, selection of a permanent site, development of a strategic plan, and legislative issues.

Minutes for meetings of the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial Advisory Committee (to the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education), and its Funding and Design Subcommittees (March 1990-June 1997) document the official actions of the committee (and the subcommittees) in their meetings, which have included selecting a site on the grounds of the Capitol complex, implementing procedures to solicit designs, raising funds (both public and private), and establishing a schedule for design, construction, and dedication of the memorial.

The miscellaneous records consist of press releases, correspondence, membership lists, catalogues, calendars of training, newsletters, and a timeline, created by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, dating 1965-1987, 1991, 1993-1995. They document the content and delivery of law enforcement officer training and education, personnel changes, changes in membership of the Commission, and other issues of concern to law enforcement officers, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Records, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1998/060, 1999/026, 2000/057, 2001/039, 2002/070, 2003/145, 2003/150

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education on January 9 and March 18, 1998; September 30, 1998; October 29, 1999; October 18, 2000; and November 7, 2001; and by the Texas Legislative Reference Library on April 14, 2003; and April 28, 2003.

Processing Information

Tony Black, March 1998, October 1998, October 1999, October 2000, November 2001

Accruals

Additions to Commission minutes are normally transferred to the Texas State Archives several times each year.

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Detailed Description of the Records

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