Compact With Texans

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) is a state regulatory agency charged with the responsibility of establishing, implementing, and maintaining standards for peace officers, county corrections officers, and emergency communications personnel.  Its mission is to ensure a Texas where people are served by highly trained and ethical law enforcement and corrections personnel through screening, developing, and monitoring resources, and setting standards.  TCLEOSE is operated under a philosophy whereby we look to our laws for equity and justice.  We believe in and strive to be a state where laws are enforced by well qualified persons with the highest standards of ethics and accountability.  We approach our responsibilities with a deep sense of purpose and commitment and we strive to conduct agency business with fairness and conviction.

TCLEOSE’s small staff of forty-six is responsible for the oversight of more than 97,000 law enforcement and corrections personnel in more than 2,600 law enforcement agencies and institutions across Texas.

TCLEOSE receives its authority through the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1701.  These laws and the rules promulgated and enforced by TCLEOSE can be viewed on the Rules & Statutes page.

A person cannot be appointed to be a peace officer or county jailer in Texas without a current, valid license issued by TCLEOSE.

It is important to note TCLEOSE’s limitations of authority.  TCLEOSE has no authority to investigate citizen complaints against law enforcement officers or agencies concerning the services they provide or fail to provide.

Freedom of Information Requests

TCLEOSE strives to provide quality customer service, and your opinion of those services is important to us.  We encourage you to contact us to discuss issues or to make suggestions.  You may call or write to Ms. Laura Le Blanc, the public information representative for all general customer service concerns.  We also randomly request participation in this evaluation process from agencies, officers, and the public following services performed by TCLEOSE.  It is our sincere desire to provide updated and beneficial information to our customers; therefore, this compact contains an overview of who we are, a list of people who can assist you with your questions and concerns in each functional area, and a description of our formal complaint process.

You have the right to know how government performs its responsibilities.  We are committed to helping facilitate your requests for information as we learn of them.  We promise to return telephone calls within 24 hours during the business week if we are unavailable when the call is received.  We promise to answer all requests for information immediately on receipt, unless the information is unavailable protected from disclosure or compilation, or if analysis or research is required. “Immediately on receipt” means while you are still on the telephone, unless a written response is requested or required; when an e-mail is actually read (please know that e-mail sent to staff members who travel frequently may not be read for several days or even weeks); and written requests within 3 days during the business week, unless the information is unavailable protected from disclosure or compilation, or if analysis or research is required in which case we will notify you of this circumstance.  You should make formal requests for open, public records in writing.  TCLEOSE complies with current law and interpretations provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Office concerning this type of request.  We respond to all such formal requests in the order of their receipt and without delay.  You should be aware, however, that TCLEOSE does not require that all requests for information be formalized, and will provide available requested information without a formal request, if that meets your needs.  Our public information representative can assist you in determining whether your request for information should be submitted in writing.

Experience has taught us that most of the information requested by our diverse clientele is available at our website or associated websites, or can be communicated telephonically during the initial request.  We are interested in knowing how well you think we perform.  Please take the time to write to the executive director and tell him what you like, what you don’t like, or changes you would like to see.

TCLEOSE’s Complaint Process

It is the policy of TCLEOSE and its executive director to receive courteously and investigate promptly your complaints, including anonymous complaints, concerning the behavior and official acts of its employees, the quality and impact of its programs, services, and rules, and to the extent authorized by law, the actions of its licensees.

TCLEOSE has two types of complaints: Informal and Formal.

Informal complaints are those in which the policies, rules, or general operating methods of TCLEOSE are questioned.  These complaints are referred to the proper division manager.  If an employee is involved, the issued is handled according to the disciplinary policy.

Formal complaints involve failure of TCLEOSE employees to adequately and professionally perform their duties, serious violations of policies or rules which adversely affect TCLEOSE’s ability to complete its mission or create a loss of public trust, or alleged criminal acts committed by TCLEOSE employees.

All formal complaints will be in writing and documented on the current complaint form.  Allegations of serious policy violations, allegations of criminal conduct and allegations of violations of civil rights require that both sides of the form be filed out, read aloud to the complainant, and signed by the complainant, or a TCLEOSE staff member, if receiving a complaint from someone desiring to remain anonymous.  Formal complaints are immediately forwarded to the executive director or designee, who reviews and initiates an internal affairs investigation.  The complainant is notified of the progress and final disposition of the formal complaint.

Please look at other pages on our website and associated websites for additional information about TCLEOSE, its programs and services, its hard working staff, and the agencies and institutions with which it is affiliated.

Contact Us

We welcome comments regarding our services. Call us at 512-936-7700 or write to the executive director at: Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, 6330 E Highway 290, STE 200, Austin, Texas 78723-1035