2023S0098-1 02/07/23
By: Birdwell, Hughes, Middleton, Sparks S.R. No. 156
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Texas Rangers, the oldest state law
enforcement agency in the United States, is hosting a kickoff
event in commemoration of the legendary organization's
bicentennial on January 13, 2023; and
WHEREAS, From the settlement of the Texas frontier to the
struggle against lawlessness during the oil boom and the
Prohibition era, the Texas Rangers have played a central role in
the administration of justice throughout the history of the Lone
Star State; the term "Rangers" was first applied to a group that
was formed to protect colonists under Stephen F. Austin in 1823,
and the establishment of the Texas Rangers was later formalized
by his Permanent Council, which assigned to the unit the
responsibility of guarding the frontier from Native American
incursions until the end of the Texas Revolution; and
WHEREAS, After Texas won independence, the Texas Rangers
were mobilized to a number of counties, and by the mid to late
1870s, their role resembled that of something between an army and
a police force; they were typically called on to assist with
cases that were considered beyond the means of local police, and
by the turn of the 20th century, they had transitioned from their
duties as a frontier militia to focus almost exclusively on law
enforcement; the beginning of the century was rife with crime,
and the Rangers spent several decades fending off raiders along
the Mexican border, countering spies and saboteurs, and
apprehending the various gamblers, horse thieves, cattle
rustlers, smugglers, bootleggers, and other offenders that
dominated West Texas at that time; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Rangers subsequently began operating
under the administration of the Department of Public Safety,
which was created by the Texas Legislature on August 10, 1935;
only 36 personnel were initially assigned to the agency, but
their newfound access to the department's resources, including a
state-of-the-art crime laboratory, greatly enhanced the Rangers'
investigative capabilities; newer and more advanced technologies
would further facilitate their development into a fully
modernized police force, and from 1935 to 1955, their annual
workload increased from approximately 255 cases to more than
16,700; today, in addition to investigating high-profile crimes,
the Rangers contribute to border security, tactical operations,
and crisis negotiation and provide key support and intelligence
to ensure that our state is protected at every level; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of two centuries, the Texas
Rangers have cemented an international reputation that has grown
with their depiction in multitudes of books, movies, television
and radio shows, and pulp novels; the Rangers are inextricably
linked to the history and mythology of the Old West, where they
brought such notorious outlaws to justice as serial murderer John
Wesley Hardin and train robber Sam Bass; their ranks have
included a number of lawmen who achieved renown for their
crime-fighting feats, among them Frank H. Hamer, John S. Ford,
John Coffee Hays, and Captain W. J. McDonald, who is credited
with the phrase that became the Rangers' creed: "No man in the
wrong can stand up against a fellow that's in the right and keeps
on a-comin'"; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Rangers of today are continuing a proud
and storied tradition of service through their efforts to keep
the peace and enforce the rule of law, and it is a pleasure to
join in celebrating this significant milestone in the history of
one of the most iconic institutions of the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby commemorate the bicentennial of the Texas
Rangers and commend its members, past and present, for their
steadfast courage and dedication to duty; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the Texas Rangers as an expression of high regard from the Texas
Senate.