The History of TMPA
Introduction
On June 26, 1950 a small group of police officers representing six Texas cities met in Austin, Texas with State Representative Doyle Willis to formally organize a statewide police association of municipal officers. The Texas Municipal Police Association was born to protect the interest of the average police officer. The charter cities of TMPA were Houston, San Antonio, Ft. Worth, Waco, Austin, and Abilene. Over the years, TMPA grew to become THE voice for police officers in the Texas Legislature. Lead by officers of vision, courage, and determination, TMPA became instrumental in obtaining the most important benefits enjoyed by police officers today. One can never fully appreciate the paths formed by others before them, but TMPA does owe a great debt to its founders for their courage to stand up as advocates for change in an era where due process, equity, and professionalism were foreign concepts to local government officials and administrators.
The genesis of TMPA actually began shortly after World War II when veterans embarked on or resumed their law enforcement careers with a decidedly different perspective. The returning veterans who filled the law enforcement agency ranks in Texas knew there was a significant problem with the concept of “at-will” employment in the law enforcement environment. The values and ethics that drew these men to law enforcement were undermined by cronyism, corruption, and unethical city leaders who saw law enforcement as personal pawns of city leaders. They recognized the importance that police officers be not only free of corruption, they must also be free from corruption in order to earn respect for their authority to enforce laws.
Representative Willis and numerous other legislators began the task of drafting legislation to provide civil service in cities with a local option election. This landmark legislation, the Police and Firemen’s Civil Service Act, became law in the State of Texas in 1947. Representative Willis also supported other significant law and order and pension bills in 1947 and 1949, which lead to the formation of TMPA.
For the next 50 years, TMPA grew in size and influence, and influenced virtually all significant legislation that impacted law enforcement in Texas. But, TMPA also suffered from internal politics that lead to its largest charter cities leaving in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite the setbacks, TMPA leadership held fast to its principles of representing the best interests of law enforcement and its members.
In the late 1980's TMPA recognized that sheriffs deputies, deputy constables, state law enforcement officers, school district police officers, and other Texas peace officers needed an organization to act on their behalf as well. TMPA opened its membership up to any Texas peace officer and broadened our focus while maintaining the mission, to promote law enforcement professionalism.
In September 2000, TMPA began a new period of growth and development. Over the next five years, TMPA upgraded its legal defense plan for members, began many new and innovative programs with state and federal agencies, expanded its training division, and increased member benefits, local support, as well as charitable contributions.
In early 2000, TMPA employed 6 full-time personnel and had just over 6,000 members. As of July 2011 regular membership is over 17,500, representing more Texas peace officers than any other organization, and we have 49 dedicated employees working to serve the needs of those members.
TMPA is the professional voice for all Texas law enforcement officers. TMPA offers superior legal protection through private practice attorneys and guaranteed response, contract bargaining designed for a new labor era, powerful legislative advocacy at the state Capital and beyond, local political support, and comprehensive training to promote professionalism in law enforcement.
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