TYLER, Texas — Precinct 1 of the Smith County Constable’s Office is currently under investigation by Texas Commission on Law Enforcement after a reserve deputy was arrested for "impersonating a public servant," a spokesperson for TCOLE confirmed.
The investigation, which has been ongoing since March 23, 2021, is related to "allegations of an improper appointment."
"We have no idea where this came from," Precinct 1 Constable Curtis Traylor said. "We've requested an open records request to see why it was filed, who filed it."
Traylor says the investigation is into one of the precinct's previous reserve officers, DeMondre Montgomery, who is no longer with the precinct.
Montgomery, who is not a licensed peace officer, started as a reserve deputy doing clerical work in January.
Texas Law does allow non-licensed individuals to be appointed as reserve officers.
Traylor says Montgomery no longer works for the precinct because there was information on his application that wasn't "accurate, not false, but not exactly accurate."
An arrest warrant was issued for Montogmery's arrest for "impersonating a public servant," a third-degree felony. He turned himself in on July 7, 2021, and bonded out on a $75,000 bond.
No other information is available at this time.
The precinct has been mired in controversy since the Democratic primary in 2020.
During the Democratic primary, a slew of accusations around the three candidates for the position caused the disqualification of one candidate and protests in the Smith County Commissioner's Court.
After a highly contentious run-off election in July, Traylor, who originally placed third in the initial election, won the seat.
Traylor is a Tyler native and has worked for Gregg County, Johnson County and Smith County under Sheriff J.B. Smith. He also worked for the Texas Department of Juvenile Justice as a juvenile corrections officer for five years.
