“
Due to almost 200 years of Ranger involvement , we have been able to develop those relationships , so they ( local agencies ) will often call us for assistance . Sometimes they might have a conflict of interest and will ask us to take over the case , and sometimes they might just ask us to assist with a small piece of an investigation .
Cash , alongside 166 other rangers across the Lone Star State , also assists in unsolved crime / serial crime investigations , public corruption and public integrity investigations , officer involved shooting investigations and border security operations .
HE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A COP
As a child growing up in Conroe , Cash grew up around a bunch of cops , despite not having any immediate family in law enforcement .
“ I was that kid that grew up watching Cops ,” Cash said . “ I actually was going to be a pilot , but when I couldn ’ t afford flight school , I decided to go to Sam and work towards a degree in criminal justice .”
He was quick to put that degree to use , discovering the Texas Rangers in recruit school .
“ I had no clue what they did , but I was fascinated with the way they carried themselves , along with the history that comes with the Rangers ,” Cash added . “ I was in awe and knew immediately that becoming a Ranger was the ultimate goal .”
ASSISTING LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
A Texas Ranger has one of the most challenging duties in law enforcement , and can be called in for assistance on nearly every major crime in the area they serve . They don ’ t hold original jurisdiction in most cases , so their involvement is primarily reliant upon the local agencies .
“ Due to almost 200 years of Ranger involvement , we have been able to develop those relationships , so they ( local agencies ) will often call us for assistance ,” Cash noted . “ Sometimes they might have a conflict of interest and will ask us to take over the case , and sometimes they might just ask us to assist with a small piece of an investigation .”
“ For instance if I ’ m asked to join a murder investigation in Madison County , that agency will have access to the full gambit of what DPS has to offer . If they need aircraft , they are going to get aircraft . If they need as-
”
sistance in getting something expedited through the crime lab , we can assist with that as well ,” the local Ranger said .
“ Rural Rangers in the field such as myself , often work a variety of cases , and most times get to see a case all the way to the finish line .”
Some of the main cases that Cash leads include cases where an inmate dies in custody of law enforcement and officer-involved shootings . Rangers also provide resources to local law enforcement , with much of Cash ’ s district short-staffed and without large investigative budgets . But the biggest job a Ranger takes on is living up to the legacy that so many that came before them left behind .
AN EVER-CHANGING JOB The cases never stop for Texas Rangers . A normal day for Cash can go from writing reports to tossing on his greens and investigating skeletal remains . Another unique thing to Cash is his area , which is home to eight state prisons . Within the prison system , Cash is often responsible for coordinating with TDCJ to help Rangers from across the state make contact with inmates in local units .
“ The phone never stops and the cases keep on coming ,” Cash said . “ With three counties I am relied on heavily . It takes a lot of multitasking and a lot of throwing one ball in the air to go and catch another one .”
“ Everyday is different . That is one of the things I enjoy with law enforcement .”
IMPACT OF THE TEXAS RANGERS
In 2019 , a total of 2,235 investigations resulted in 993 felony arrests and 56 misdemeanor arrests . The Texas Rangers also secured 6,648 statements , including 562 confessions to various crimes .
DPS says that there were 537 convictions for various crimes investigated that resulted in a trio of death sentences , 76 life sentences and a total of 8,531 years in penitentiary time being assessed .
HUNTSVILLE LIVING | NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2020 | 21