WilCo Police Training Center Under State Investigation

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A police regulatory agency is investigating practices at the Williamson County law enforcement training center amid accusations of manipulated test scores and racial and sexist slurs by a trainer, Patch has learned.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is heading the investigation into the Deputy A.W. Grimes Training Center, 8160 Chandler Rd., in Hutto, Texas, which opened barely a year ago. Earlier this week, Patch learned the probe is centered on the artificial raising of scores for a cadet from Williamson County who did not pass the battery of tests — a failed effort by an instructor to have someone representing Williamson County rather than a cadet from elsewhere who trains there to be named valedictorian of the next academy graduating class.

Ancillary to that charge, Patch was told accusations against a sergeant are centered on his liberal use of pejoratives against African American and homophobic slurs against female cadets. Facing disciplinary action, the accused sergeant resigned. The officer at the center of the allegations who later resigned after being reprimanded and stripped of his training license is Sgt. David Nickel, sources told Patch.

Gretchen Grigsby, a spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, wouldn't comment on the details when contacted by Patch on Wednesday but confirmed that there was an open investigation: "We do have an investigation, but it is currently ongoing and it hasn't been closed," she said in a telephone interview.

By late Friday afternoon, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in a press advisory also confirmed the state agency was investigating: "An investigation conducted by TCOLE and WCSO found problems with the scoring of tests and inappropriate comments toward some cadets attending the academy by an instructor," the sheriff's office said. "The lieutenant in charge was reprimanded, and his training license revoked. The sergeant resigned in lieu of termination, and his training license was revoked."

According to the sheriff's office, preemptive action had been taken previously in response to the accusations: "Prior to this investigation, the sheriff had already terminated a commander and sergeant of the academy in efforts to maintain the integrity of the academy," claimed Sheriff Robert Chody in the statement. "No further statements will be released at this time."

Grigsby confirmed the Williamson County center could be placed "at risk" in terms of its accreditation, depending on the outcome of the investigation. She said the state agency will have wrapped up its investigation in the coming days. It is unclear whether the investigation had been completed as of Friday.

The state agency describes its role on its website: "The mission of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, as a regulatory State agency, is to establish and enforce standards to ensure that the people of Texas are served by highly trained and ethical law enforcement, corrections, and telecommunications personnel."

No further information was made available. Patch will update when more details are known.

The 25,000-square-foot Deputy A.W. Grimes Training Center — known in the local law enforcement nomenclature as the D.A.W.G. — cost approximately $9.9 million to build before opening to considerable fanfare last year. On his official Facebook page, Chody posted pictures of the ribbon cutting in heralding its completion. The facility is named after Ahijah W. Grimes, a former member of the Texas Rangers and Williamson County sheriff’s deputy, killed in the line of duty more than a century ago..