Troup, Texas
The five-man police force in tiny Troup, Texas, was disbanded this week, following revelations of widespread corruption. Rural Smith County is known as a haven for methamphetamine labs, and drug arrests are common. But since 2000, Troup police have referred only 11 drug cases to the district attorney, prompting an undercover investigation by the FBI. Authorities say they discovered a mess, with an unknown amount of drugs seized by police unaccounted for. Police Sgt. Mark Turner, recently named Chamber of Commerce Officer of the Year, was charged with giving an undercover agent marijuana. His boss, Police Chief Chester Kennedy, admitted in an affidavit that he took beer that was seized in a bootlegging case, but planned to replace it. “Beer is beer,” hetold investigators.
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