Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s Democrat challenger is not a registered peace officer in Texas according to state records.
Democrat candidate Patrick Moses does not have the necessary licensing required to serve as a Texas law enforcement officer.
In a document obtained by Texas Scorecard, an email from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement reveals that they have accepted Moses’ initial application, but he still has multiple steps to take, including submitting an exam application and taking said exam.
However, the email was from December 6, 2023, and the Texas Commission On Law Enforcement has since confirmed with Texas Scorecard that their records show he has not been awarded a law enforcement license in the State of Texas as of September 24.
According to Texas Local Government Code, an individual is qualified to serve as sheriff if they are on active duty in the military, a military veteran, or a federal special investigator. They must also have a high school diploma, hold an active permanent peace officer license, or have a minimum of five years of experience as a federal special investigator.
Moses’ campaign website states that he is a retired federal law enforcement officer, serving as “the Assistant Director for Field Operations of the Federal Protective Service, the arm of the United States Department of Homeland Security that provides law enforcement, protective investigation and intelligence and security for federal facilities across 23 states.”
Another document from the TCOLE shows that as of July 11, 2024, they have no record of his service history or service time, no listing of awards he may have received, and no record of completed education courses.
Sheriff Waybourn told Texas Scorecard that due to Moses’ lack of accreditation, he is not qualified to serve as Sheriff.
“My opponent is unqualified to serve as a sheriff in Tarrant County. He is not a Texas Peace Officer and based on his own resume he has very little practical experience,” Waybourn said.
Moses’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
