Starbase, the South Texas company town created by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is developing its own police squad.
The city’s commission green-lighted the municipal police department during a meeting on Tuesday. However, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) still has to approve the plan.
Starbase is a hub used by SpaceX to test its prototype Starship rocket and has only a few hundred residents, the majority being SpaceX employees and their families. As such, it is quite isolated, with the closest town, Brownsville, being around a 45-minute drive away.
“There are a lot of assets here with the operations of SpaceX. Those assets need to be protected, and so the police department will play a critical part in protecting those assets,” TechCrunch cited Kent Myers, the Starbase city administrator, as saying.
This new force will be run by a chief of police, who will be elected by Starbase’s commission. Around eight officers are expected to be hired by the squad, which could be operational in just a few months.
Security consulting company Vision Quest Solutions has also reportedly been hired by Starbase to help set up this new squad.
However, it is unknown whether TCOLE has received Starbase’s application regarding the department yet.
Euronews Next has contacted Starbase for comment.
A force born out of necessity
Previously, Starbase had attempted to work with the Cameron County sheriff’s office for its law enforcement needs, including agreeing on a five-year contract worth $3.5 million (€2.9 million).
Under the contract, two deputies would patrol the city at a time, with eight deputies available in total.
The company town had also reached a deal with the sheriff’s office to use the county’s prison, with Starbase agreeing to pay $100 (€84) per day per inmate, along with extra expenses such as medical care.
However, the deal fell through, mainly due to a lack of civil service protections in the contract.
In addition to this possible police force, Starbase also has a volunteer fire department, run by SpaceX employees. This department has a fire marshal position and carries out its own permitting and building inspection functions.
