Origins and History of Constables

Origins Constables are among the earliest recorded police officers in world history. From a very humble beginning in the 5th century, by the turn of the 6th century they were chief household officers. In France, Constables  commanded the armies in the Kings absence. Becoming noted peacekeepers under King William 'The Conqueror' in 1066 Constables responsibilities were expanded with the adoption of the Magna Carta,which not only became the pattern for most of the worlds Constitutions, but also mentioned Constables in written law.Constables have served the Justice Court system since 1362.In 1583 William Lambard published the first Policy & Procedure manual for Law Enforcement. It's primary purpose was to outline the duties ofthe Constable.

Texas Constables In 1836, the Constitution of THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS established Constables as primary Law Enforcement Administrators, whose stature is still upheld under article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.They are elected to four-year terms of office and are commissioned by the Governor of Texas as Law Enforcement Agencies just as the Sheriff's Department or Texas Department of Public Safety. In fact, a Constable is an associate member of the D.P.S. under section 411.009(a) of the Government Code. His/Her "original" jurisdiction is anywhere in the county of election and is statewide in all criminal and most civil matters.To meet the challenges and demands of this responsibility Texas Constables MUST be licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement with a minimum of 600 classroom hours of training in a Basic Police Academy.At this time, anyone may run for election as a Constable; however, they have only 270 days after taking office to meet the State Peace Officer requirements.

Harris County Constables Here is a little history and a list of previous Constables for our area.... W. Clinton Harless, Harris Constable County Precinct 7 died April 15th, 1915. Constable Harless of the Spring Precinct drove up to the house of Louis Utley and called to him that he had a warrant for his arrest. Utley asked the constable if he could go inside and get his hat and coat.A moment later Constable Harless saw the glint off a rifle barrel through the window. The constable jumped from his buggy, but not soon enough to dodge the bullet that struck him in the neck. Harless was conscious until a few minutes before his death the next day.The bullet had severed his spinal column. Utley was arrested in Livingston. Harless was reportedly the largest peace officer in Texas. He was six foot six inches tall and weighed 350 pounds. He was not married. On November 8, 1932, Mr. Marvin Alton Winter was elected constable of Precinct 4, Harris County,Texas and held that office until his death in 1937. On Friday, December 3, 1937 Mr. Winter was on duty and responded to investigate a car accident five miles south of Humble,Texas on Highway 35. While directing traffic at the scene of the accident,Mr.Winter was struck by two cars traveling in opposite directions pinning him in between the two cars. Mr.Winter died as a result of his injuries on December 4, 1937. For more information about the origins and history of Constables, please visit the Texas State Historical Association's website. Previous Constables in Our Area Note:  Precinct 4 has been redistricted over time and more than one Constable may be listed for a given term below. Will Humble  1904 - 1906 W.F. Dunn  1906 – 1908 Herman Imhoff  1908 – 1912 A.H. Montgomery  1912 – 1916 D. Barker  1916 – 1918 Ben F. Smith  1918 – 1920 J. S. Bell  1920 – 1922 J.E. Folts  1922 – 1926 Frank Nevill  1926 – 1930 J.H, Fields  1930 – 1932 Marvin.A.Winter  1932 – 1937 J.H. Fields  1938 – 1942 Oddie T. Busch  1942 – 1956 J.C. Clint Eddings  1956 – 1972 C.R. Davis  1972 – 1980 Dick Moore  1980 – 2000 Ron Hickman  2000 - Present S.O. Harvey  1904 - 1906 Lee Burrough  1906 - 1908 W.C. West  1908 - 1910 A.G. Sellers  1910 - 1912 Clem Harless  1912 - 1914 William C. Harless  1914 - 1915 Grover Bonds  1916 - 1920 J. Monroe  1920 - 1922 Grover Bonds  1922 - 1924 L.E. Burroughs  1924 - 1928 J. Monroe  1928 - 1930 L. E. Burroughs  1930 - 1932 Paul O. Ehmann  1932 - 1934 Watson Tomlinson  1934 - 1936 Ebb Bonds  1936 - 1940 Chas H. Klein 1940 - 1946 J.E. McFarland  1946 - 1964    Richard Moore  1964 - 1973