Starbase approves new municipal police force to protect SpaceX assets
Starbase, the South Texas company town developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, approved an ordinance on Tuesday to establish a municipal police department for protecting SpaceX assets, pending Texas Commission on Law Enforcement approval.
The city’s commission passed the measure during a special meeting. The department will operate under a chief of police selected by the commission. Local news outlet Valley Central reported plans to hire eight officers. Operations could commence within a few months, according to the same source.
Starbase city administrator Kent Myers explained the department’s purpose to Valley Central. “There is a lot of assets here with the operations of SpaceX,” Myers said. “Those assets need to be protected, and so the police department will play a critical part in protecting those assets.” This focus underscores the department’s primary responsibility amid SpaceX’s extensive activities in the area.
Starbase has not confirmed submission of its application to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, known as TCOLE. Neither the city nor TCOLE responded to inquiries on this matter. To develop the department, Starbase engaged security consulting firm Vision Quest Solutions.
Located in South Texas, Starbase serves as the manufacturing and testing site for SpaceX’s prototype Starship rocket. The city maintains a small population of a few hundred residents. Most inhabitants consist of SpaceX employees or their family members. Geographic isolation defines the location, with the nearest town, Brownsville, situated about 10 miles distant. Travel time by vehicle often exceeds 45 minutes due to road conditions and distance.
Incorporated as a city last year, Starbase has expanded public services progressively. The police department represents the most recent addition. In October, a group of SpaceX employees residing in Starbase initiated a volunteer fire department. Concurrently, the city established a fire marshal position. Authority for building inspections and permitting transferred to city control during that period.
Prior to these developments, Starbase addressed law enforcement through an external arrangement. The city entered a five-year contract valued at $3.5 million with the Cameron County sheriff’s office. This agreement allocated eight deputies overall to the detail, with two deputies assigned to patrol the city limits at any given time.