March 2020 Blues Vol 36 No 3

Investigations, complaints surround Hays
County Precinct 3 Constable Ray Helm
questions in December. “I was trying
to keep deputies on the street
and not held up for 2 hours and
teach them this required course the
best I can in a house class,” Helm
Hays County Pct. 3 Constable Ray
added.
Helm is currently under investigation
TCOLE told Helm the disciplinary
by the Texas Commission
letter “is now part of your Commis-
on Law Enforcement and the Hays
sion file” and warned that his peace
County Auditor’s Office for complaints
officer license would be “subject to
ranging from falsifying
suspension” if two more reprimands
training records to utilizing taxpayer
are issued against him in his career.
resources for private use.
But Constable Ray Helm’s troubles
Helm was elected to the Constable’s
with the Texas Commission on Law
Office in Hays County in 2016,
Enforcement are far from over. The
which is based in the city of Wimberley.
commission has confirmed at least
He’s now seeking re-elec-
two additional ongoing investiga-
tion and faces Jessica Deatherage
tions into Helm.
in the Republican primary. The
One complaint accuses Helm of
complaints come from two men:
“material misrepresentations” that
Ari Axelrod, a former Hays County
allowed him to illegally obtain his
resident and businessman; and former
peace officer license in 2003 by
deputy constable Gary Griffin,
failing to disclose a 1995 criminal
who was Helm’s second-in-command.
conviction in Brazoria County.
Constable Ray Helm would not
Believing the Precinct 3 Constable’s
answer questions during a Feb. 5,
Office wrongly ticketed Axel-
vember 2019. Griffin alleged Helm camera course, but was still re-
2020 candidate forum. Helm told
rod’s wife in 2017, and after a jury faked body camera training records ported by you as if he had taken the
KXAN, “My license is fine, I’ve already
an assistant district attorney at the a complaint filed by Ari Axelrod on
acquittal, Axelrod began investigating
in June 2019.
training,” TCOLE’s Executive Director
told you that,” when asked time.
Feb. 10, 2020.
the Constable’s training records The training roster Helm submit-
Kim Vickers wrote in the Helm disci-
about the peace officer license Helm pleaded no contest to the State law, at the time, would have
and use of taxpayer resources. ted to TCOLE does not show any plinary letter.
complaint.
charge, according to court records. disqualified Helm from becoming
In January, TCOLE finalized one of signatures, which Griffin pointed Vickers also said neither Helm,
Helm was initially charged with a The complaint alleges Helm didn’t certified because of the conviction,
the investigations into Helm. That out in his complaint.
nor any of the other 11 deputy constables,
third-degree felony count of crimi-
tell TCOLE the full story regarding the Axelrod complaint alleges.
investigation ended with a disciplinary
Griffin accused Helm of tamper-
actually spent the required
nal mischief for damaging a vehi-
his conviction when he applied for TCOLE confirmed to KXAN the cer-
finding that Helm fabricated ing with a government record— a two hours training on the cameras,
cle. The charge was later reduced the peace officer license that he tification allegation was accepted
records about training.
felony in Texas— and detailed for which is required by the commission
to a Class A Misdemeanor. Helm received in 2003.
and the commission’s enforcement
In November, Griffin filed a complaint
TCOLE what he says the deputy
before receiving credit for the
pleaded guilty and was sentenced Ray Helm was arrested and investigators are actively investigat-
with TCOLE accusing his for-
constables told him before submit-
training hours. Helm only spent
to a year of deferred adjudication charged with driving while iming
the complaint.
mer boss of faking training records ting his complaint. Griffin claimed, 20 minutes giving his deputies
probation.
paired in Hays County on May 24, “I was enrolled in a license academy
for 11 deputy constables in a June each said they never took the body an “overview of the camera and
Just three months later — while 1995–just three months after Helm
before the rules changed to the
2019 body camera training.
camera training.
instruction on how to operate the
Helm was on probation — a Hays was convicted in Brazoria County 10 year wait time in 2001,” wrote
Helm included his own name in TCOLE spent the next two months camera,” Vickers wrote in the letter.
County officer arrested him and he on a criminal mischief charge. Helm Helm in an email to KXAN. “Back
the training and received the two investigating Griffin’s claims, which Vickers’ letter also detailed several
was charged with driving while was on probation out of Brazo-
then it was a 5 year wait for any
credit hours his other 11 deputies included interviewing Helm and his
other compliance violations Helm
impaired with a blood alcohol level ria County at the time of his DWI Class A or B misdemeanor. It was
received, despite being listed as the deputies.
committed related to the body
“of 0.10 or more,” according to arrest, according to court records. cleared by TCOLE and the executive
instructor in the course.
On Jan. 15, the commission made camera training.
charging documents from the Hays Hays County District Attorney Wes director at that time.”
Gary Griffin sent the training its findings public with a formal “I had a list of deputies that needed
County clerk’s office.
Mau–who was an assistant district
roster (shown here) to the Texas reprimand against Helm. The investigation
that class and made a clerical
The prosecutor on the DWI case attorney in Hays County at the time– There is more to come on this
Commission on Law Enforcement
found “that one deputy error on one,” said Helm in an email
was Wes Mau, the current Hays signed Helm’s charging affidavit. story when TCOLE completes its in-
with his formal complaint in No-
constable never took the body worn responding to TV Station KXAN’s
County District Attorney. Mau was This record was sent to TCOLE in vestigation. REPRINTED KXAN.com.
14 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 15