NCJ Number
161073
Date Published
1995
Length
68 pages
Annotation
This report provides a brief history of law enforcement in Bell County, Tex., an overview of police killed in the line of duty in the United States, and information on each of the five officers killed in the line of duty in Bell County from 1850 through 1994.
Abstract
The first law enforcement officer in Bell County was its first sheriff, William Reed. The sheriff and his deputies were the only law enforcement officers in the county in the early years with the exception of the Texas Rangers. Temple was incorporated in 1881 and soon had a "city marshal," who was the precursor to today's chief of police. The City of Belton apparently was policed by the Sheriff's office, by a constable, and by a city marshal in the latter part of the 19th century. Killeen was incorporated in 1882, but was a small town until Camp Hood "boomed" during World War II. Until the 1930's, Killeen was policed by a city marshal. This overview of Bell County's policing history also includes profiles of the more famous "criminal justice events" in the county. The overview of police officers killed in the United States focuses on the establishment of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., in October 1991. The five police officers killed in the line of duty in Bell County were James Mitchell, 1910; John T. Blair, 1917; Walter A. Staley, 1962; Hollie Tull, 1974; and Carl I. Levin, 1978. Information on each of the officer's deaths addresses the elements of the event, the officer's background, and the identity of the perpetrator, including case outcome.