MATHIS, Texas — Several residents have raised concerns after discovering that law enforcement officers convicted of crimes or facing criminal charges still appear as "active" peace officers in the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) public database.
The public database, launched in September 2024 as part of Sunset Legislation.
The issue was first brought to the attention of KRIS 6 News when a resident found former Mathis Police Chief Marshall Scott Roush still listed as active. Roush, who pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in 2024 and is serving 10 years in a state prison, is listed with an "active" peace officer license. While the database notes Roush is “not currently eligible for appointment," critics argue the lack of clearer warnings could mislead the public.
Other officers identified by 6 Investigates include Johnson County officer Daniel Bates, who is under investigation for Online Solicitation of a Minor – Sexual Conduct, as well as charges of Possession or Promotion of Child Pornography. Ashley Transmeier, an off-duty Corpus Christi Independent School District police officer facing murder charges for the fatal shooting of Albert Florencio Howie in Ingleside, is also listed with an active license.
TCOLE Executive Director Greg Stevens emphasized that while an officer’s license may still appear active, they cannot work in law enforcement without an appointment from an agency.
"It takes two things for someone to have police powers and to be out working in the capacity as a peace officer. You have to be licensed first of all and foremost. But secondly, they must be appointed by an agency," Stevens told KRIS 6. "When an officer is charged with a crime, in the vast majority of situations, the chief administrator, the sheriff or the chief of police has put them on administrative leave and is not letting them work."
He added that TCOLE places a hold on licenses for officers facing criminal charges, preventing them from being hired elsewhere. "We have processes in place that if they have been convicted or they're facing criminal charges, we have a hold on that license. We would not accept appointment at another agency while that is pending."
Stevens clarified however, that revoking a license is not an overnight process. It requires a formal review by TCOLE’s nine commissioners, who meet at scheduled public meetings.
“The nine commissioners appointed by the governor have the authority to revoke or suspend a license. He continues, "That action has to occur during one of those scheduled meetings. We can’t revoke a license unless it’s done at a public meeting."
Even if an officer is acquitted of criminal charges, TCOLE may still review administrative violations.
Stevens acknowledged concerns, but stressed that TCOLE is committed to transparency.
"Our position is that transparency is the cornerstone of public trust. It’s brand new. Building that up was a ton of work. Now that we’ve got it up and running, it’s doing what it should do," Stevens said.
"We know that we can make it better. If it’s possible to have more clarity and more information in the public license lookup we’ll say, perhaps we can include that."
Despite high-profile cases, Stevens noted that license revocations are rare. Between January 2021 and June 2024, TCOLE revoked 148 licenses for misdemeanors and 68 for felonies out of nearly 154,000 total licensees.
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