According to an article discovered in the Dallas News from May 6th, 1893, the first “Peace Officer” on record in Tom Bean was City Marshal Henry Albert Sroufe (1864-1931). Marshal Sroufe was elected in May of 1893. Details on the length of his service have yet to be discovered.
In the book “History of Grayson County Vol. 1”, Constable James “Floyd” Simmons (1876-1938) is identified as the first Constable in Tom Bean. Constable Simmons was a long-time Tom Bean resident, and is believed to have served between 1897 when the city charter was first signed, to about 1918, when he resigned to become a Grayson County Sheriff’s Deputy.
Records from the time indicate that his successor in 1918 was Ruben Carlton Sullenger (1868-1935), who owned a local grocery store. While it is not known precisely how long he served in this capacity, records do show that he sought, and was re-elected to that office in 1922.
Beyond this, little else is known about the overall history of Tom Bean law enforcement prior to 1977 when the police department we know today was formally established.
June 30th, 1977 marks the date Albert Sidney Kerby (1916-1994) was formally commissioned as our first Chief of Police. Chief Kerby was born in Greenville, Texas, and was a World War II Air Force veteran. Prior to his service as Chief, he was commissioned as a Constable in both precincts 1 and 4 in Grayson County respectively.
It is believed that the department remained a one-man operation throughout the remainder of the 70’s and 80’s, and grew slowly over time into its current format. At present, the Tom Bean Police Department is budgeted for three (3) full-time officers, (2) part-time officers, (3) reserve officers, and is expected to grow in the coming years as the community and surrounding areas continue to grow.
