HUNTSVILLE, Texas – As guests arrived Friday afternoon at the Holiday Inn Express in Huntsville, a pickup belonging to the constable in Victoria, Texas, was parked at the front door.
Its back window was gone.
The broken glass was cleaned up.
But pieces remained stuck in the door.
"It's very upsetting. It's very disturbing. And I think more than anything, it's very disappointing,” said Dr. Rita Watkins.
Watkins is the executive director of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas.
She said a total of 15 cars were burglarized in the area. She said that included 13 belonging to law enforcement agencies from all over the state.
She said thieves broke into constables’ cars and stole the belongings inside. Her office said 85 newly elected constables from all over the state were in Huntsville for a state-mandated week of training.
"I know that victims come in every way, shape and form. But we should never (think) that just because a law-enforcement officer carries a badge and carries a gun, that they're not susceptible and weren't at risk of being victimized. So it's overall, it's very disappointing," Watkins said.