From Horseback to Elite Investigators: How the legend of the Texas Rangers conti

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/from-horseback-to-elite-investigators-how-the-legend-of-the-texas-rangers-continues-today

By Robert Demetrious | 1211 Brand Connect

Since the inception of the Texas Rangers in 1823, the valiant law enforcement agency has adapted with the times, developing a more modern operation. Today its legacy has grown to one of the most effective investigative law enforcement agencies in the world. 

When Stephen F. Austin hired ten experienced frontiersmen to "range" over the territory of Texas, there were only approximately 700 people across the area. Over the last 200 years, Texas, which spans nearly 270,000 square miles, has grown to the second most populous state in the U.S., home to about 30 million citizens. 

To cover that much ground, the Rangers started to modernize in 1934 as part of Texas’s newly formed Department of Public Safety (DPS). With DPS's creation, the Rangers finally received the support to match its grand tradition and efforts.  Since then, the agency has increased its manpower to 167 commissioned Rangers. 

"By all standards, ten years ago there were only 103 Texas Rangers, which is interesting because there are 254 counties in Texas," said Matt Cawthon, a retired Texas Ranger. "If you have 103 or 172 Rangers, you still don't have one Ranger for each County, so each Ranger has to cover more than one County, and some of the counties in Texas are very large."


To meet the requirements to field a 21st-century investigative force, the Rangers also place great importance on earning college degrees, investing in networked technology and state-of-the-art forensic analyses. 

"Today, the modern Texas Ranger is almost limitless in his capabilities," said Cawthon. "The availability of resources through the state of Texas and beyond. A Ranger may need a forensics team with sophisticated DNA gathering abilities, a helicopter, an airplane, or a drone. A Ranger may even need a SWAT team. These are things that the Ranger can bring to any investigation throughout Texas."

As the people of Texas faced new dangerous challenges, the Rangers had to strategize to counter the new threats. 

"The biggest is human trafficking in smuggling and child trafficking," said Sweaney. "In the last ten years, because of the severity of it and the amount going on, the amount of money that these smugglers can make not only with drugs but now you know the smuggling of humans and using children and women."

The Rangers have earned respect on a global scale. They are sought after for their unique crime fight and investigating experience and practices. 


"They've been asked to go literally all over the world to teach other police departments," said Johnson. "We've had police officers from other departments all over the world in here, they've been amazed at the spectrum of things that the Texas Rangers are doing at any one time."

Despite the Rangers' reputation, the work to improve and grow as an agency never stops. Each Ranger is provided the support and resources to be as well prepared as possible in several different law enforcement areas. It is especially critical to the agency's success in modern times, as Rangers must adapt to each other's circumstances they are presented in the field.

"Once you become a Texas Ranger, the training continues," said Cawthon. "You're going to be taught criminal investigation. You're going to be taught crime scene investigation, forensics, hypnosis. You may be taught interview and interrogation techniques. There is just a ton of training available for a Texas Ranger."

The Rangers are the oldest state law enforcement agency in North America. They have been compared to other world-famous law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. But even as time passes, the modern-day Texas Rangers remain a proud source of heritage and tradition, valued by the men and women who serve and the Texans they protect. Their work and presence stand as a symbol of service for future generations.


Texas Rangers are returning to television on January 21. Jared Padalecki stars as Cordell Walker in the highly anticipated new CW series Walker. A Texas Ranger and recent widower, he returns from an undercover investigation to his two children in Austin, Texas. Getting settled back home, Walker soon discovers that a lot has changed since being away, and it is up to him to fix it.

The Texas Rangers are also marking their 200th anniversary in 2023. As part of the Texas Ranger Bicentennial celebration, a series of celebrations, festivals, and engaging presentations will be offered. For more information on the upcoming festivities, visit www.texasranger.org.

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This content was created by FOX News' Branded Content Studio in partnership with The CW. FOX News Editorial was not involved in the creation of this content.

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https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ranging-the-frontier-the-storied-history-of-the-texas-rangers

By Robert Demetrious | 1211 Brand Connect

From 1823 to the present day, a courageous group of men and women have been chosen to protect and serve the people of Texas. To this day, the Texas Rangers are the oldest statewide law enforcement agency in America.

"Without the Texas Rangers, there would not be a state of Texas as we know today," said Byron Johnson, Director of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas. 

"They were protecting settlers as neighbors, helping neighbors, and now they are elite criminal investigators for the state," said Christine Rothenbush, Marketing and Development Coordinator on behalf of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. 

Nearly 200 years ago, Texas was a state of about 700 citizens. With no regular army to protect its citizens from Native Americans or other threats, Stephen F. Austin, known as the "Father of Texas," formed the Rangers. He was contracted by the Mexican government to bring settlers in from what was consider the old South of the U.S., as well as Europe, to settle Texas.

"The Rangers started because the government of Mexico was unable to provide any protection in the Northern Province of Mexico, which is what Texas was at the time," said Johnson. 

During the Texas Revolution, the Rangers were still serving as a militia company during the Battle of the Alamo. William Travis sent out an appeal, pleading for people to come in and reinforce the Alamo. 

"About the only real recruits that came in were a ranging company from the town of Gonzales, and they rode into the Alamo shortly before it was closed for the battle, and unfortunately they all died in the battle at the Alamo," said Johnson. "The youngest one of them was still in his teens at the time."

"They all died in the cause of Texas independence," Johnson added. 


In the late 1920s and early 1930s, political corruption had spread across the state of Texas, even infiltrating the governor's office. To combat a further spread of corruption, the state created the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), listed under a civilian Public Safety Commission.

"In 1934, the Rangers were taken out of the direct line of the governor of the state of Texas and put under a Public Safety Commission," said Johnson.

The first agencies under DPS were the Texas Rangers, the Motorcycle Highway Patrol, and what would later become the state Criminal Evidence Lab. At the time, this was an unprecedented move, as law enforcement agencies were commonly created in the United States when most states formed law enforcement agencies, separated into specific departments.

The Rangers have played a significant role in several high-profile and historic national events. Among those include the Mexican Revolution, World War I, oil booms, and prohibition. Perhaps most notably was the Rangers' role in bringing Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow to justice. 

Parker and Barrow were an American criminal couple during the time of the Great Depression. They would travel across the U.S., robbing banks, stores, and gas stations. What separated Parker and Barrow from other outlaws during this time was technology. 


"The weapons they used were essentially weapons developed during World War I, like Browning automatic rifles, and Thompson submachine guns, that were unavailable to small-town police officers," said Johnson. "Bonnie and Clyde would come roaring into town in a Ford V8."

Local law enforcement in small towns was no match for the infamous criminal duo. In need of a solution to stop the national crime spree, the Rangers turned to an ex-Ranger, Frank Hamer, encouraging the former Ranger captain to come out of retirement to track down Parker and Barrow. Hamer was known as a legendary "manhunter" during his time with the agency.

"He hunted them for over 100 days and managed to end their criminal career in a very, very carefully crafted ambush in western Louisiana," said Johnson. "Both Bonnie and Clyde were killed."

The Texas Rangers popularity has grown as well. The Rangers have been the subject of numerous Hollywood films and television series, including The Lone Ranger. 

"A lot of Texans appreciate the Rangers, but they don't realize how worldwide they are," said Rothenbush. "We have followers in France and Germany and Czechoslovakia. All over America love and adore the Texas Rangers. They want that level of justice in their country." 


On January 21, the Texas Rangers return to television. Walker, the highly anticipated new series on The CW, stars Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two, who has returned home to Austin after being deep undercover. Walker soon discovers that a lot has changed since being away and works to get his home back in order.

The Texas Rangers are also marking their 200th anniversary in 2023. As part of the Texas Ranger Bicentennial celebration, a series of celebrations, festivals, and engaging presentations will be offered. For more information on the upcoming festivities, visit www.texasranger.org.

PAID CONTENT

This content was created by FOX News' Branded Content Studio in partnership with The CW. FOX News Editorial was not involved in the creation of this content.