Hawkins City Council Ends Police Department
A small Texas community is grappling with a significant change following the city council’s decision to terminate its last police officer. On Monday, the Hawkins City Council voted to dismiss Officer Eric Touma, who had been the sole remaining member of the Hawkins Police Department.
The council’s agenda indicated that the reasons behind Touma’s firing involved “waiver of the duty of oath” and “waiver of mail.” During the meeting, Hawkins Mayor Debbie Rushing mentioned that she received a report stating Touma had failed to respond to a call.
After the meeting, Councillor Eric Malloy expressed his distress, stating, “I’m extremely distraught. They miss the police.” He iterated that the community feels the absence of their police force. Interestingly, it was revealed that Touma recently had a family emergency and had notified both the city and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office about his situation.
Since 2021, the Hawkins Police Department has faced several resignations and significant changes. In fact, the police station and city offices have seen a series of disruptions that have left the community unsettled.
Touma’s dismissal comes after a swirl of events that led to the previous police chief’s resignation in early 2024, alongside two other officers and the city court judge. Hawkins, which has a population of around 1,300 residents, is located about 20 miles north of Tyler, Texas.
Rushing suggested that prior officers were not adequately employed, as they hadn’t received city council approval, which ultimately led to Touma being the only officer left. “It’s amazing that there are still good cops who want to work in small towns and make it a better place,” Malloy remarked.
The situation has been further complicated by the fact that the city is currently facing 16 lawsuits, many filed by former officers. Meanwhile, following the firing of multiple officers, Rushing was later arrested for allegedly tampering with government records.
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office and the police department but did not receive immediate comments.
