A Texas police department has been ordered to shut down following its controversial arrest of a local resident for criticizing the town’s drinking water on social media.

State authorities ruled that the Trinidad Police Department (Trinidad PD) provided no “benefit to the community.” This decision came after investigators from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) found during an August inspection that Trinidad PD failed to meet minimum standards required by state law.

The revocation of Trinidad PD’s ability to make or maintain peace officer appointments means all TCOLE licenses for officers must be separated from Trinidad Police Department positions by Friday. TCOLE noted the city remains responsible for preserving personnel records, reporting motor vehicle stop data for 2026, and investigating unresolved misconduct allegations involving Trinidad PD.

Any unresolved misconduct allegations against licensed officers must be investigated, resolved, documented, and reported to TCOLE within 30 days of separation from the agency—a deadline that falls on Friday for remaining officers.

The decision followed warnings sent to former Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory by Henderson County’s 392nd Judicial District Court Judge R. Scott McKee regarding officers withholding information from the court, prompting Gregory’s resignation in June.

The disbanding of Trinidad PD follows the arrest of Jennifer Combs, who claimed she was detained over a Facebook post reporting residents hospitalized due to contaminated water. Combs filed a lawsuit against the city and officials, alleging her arrest was “political retaliation.” Her Facebook post from the page “Southern Belle Watch” read: “We have received reports that some citizens have been hospitalized due to bacteria in the water. This is a serious public health concern that deserves immediate attention. If your water looks discolored, contains sediment, has a strong odor, or you have experienced related health issues, please send us a message.”

Police defended the arrest by stating Combs’ post had created “fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response,” despite the city posting a notice urging residents to boil their water weeks prior to her arrest.

Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory doubled down on the case, calling it “cut and dry.” He also arrested Winston Noles for misdemeanor disorderly conduct after he displayed a sign outside city hall reading “f–k bad cops.”

Both Combs’ felony charge and Noles’ misdemeanor charge were later dropped. Gregory resigned on June 19—despite having told a Trinidad City Council meeting he had “nothing to hide” regarding the arrests.

Following his resignation, the judge who approved Combs’ search warrant wrote a scathing letter questioning “the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information” presented by two officers to him and Gregory’s leadership.