FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK CONGRATS to a NEW CHIEF Rex Evans is once again a Chief of Police...he is now the Chief of Police for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Police Department. This is actually good news for a change. Our very own editor, Rex Evans, is the new Chief of Police for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Police Department. Rex is now one of only two Tribal Police Chiefs that hold dual status as both a Texas Peace Officer, as well as a Federal Police Officer in the State of Texas Rex is extremely qualified for this position having served ten years as a chief at Cleveland ISD and Splendora ISD Police Departments. Rex also worked for Alan Rosen at Harris County Constable Pct. 1, was a captain at the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and a FTO at the Harris County Sheriff’s office. Oh, and he was also the Director of Emergency Management for Klein ISD. As I said, well qualified. To be honest, I didn’t even know the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe had a police department. I just assumed the Sheriff in POLK County handled all the law enforcement duties both on and off the Reservation. And before May of 2012, that was the case. On May 12, 2013, one year after the Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Council hired their first police chief, they swore in nine fully certified Texas law enforcement officers that would make up their police department. Tribal leaders invited the community to tour their new police department after the ceremony. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Police Department began operations on Jan. 1, 2013, but they didn’t finish the move into their new offices behind the original Tribal Security building until May. At the ceremony, the department’s first police chief, Chief Antonio Ford, thanked his staff and others in the community who helped get the new department going. “We’re started and we’re going to grow to different heights and other levels. I would like to thank all the people, the tribal council and the community that has supported this endeavor,” Ford said. “It’s an honor for me, again, to be standing here, to have this opportunity and to believe in me as an individual and to bring this police department into existence.” The founding officers of the Tribal police department were: Chief Antonio Ford, Captain William Jerry, Lieutenant Deborah Richardson, Sergeant Makesha Young, Patrolman Craig Battise, Patrolman Garett Blake. Patrolman Christopher Darden. Patrolman John Sikes and Patrolman K-9 Unit Zachary Williams. After the ceremony Ford said the department would focus on delivering quality customer service to the community — not only to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, but to Polk and Tyler Counties. The Alabama-Coushatta Police Department has the unique role of enforcing not only state and federal laws, but also tribal laws, which are similar to city ordinances, many of which are enforceable only on tribal members in a tribal court. Although the Alabama-Coushatta Police Department has the option of working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and filing cases in federal court, for all intents and purposes, they work with the Polk County District Attorney’s Office, who was extremely helpful in their efforts to create the police department. So, there you have the history of Alabama-Coushatta Police Department and it’s Chief Rex Evans turn to make history on the Reservation. Finally, many of you probably don’t know, that Rex was instrumental in getting the BLUES up and going again in 2019 as a digital magazine. I can say for a fact, that had it not been for Rex you probably wouldn’t be reading this issue of The BLUES today. Rex convinced me that The BLUES was an institution and piece of history that deserved to live on. And despite two horrible years of dealing with COVID that nearly did us in, The BLUES is now the largest all-digital police magazine in the US. Rex has proved to us all that not only is he a great cop, but he’s a damn good writer as well. (he’s even better now that we’ve removed the space bar from his laptop.) So please join me in congratulating Chief Rex Evans of the Alabama-Coushatta Police Department. 10 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 11
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