Gregg County court ratifies DPS mutual‑aid school‑safety agreement, subject to Precinct 4 correction

The Gregg County Commissioner’s Court on Jan. 13 ratified a mutual‑aid agreement with the Texas Department of Public Safety that county officials said is required by HB 33, but the court added language to make ratification contingent on correcting contact information for Precinct 4.

Sheriff (presenting the item) told the court that the county submitted a list of responder names and contact information to DPS on Oct. 20, but the returned document still listed the earlier precinct contact and had not been updated despite a county request in December. "This is actually a mandate from HB 33, related to school safety," the Sheriff said, explaining the MOU requirement and the county’s steps to secure corrected information. County counsel advised the court to ratify now "subject to Precinct 4 correction and execution" so the county could sign the corrected document when it is returned.

The exchange led to questions from a commissioner about when schools call for outside services and whether schools hire private security. The Sheriff responded by outlining recent legislative changes, saying counties with populations below 350,000 must hold two school‑safety meetings each year and that schools are required to have an armed person on campus — "whether or not it is a police officer, a armed security officer, or a guardian, or a school marshal," he said. He also said Longview Independent School District is in the process of establishing a police department and has named an assistant chief, Ben Kemper; until the department is licensed, Kemper is serving in a security director/consultant role.

County counsel’s recommended language was used to frame the motion. The motion to approve and ratify the MOU "subject to Precinct 4 correction and execution" was recorded as moved by Commissioner McKinney and seconded (record shows Commissioner Wingard as the second); the court approved the motion by voice vote.

What this means: the county has formally ratified the agreement required by HB 33, but final execution will follow once the corrected document that lists current Precinct 4 contact information is returned and signed. The Sheriff said the school police chief will lead responses once Longview ISD’s police department is established, with Gregg County Sheriff’s Office and Longview Police Department providing supporting resources and coordinated response.

The court handled the item as part of its regular agenda; no public comment was recorded on this item. The county will sign the corrected MOU when the updated version is received and executed.