Texas Rangers Division

The Texas Rangers Division , a law enforcement unit in Texas, is the oldest law enforcement agency in North America. While the modern form of the Texas Rangers dates to late 1935, lawmen known as the Texas Rangers have existed for around 200 years.

The contemporary Rangers are part of the Texas Department of Public Safety and serve as an interdepartmental law enforcement agency with a range of responsibilities. These include investigative, protective, and border-security functions. The division employs between 225 and 250 people, including Rangers and support staff.

The Rangers have an illustrious and often-heroic past and have been featured in many books, television shows, and other media. However, there have also been some dark days in their long history. Early Rangers were allowed to execute suspected thieves without trial, and have unnecessarily attacked Native Americans and Mexican citizens.

Background

The first Texas Rangers were a volunteer group of ten men gathered by Stephen F. Austin in 1823. Two years earlier, Austin—also known as the Father of Texas—signed a contract to bring 300 families to the Mexican province that became Texas. By 1823, it became clear that the 600–700 people living in the young colony needed protection beyond what the existing Mexican militia were able to provide. Austin gathered volunteers from the colonists and paid their expenses out of his own pocket. They were called Rangers because they were required to range far and wide over the vast territory to pursue criminals and keep watch over the Texas colony. The Rangers were known for covering long distances over extended periods with minimal supplies and equipment.

During the 1836 revolution which ultimately resulted in Texas gaining independence from Mexico, the provisional government of Texas officially authorized Rangers to patrol the colonial border. At this time, the Rangers were usually summoned when needed and dispersed when a specific task was done. When the revolution was over, more people came to Texas for low-cost land and opportunities. This led to increased conflicts with the Native Americans who lived in the area. The Rangers were again called to duty.

The experience the Rangers gained during conflicts with the Native Americans made them valuable fighters during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848). During this time they gained their reputation as fearless lawmen as well as their Spanish nickname, los diablos Tejanos, or “the devil Texans.” Texas became part of the United States in 1845, but the frontier troops of the US Army were often spread thin, so Texas Rangers helped supplement the military.

The first permanent Ranger force was approved by the Texas Legislature in 1874. They continued to supplement military forces in providing protection and also assisted local sheriffs in tracking down and capturing gangs of cattle thieves and other criminals. The Rangers continued to be successful, but, as more parts of Texas became inhabited and hired their own law enforcement, some questioned whether the Rangers were still necessary.

The fate of the Rangers came under further scrutiny during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), after border tensions in 1915 led to the assignment of hundreds of new Rangers to border patrols. These Rangers began executing Mexicans without trial, sparking an investigation that led to many of them losing their jobs.

The experience also led to more stringent requirements for being a Ranger. Previously, the only requirement was often the willingness to be a Ranger and the ability to provide a horse, tack, and a weapon. The Rangers struggled through several challenges in the early part of the twentieth century and worked toward becoming a modern and professional law enforcement agency. The modern incarnation of the Rangers began on September 30, 1935, when they were made part of the state's Department of Public Safety.

Overview

This new incarnation of the Texas Rangers no longer had responsibility for hands-on law enforcement and patrols; this function was assigned to the highway patrol. Instead, the Rangers became the investigative unit of law enforcement and as a cross-jurisdictional agency to assist local law enforcement.

The Rangers serve as an interagency investigative force both within Texas and with agencies of other states and the federal government. This includes work to combat organized crime and curb drug trafficking. The division is also responsible for internal investigations when allegations of misconduct by any member of the Department of Public Security arise, as well as investigations into allegations of public corruption by any Texas public official. Rangers are also called in to help with situations in which local law enforcement is unable or unwilling to maintain order, and when the governor or other state dignitaries require special protection.

The division provides several specialized law enforcement services as well. The Rangers Special Operations Group (SOG) includes a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team and a bomb squad. They also operate a crisis negotiation team and a special response team trained to address high-risk situations, such as active shooter units and hostage crises.

The Ranger Reconnaissance team conducts covert investigations to gather information and reduce criminal activity, with a focus on international drug and human trafficking. The division also operates six Joint Operations Intelligence Centers (JOIC) and Border Security Operations Centers to help curb crimes at the border. The Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) program uses specially trained agents to identify suspicious behavior in adults and children aimed at helping to recover abducted children. Some Texas Rangers have also been trained in the use of hypnosis in criminal investigations.

Throughout their history, the Texas Rangers developed a reputation as being fierce, brave, and difficult to elude. Despite this, they have also been subject to criticism. In addition to the 1915 incidents in which Mexicans were apprehended and executed without due process, the Rangers were accused of instigating preemptive attacks on Native Americans and pursuing them into their own territory without permission. The early Rangers were also sometimes known to victimize Mexican civilians and on one occasion killed as many as one hundred of them in an unprovoked attack.

Modern-day Rangers have been accused of misconduct as well, including sexual misconduct and reckless driving in an official vehicle. The Rangers also became the subject of controversy because, for most of their 200-year histor,y there were no female Rangers. Wende Wakeman became the first female Texas Ranger in 2008. Still, the Rangers have often been portrayed as the epitome of valiant lawmen in Hollywood depictions such as The Lone Ranger and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Bibliography

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Morris, Allie. “Lawsuit Spotlights Misconduct of Texas Rangers.” San Antonio Express-News, 7 March 2017, www.expressnews.com/news/politics/texas‗legislature/article/Lawsuit-spotlights-misconduct-of-Texas-Rangers-13671011.php. Accessed 2 June 2020.

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“What Texas Rangers Do.” Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, www.texasranger.org/texas-ranger-museum/texas-rangers/what-texas-rangers-do/. Accessed 2 June 2020.

Wingert, Kelby. “Texas Ranger Museum.” Fort Hood Sentinel, 23 May 2019, www.forthoodsentinel.com/leisure/traveling‗soldier/texas-ranger-museum/article‗58167804-7be5-11e9-b92d-872cd020c881.html. Accessed 2 June 2020.