Tom Selman

Welcome!

Greetings and thanks for visiting my web site. 

I continue to be grateful to my supporters in the County and to the voters of Precinct One for entrusting me with their Constable's Office and giving me the opportunity to serve the public once again.  2005 was a busy year as I became acclimated to my new office and the responsibilities it brought.  I had to study up to challenge the TCLEOSE test to re-activate my law enforcement certification after leaving the Texas Department of Public Safety 17 years ago but was fortunate enough to pass the test on the first try.  This past year I have learned about the duties required of the Constable and worked with Precinct One's Judge, Billy Ball, to understand the procedures used in his court.  I have been also been able to spend time on patrol all over the county and have assisted the Angelina County Sheriff's Dept, Lufkin Police Dept, Texas Highway Patrol, TABC, Hudson Police Department and other officers here.  Assisting with traffic control, serving warrants, answering calls for assistance from citizens, responding to accident scenes and 911 emergencies in a support role has been very gratifying for me.  I feel I have been able to make a small difference in our community while learning new things.  Getting shot at in a car chase was a new experience for me also.  I have had a great deal of success in enforcement and patrol and managed to make almost 100 custody arrests in 2005, getting criminals off of our streets and into jail where they belong.  Taking the liberty to speak for our Sheriff, Kent Henson, who I feel would agree with me in extending our thanks to Mr. R.T. Due for his service to the Sheriff's Office and the Constable's Office in 2005 by assisting with the service of Civil Process in the county.  R.T. stepped up and took some of the workload off of the Sheriff's Dept by serving papers as his health would permit after he left office as our former Constable and continues to help with papers today.  I also appreciate Deputy Constable Johnny Due's unpaid, volunteer service to the County and for the many ways he has assisted county law enforcement since I took office.  Donald "Bud" Heaton is the newest Deputy in Precinct One and has volunteered to serve in this capacity beginning in 2006.  Through links provided on the left side of your screen, I have a complete accounting of my criminal case activity for 2005 and up to the month information for 2006 if you would like to see what we have been doing.  Thanks for your continued support of my office and law enforcement in Angelina County.  Let me know if I can be of service.

Tom

Congratulations and best wishes to Lt. Greg Denman of the Lufkin Police Department in his retirement after over 32 years of service to our citizens.  A regular on KTRE-TV 9 with his crime-of-the-week re-enactments, Greg's work as the local Crime Stoppers Coordinator is admired and appreciated very much.  Thanks for a job well done!  Good luck and enjoy the days ahead.  Lt. David Young is the new Crime Stoppers Coordinator and Information Officer for the Police Department.

         Lt. Greg Denman

What are Constables?

Constables in Texas are county law enforcement officers elected by the voters of the particular Precinct in which they reside.  Constable Precinct boundaries are the same as those for the Justice of the Peace for that Precinct.  Angelina County is divided into five Justice of the Peace and Constable Precincts.  The office of Constable was created by adoption of the Texas Constitution.  Constables can perform any law enforcement duty, conduct investigations, patrol and make arrests just as other peace officers do.  Constables execute warrants and handle civil process (serve papers) originating in the various courts of the county.  Constables work with their respective Justice of the Peace to serve citations, writs, summons, warrants and other process arising from cases filed with the JP and they can also serve in a support role to other law enforcement agencies in the county.

Qualifications to be a Constable

Constables are Peace Officers with similar powers as the sheriff and they must meet the same basic qualifications as all other police officers and be certified through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE).  New rules created by the Texas Legislature in the last session require anyone seeking the office of Constable to have an active or inactive Peace Officer License or hold an Associate Degree from an Accredited College prior to filing for election.  Professional Constables from across Texas lobbied the Legislature to expand the qualifications to be a candidate for election as Constable to raise the bar for those seeking the office in the future.  Unprofessional Constables, wherever they may hold office, are a negative reflection on Constables as a whole and do not project the image that professionals wish to present in our state, thus the reason for a push for higher standards.   A person elected to the position of Constable whose Peace Officer License is inactive has 270 days after assuming office to re-activate his license by satisfying all the requirements of TCLEOSE or he forfeits his office and cannot serve as Constable.

Where is Precinct One in Angelina County?

Constable Precinct One in Angelina County is within the same boundaries as the office of Justice of the Peace Precinct One, currently occupied by the Honorable Judge Billy Ball.  Judge Ball's court is located in the Angelina County Law Enforcement Center on Lufkin Avenue just inside Loop 287 at the site of the new county jail.  The Precinct includes all the area inside the city limits of Lufkin.  Outside the city, the precinct runs east of US Hwy 59 to the north taking in the Rivercrest and Davisville areas and circling to the south taking in the area of the Moffett community and John Kolb Addition behind the Paper Mill and areas east and south of Loop 287 for about 2 miles and most of Fuller Springs.

Contact Tom

Tom may be contacted by email by clicking: E-mail Tom