City votes to dissolve police department

HUDSON – The City of Hudson in Angelina County has dissolved its police department, citing factors like leadership turnover, personnel matters and budget constraints, according to our news partner KETK.

“The decision was not made lightly and many factors went into this outcome, the most important factor, however, was ensuring that the citizens of the City of Hudson receive access to the best quality law enforcement and emergency services possible,” Hudson city officials said.

The city council voted to dissolve the police department in a special meeting on Tuesday. The decision came after city council members gave the department a 90-day grace period to find new leaders, strengthen their internal procedures and make sure their budget was used efficiently.

“As that grace period has unfolded, it became clear that the best decision for the city was to temporarily disband the department and receive law enforcement support from the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department,” city officials said.

The disbanding of the department means their three officer positions have been eliminated. While the city starts to wind down the department’s affairs, they are developing a more formal agreement with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office to ensure more officer coverage.