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KN, p. 146 “How to Become A Texas Ranger”

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The modern Texas Ranger generally dresses in civilian clothes, and most of them wear a western hat and western boots in the course of their daily activities. Badges, still made from a Mexican peso, are pinned to a Rangers’ shirt above the left pocket. Today’s Rangers travel by car, airplane, helicopter, and sometimes by horse. Each Ranger is furnished an automatic, a 12 gauge shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, and a crime scene kit (with materials for taking fingerprints and making plaster casts of tracks and tool marks, and other test kits)

 

Specialized equipment (sniper rifles, night vision scopes, tear gas guns, grenades, black lights, surveillance equipment, and gas masks) are on hand if needed. Their duties vary by assignment, but Rangers still have criminal investigative responsibilities while supporting local law enforcement.

Read “Who are the Texas Rangers?”

Read “What does a Texas Ranger do?”

If you’ve read the previous two articles, you’ve seen what an interesting job the Rangers have. You may even wish you could become one, since there is no maximum age for a potential candidate to apply. Yup, that’s right. If you’re 55 or 60 or even older, have a law enforcement background and can score better than all those young kids applying, the Ranger organization just might take you on. But first, you’d better check out the things you have to do in order to qualify.

First things, first…

Potential Texas Ranger applicants are always selected from the ranks of the Texas Department of Public Safety. There has never been a need to do any recruiting because 200 people often apply for one opening.

Basic Requirements For the DPS Trooper Academy

  • U.S. Citizenship
  • At least 20 years of age to apply and must be 21 years of age upon graduating from the Department’s Trooper Trainee Academy
  • Must have 60 college credits from an accredited college/university or
  • 24 months of Active duty military/full time law officer experience or
  • 24 months of full time work experience with a qualifying Federal Agency or
  • 6 years’ service in the Reserve or National Guard (730 retirement hours)

Only the most competitive candidates get to move on to the entrance testing phase. The written exam is a combination of questions testing 12th grade reading comprehension, grammar/writing skills, and math. Here is a sample of the questions a candidate might see:

If the applicant passes the written test, the next step is the Fitness Test. If you can’t pass this, it knocks you out of consideration. Truthfully, it’s not that different from tests given to military inductees or other law enforcement candidates, but it counts toward your overall ranking with the other applicants.

The minimum standard for the Fitness Test is the 50th percentile or above (according to their age and gender), but if that’s the best you can do, you more than likely will be cut at that point.

The old requirement was a three-event test (abdominal crunches, pushups, and a 1.5 mile run) but the most recent academy required the new recruits to pass the entrance physical readiness test on the Concept2 Rower instead.

Here’s an idea of what a 35 year old applicant would have to do in the three-event test:

  • 48 Crunches in 2 minutes or less.
    45 Push-ups.
    30 minutes or less to complete the 1.5 Mile Run.

If you’re a little older or younger, there was an adjustment for age, but not much – only a few seconds or reps. Face it, ya gotta be in shape.

 

But wait… the newest applicants can’t take that test anymore. They have to complete the rowing test instead. Which means rowing 2000 meters (a little over a mile) in less than ten minutes. Adjustments are made for weight, age and gender, but again, not much. The video shows what the rower needs to do in terms of extension, etc.

   Concept2 Rowing Video

How do you think you’d do? I might have been able to pass the three-event test before I got shot, but I have never been a rower. Oh, maybe across the pond while I’m fishing, but never distance rowing, ever. LOL

So, let’s say you pass the tests for entrance into the Trooper Academy and successfully complete the training. Time to actually do the work of a State Trooper before you can ever become a Texas Ranger.

 

Trooper Duties

DPS is a state police agency and as such, the Highway Patrol Division Troopers enforce traffic laws, assist during emergencies, investigate most traffic accidents, recover stolen vehicles and stolen property, apprehend wanted persons, and are responsible for security at the State Capitol in Austin, as well as the protection of the Governor while he travels.

After at least two years with the DPS, your career is going well and you decide you’d like to become a Ranger. Here’s the next set of…

Special requirements to become a Texas Ranger:

  • Outstanding record of at least eight (8) years experience with a bona fide law enforcement agency (which could be the DPS), engaged principally in the investigation of major crimes (being an MP doesn’t count)
  • Currently employed with the Texas Department of Public Safety, in the position of a commissioned officer with the rank of at least Trooper II
  • Background check, which would reflect good moral character and habits
  • Valid, clean Texas driver’s license
  • 30 years old at the time of becoming a Ranger

An entrance examination is given, and selected applicants with the highest scores appear before an Oral Interview Board before final selection. The questions are not easy and most applicants don’t pass the first time. Even the wives are interviewed.

 

If you make it through…

As the needs of Texas have evolved, so have the duties of the Rangers. More and more of the Ranger budget is used to guard the border with Mexico, attempting to keep undocumented immigrants from crossing by land or water, as well as protect against the multiple drug and human trafficking rings. The Ranger companies are assigned to serve with the Border Patrol on a rotating basis, no matter where the home assignment is within the State.

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You read about the many investigative duties of a Texas Ranger in “What does a Texas Ranger do?” There are also…

Specialized Units

The Special Operations Group has six programs:

  • The Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) is headquartered in Austin. When needed, they typically respond to: high-risk situations that include hostages, barricaded subjects, and/or active shooter incidents.  
  • The Bomb Squad is part of the SWAT Team in the Texas Rangers and is accredited by the FBI.  They are the primary responders (and provide investigative support) to crisis situations involving any kind of explosive devices. Members of this highly skilled group train at Red Stone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. 
  • The Ranger Reconnaissance Team carries out undercover missions along the Texas-Mexico border region or in out-of-the-way areas inaccessible by local law enforcement. The team gathers intelligence and disrupts drug cartel operations.
  • Special Response Teams (SRT) are a blend of Highway Patrol officers, Criminal Investigation officers and Texas Rangers and are located in each of the areas covered by the Texas Rangers. They are the first responders to hostage situations, barricaded and/or active shooter incidents. 
  • Crisis Negotiation Teams (CNT) CNT members collect and evaluate information about various ongoing crises, relay that information to the Special Operations Commander, and are sometimes part of the active resolution of the incident.
  • Border Security Operations Center (BSOC) – Joint Operations and Intelligence Centers (JOIC). The Border Security Operations Center (BSOC) is headquartered in Austin, analyzes border security/criminal information, and makes sure that new information is shared with the correct agencies.

In addition…

Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program
The Unsolved Crimes unit allows Texas law enforcement agencies the extra edge to investigate unsolved murders when there seems to be a link between several crimes. A local agency may investigate one crime, have no suspect after a reasonable period of time, and set the case aside until some clarifying piece of evidence shows up. The Unsolved Crimes unit has easier access to information about similar cases statewide or nationwide and may be able to tie all the information together and focus efforts on a particular suspect.

Texas Ranger Forensic Artists

Since the 1980s, the TXDPS has employed full-time Forensic Artists. They help criminal investigators by completing:

  • Composite drawings of suspects
  • Post mortem images of unidentified deceased persons
  • 2-D and 3-D facial reconstruction images using skeletal remains
  • Age-progressed facial images of missing persons or fugitives

The Forensic Artists sometimes testify in court as to their findings. They also work with the TXDPS Missing Persons Clearinghouse, the Unidentified Persons and DNA Unit.

 

In 2013, the average Texas Ranger was around 44 years of age, so the job is not about youth and daredevil showboating. The job is about experience, perseverance, a keen investigative mind, a willingness to be “subject to call” 24/7, and the ability to bring in the criminal, whatever it takes.

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Many thanks to Texas Ranger, Ret., Richard (Dick) Johnson, for his generosity in sharing his experiences and expertise about the Texas Rangers. Thanks also to his wife, Connie Johnson, for introducing me to Sargent Johnson and sharing her own perspective about the Rangers and all the amazing things they do. Any errors in fact are mine, not theirs.

Photo credits:

First and last photos taken by Patti Phillips at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas

Map: the Texas Department of Public Safety

KN, p. 146 “How to Become A Texas Ranger” Read More »

KN, p. 218 “What Does the Federal Bureau of Investigation Do?”

 

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities.”*  It is the chief fact-finding branch of the Department of Justice and helps other agencies by sharing that information and providing training.

 

Its mission is:

“To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.”*

 

In 1908, the United States had about 100 cities with 50,000 people. The rest of the population (about 83 million) was spread throughout the rural areas of the country. Law enforcement personnel at the local level were often poorly paid (and were sometimes volunteer) members of the community. Murders were handled by local investigators and still are to this day. For the majority of the cases, murder is not a federal crime, unless carried out across State lines.

 

Prosecution of border security issues or organized crime was limited in 1908 since there was no adequate way to enforce the law at a national level. In fact, few criminal laws even existed at a federal level. For the most part, individual States and local jurisdictions handled their own criminal investigations, and sometimes that led to political corruption, corporate criminal behavior, and even slave labor in factories. Federal agencies were stretched thin or were nonexistent in some parts of the country.

 

President Teddy Roosevelt supported the idea of modernizing law enforcement, so when his Attorney General hired 34 of his own investigators (including nine seasoned Secret Service agents) to assist the Department of Justice, Roosevelt wholeheartedly endorsed the action. A few months later, the Bureau of Investigation was officially created. Hardly a large force, but it was a start.

 

At the beginning, incidents involving car theft across State lines, civil rights, and various kinds of fraud were the typical cases. The FBI also took on treason and domestic terrorism, and Congress (previously reluctant to loosen the purse strings) began to see the value of a national law enforcement agency.

 

It’s interesting to note that the Mann Act or “White Slave Traffic Act,” was passed in 1910 to help stop interstate prostitution and human trafficking, and the FBI had a role in the early investigations. One hundred years later, it has become an international problem and requires cooperation from many different agencies to obtain successful prosecutions.

 

World War 1 brought us the problems of sabotage by foreign agents against our military ships and munitions plants, as well as international smuggling. The FBI had entered the so-called spy business and worked hard to eliminate those threats.

 

In 1924, it was recognized that fingerprinting was a reliable way of connecting (or eliminating) individuals to a particular scene, and to collect that information in a central location would be helpful to other law enforcement agencies in the United States. Now, the FBI gathers and classifies fingerprints from convicted felons and other criminals, military personnel, federal applicants and employees, and shares that information with appropriate agencies. Additionally, fingerprints of military detainees and other persons of national security interest are being collected for national security purposes.

 

Formerly called Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), the program processes over 63,000 prints a day, is now integrated with other forms of identification and called IAFIS, and can deliver digital information in as little as two hours. It is used in connection with biometric databases (facial and voice recognition) for more accurate identifications. Next Generation Identification (NGI) combines biometrics, fingerprints, and palm prints to expand identification possibilities.

 

One of the programs developed by the FBI is the ‘Ten Most Wanted’ list. It began in 1950 as a way to call attention to fugitives who might otherwise remain at large. Each new list is posted in United States Post Offices and on the FBI website.

 

Since 1950, 518 fugitives have been on the list, and 484 have been apprehended or located. The stats below are from the FBI site:

    • 162 fugitives have been captured/located as a result of citizen cooperation.
    • Two fugitives were apprehended because of visitors on an FBI tour.
    • The shortest amount of time on the list was two hours, by Billy Austin Bryant.
    • The longest amount of time on the list was over 32 years by Victor Manuel Gerena.


With the advent of increased world-wide terrorism, the computer and cyber-security age, more complex corporate crimes, and a global awareness of human trafficking, the focus of the FBI has shifted.

 

At the end of 2017, there were over 35,000 employees, made up of intelligence analysts, field agents, language specialists, scientists, and information technology specialists. They are tasked with investigating:

 

  • Terrorism
  • Counterintelligence
  • Cyber Crime
  • Public Corruption
  • Civil Rights
  • Organized Crime
  • White-Collar Crime
  • Violent Crime
  • WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)

 

 

Stay tuned for posts about Quantico and training for the FBI, and interviews with former FBI agents.

 

*Photo and quotes credit: (from FBI website)

1969 Latent Print Match
A latent print removed from a 1969 murder victim’s car was later determined to be a match to the suspect’s fingerprint (inset) contained in the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). The Houston police detective and Texas Department of Public Safety latent print technician instrumental in solving the cold case were honored by the FBI with the 2011 “Latent Hit of the Year” Award.

 

 

KN, p. 218 “What Does the Federal Bureau of Investigation Do?” Read More »

KN, p. 216 “Crime Scene at the Beach”

 

 

A recent vacation week took us to the beach and we were lucky enough to rent a cottage right on the ocean. What a pleasure to wake up to seagulls calling to each other as they found breakfast on the incoming surf at the edge of the broad expanse of sand. Morning coffee was extra special as we breathed in the sea air and planned the day ahead.

 

Aside from all the great sunsets, fabulous seafood restaurants, and much-needed relaxation, we found time to chat about fictional bodies and where to find them.

 

TV shows and movies feature their share of corpses that have washed up on the rocks lining the shores of lakes, bays, or oceans. Any crime scene at water’s edge has its own challenges for the CSI techs processing the area for evidence, and our vacation spot highlighted a few.

 

Consider footprints on the sand:

 

 

 

 


This print had been fully visible until a wave washed it partially into oblivion.

 

 


Sneaker treads next to the barefoot print, showed the traffic on the dry part of the beach just a few feet closer to the dune.

 

 

 

 

 

There was more than one kind of sneaker tread to be seen.

 

 

The sneaker and shoe companies have data bases going back several years indicating the treads and styles of the various shoes they have manufactured. A search warrant or a friendly conversation with the people at the companies will reveal specialty editions of their footwear and the year they were produced. Matching the footwear to the prints on the beach can narrow the suspect list – helpful if the culprit remained in the area and the sneaker was an unusual brand.

 

Consider the tire tracks:

 

 

A windy afternoon caused this tire tread to lose its definition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This new tire tread was just ten feet away from the footprints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach bikes were in use as well. I didn’t have a ruler with me, so Sheila donated her sandal. This gives you some perspective of the width of the tread, essential in determining the type of vehicles near the ‘scene of the crime.’

 

 

 

Tire companies have data bases as well, and make their information available to law enforcement officers when needed. CSI techs take photos of the various treads for later ID and if needed, make casts of the footwear prints. Read “Is that your footprint?” here.

 

All three vehicle treads were within 20 feet of each other, along with all the footwear prints seen here – and it wasn’t high season yet, when a greater variety of cars, dune buggies, bikes, and shoes would be around.

 

Any crime scene in such a well-traveled place means it will be tough to find the killer. Nature washes or blows away the evidence and the crime scene is compromised by all the foot and vehicle traffic.  

 

Law enforcement officers have to hope for witnesses to the dastardly deed.

 

We turned our attention to the places to hide the body:

 

 

 

This lovely walkway leading from the cottage to the dunes gave access to an area that looked suitable for body stashing. Except that it wasn’t really all that great for anything covert. Three houses near ours had direct line of sight to that walkway, and all had overhead lights strung along their own paths to the beach.

 

Each of the other houses had three floors – ours was the smallest of the group.  That meant that anyone looking out at the ocean could also see anyone dragging a body out to the beach grass next to/under the boards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, let’s say that nobody is looking out the window. While it is illegal to dig up the beach grass in the dunes because of erosion programs in most oceanside communities, a killer would have no such concerns. BUT, that Beach Grass (actual name is American Beach Grass) is tough. It’s meant to be, so that it holds the sand in place during stormy weather. It would not be practical or at all speedy to dig a hole in a grass-covered dune in order to hide the body.

 

Maybe that’s why so many bodies in the TV movies are dumped elsewhere and merely wash up on the beach. Then the writers don’t have to worry about how to hide the body at the scene of the crime.

 

 

Photo credits: Patti Phillips at the North Carolina OBX.

 

 

 

 

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