Investigations,
Investigations, complaints surround Hays County Precinct 3 Constable Ray Helm questions in December. “I was trying to keep deputies on the street and not held up for 2 hours and teach them this required course the best I can in a house class,” Helm Hays County Pct. 3 Constable Ray added. Helm is currently under investigation TCOLE told Helm the disciplinary by the Texas Commission letter “is now part of your Commis- on Law Enforcement and the Hays sion file” and warned that his peace County Auditor’s Office for complaints officer license would be “subject to ranging from falsifying suspension” if two more reprimands training records to utilizing taxpayer are issued against him in his career. resources for private use. But Constable Ray Helm’s troubles Helm was elected to the Constable’s with the Texas Commission on Law Office in Hays County in 2016, Enforcement are far from over. The which is based in the city of Wimberley. commission has confirmed at least He’s now seeking re-elec- two additional ongoing investiga- tion and faces Jessica Deatherage tions into Helm. in the Republican primary. The One complaint accuses Helm of complaints come from two men: “material misrepresentations” that Ari Axelrod, a former Hays County allowed him to illegally obtain his resident and businessman; and former peace officer license in 2003 by deputy constable Gary Griffin, failing to disclose a 1995 criminal who was Helm’s second-in-command. conviction in Brazoria County. Constable Ray Helm would not Believing the Precinct 3 Constable’s answer questions during a Feb. 5, Office wrongly ticketed Axel- vember 2019. Griffin alleged Helm camera course, but was still re- 2020 candidate forum. Helm told rod’s wife in 2017, and after a jury faked body camera training records ported by you as if he had taken the KXAN, “My license is fine, I’ve already an assistant district attorney at the a complaint filed by Ari Axelrod on acquittal, Axelrod began investigating in June 2019. training,” TCOLE’s Executive Director told you that,” when asked time. Feb. 10, 2020. the Constable’s training records The training roster Helm submit- Kim Vickers wrote in the Helm disci- about the peace officer license Helm pleaded no contest to the State law, at the time, would have and use of taxpayer resources. ted to TCOLE does not show any plinary letter. complaint. charge, according to court records. disqualified Helm from becoming In January, TCOLE finalized one of signatures, which Griffin pointed Vickers also said neither Helm, Helm was initially charged with a The complaint alleges Helm didn’t certified because of the conviction, the investigations into Helm. That out in his complaint. nor any of the other 11 deputy constables, third-degree felony count of crimi- tell TCOLE the full story regarding the Axelrod complaint alleges. investigation ended with a disciplinary Griffin accused Helm of tamper- actually spent the required nal mischief for damaging a vehi- his conviction when he applied for TCOLE confirmed to KXAN the cer- finding that Helm fabricated ing with a government record— a two hours training on the cameras, cle. The charge was later reduced the peace officer license that he tification allegation was accepted records about training. felony in Texas— and detailed for which is required by the commission to a Class A Misdemeanor. Helm received in 2003. and the commission’s enforcement In November, Griffin filed a complaint TCOLE what he says the deputy before receiving credit for the pleaded guilty and was sentenced Ray Helm was arrested and investigators are actively investigat- with TCOLE accusing his for- constables told him before submit- training hours. Helm only spent to a year of deferred adjudication charged with driving while iming the complaint. mer boss of faking training records ting his complaint. Griffin claimed, 20 minutes giving his deputies probation. paired in Hays County on May 24, “I was enrolled in a license academy for 11 deputy constables in a June each said they never took the body an “overview of the camera and Just three months later — while 1995–just three months after Helm before the rules changed to the 2019 body camera training. camera training. instruction on how to operate the Helm was on probation — a Hays was convicted in Brazoria County 10 year wait time in 2001,” wrote Helm included his own name in TCOLE spent the next two months camera,” Vickers wrote in the letter. County officer arrested him and he on a criminal mischief charge. Helm Helm in an email to KXAN. “Back the training and received the two investigating Griffin’s claims, which Vickers’ letter also detailed several was charged with driving while was on probation out of Brazo- then it was a 5 year wait for any credit hours his other 11 deputies included interviewing Helm and his other compliance violations Helm impaired with a blood alcohol level ria County at the time of his DWI Class A or B misdemeanor. It was received, despite being listed as the deputies. committed related to the body “of 0.10 or more,” according to arrest, according to court records. cleared by TCOLE and the executive instructor in the course. On Jan. 15, the commission made camera training. charging documents from the Hays Hays County District Attorney Wes director at that time.” Gary Griffin sent the training its findings public with a formal “I had a list of deputies that needed County clerk’s office. Mau–who was an assistant district roster (shown here) to the Texas reprimand against Helm. The investigation that class and made a clerical The prosecutor on the DWI case attorney in Hays County at the time– There is more to come on this Commission on Law Enforcement found “that one deputy error on one,” said Helm in an email was Wes Mau, the current Hays signed Helm’s charging affidavit. story when TCOLE completes its in- with his formal complaint in No- constable never took the body worn responding to TV Station KXAN’s County District Attorney. Mau was This record was sent to TCOLE in vestigation. REPRINTED KXAN.com. 14 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 15
Follow Us
Facebook