Donation helps ensure better safety for all of Midland County

Pictured from left to right are MC Foundation Executive Director Erin Tresner, MC Police Officer Ricardo Martinez, MC Chief of Police Martin Garcia, Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter, MC Police Officer Marihya Houck and MC Police Officer Rocky Derouen.

 By Rebecca Bell
Dean of Community Relations & Special Events

One car, one truck, one golf cart and twelve feet — those used to be the only modes of transportation used by the MC Police Department to patrol the 200+ acres of the main MC Campus and all Midland County MC locations. Now, however, thanks to the Midland County Sheriff’s Office, the MC Police Department has six patrol cars and one security truck!

The MC Police Department not only ensures the safety and security of students, employees and the community at MC locations, but also assists other local law enforcement agencies with various criminal and disaster-related emergencies. Until last fall, assistance was limited because of the scarcity of MC police vehicles. Due to budget constraints, funds were not available to purchase additional vehicles. Being resourceful law enforcement personnel, MC police officers decided to look for alternative ways to obtain vehicles. MC Police Officer Marihya Houck learned that the Sheriff’s Office retired patrol vehicles after 80,000 miles, and then Midland County auctioned them. Houck contacted the Sheriff’s Department to check on the feasibility of donating retired vehicles to the MC Police Department.

“They [the Sheriff’s Office] were great!” says Houck. “They were more than willing to donate patrol cars because part of the County Commissioners’ emergency management initiative includes every law enforcement officer having access to a vehicle at all times. The vehicles that were donated to MC are all equipped with proper lighting and other necessary accessories; one of the cars even has a cage.”

MC Police Chief Martin Garcia explains that once MC obtained possession of the cars, the MC Automotive Technology Department changed the oil, repaired the brakes and made a few other minor repairs. Garcia states, “One of the cars needed a new transmission, but for the most part the vehicles were in good condition. Repairing the cars provided some good hands-on training for auto tech students.”

Each MC Police Officer now has his/her own vehicle for patrolling the campus. The officers are also allowed to keep the cars when they aren’t on duty, which enables them to respond quickly to emergencies. Garcia notes that in December when an MC airplane had to make an emergency landing, he was able to travel quickly to the scene because of the availability of his own patrol car. During another occasion, Houck says she was able to respond immediately from her home to a disturbance at the MC Cogdell Learning Center on South Florida Street.

The Midland College Police Department is composed of six full-time licensed peace officers, one full-time security officer and six part-time security officers. The police department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and oversees security at the MC main campus, the Advanced Technology Center on Cuthbert, the Cogdell Learning Center, and the MC airplane hangar and aviation maintenance training facility at the Midland International Airport. In addition, the MC Police Department is often called upon to assist the Midland Independent School District police, the Midland Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office.

Houck says, “The ability to use individual vehicles makes us really feel like we are part of the law enforcement community. It has helped to boost morale in the department, and we have increased our ability to respond to incidents. We really owe a huge amount of gratitude to Sheriff Painter and the Midland County Sheriff’s Department for this donation!”