A recent social media post by the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA) took aim at my reporting, suggesting I prioritize “clicks over facts,” derive income from attacking law enforcement and operate from an anti-police stance.
That narrative is not just inaccurate — it ignores years of reporting, real relationships with law enforcement and a documented record of both holding agencies accountable and praising them when they get it right.
This deserves a full response.
What actually prompted this
The TMPA post appears to stem from a comment I made after the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office reacted to one of my Facebook posts with a cry emoji.
Here is what I actually said: the sheriff’s office has no business being on my Facebook page making reaction emojis when they should be doing their job.
That was it.
Not anti-law enforcement. Not inflammatory. Not performative outrage. Just a straightforward statement about professionalism.
After the fact, someone who said they have administrative access to that account indicated the reaction was a mistake and was intended for a personal account.
That matters. It reframes the entire situation. And it makes TMPA’s attempt to turn it into something bigger than it was look misplaced.
I’m not anti-law enforcement — my record proves that
The idea that I’m anti-law enforcement falls apart the moment you look at my work or my life.
I’ve worked under a state park police officer. I have close friends who are current and former law enforcement. There’s even a photo of me purchasing a firearm at Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson’s gun shop.
I’ve written extensively about law enforcement across West Texas — and much of it has been positive.
One of the clearest examples is my coverage of Alpine Police Chief Darryl Losoya — who is now employed by TMPA.
Before he ever joined TMPA, I wrote a glowing editorial about him. Not because I had to. Not because it was convenient. But because he earned it.
What that Losoya editorial actually says about me
In January 2024, I had my first direct interaction with Chief Losoya.
I wasn’t investigating misconduct. I wasn’t chasing controversy. I was doing routine journalism — passing through Alpine early in the morning, noticing a significant law enforcement presence and calling to find out what was going on so I could inform the public.
What I encountered at first wasn’t transparency.
The dispatcher who answered was rude, dismissive and hung up on me multiple times. I wasn’t asking for an interview. I wasn’t pressing for answers. I was simply trying to leave a message for someone who could speak to the situation.
Instead, I was treated like an annoyance — and even warned that calling back after being hung up on could be considered harassment.
If that had been the end of the story, it would have been unremarkable. That kind of breakdown between law enforcement and the press happens more often than it should.
But that’s not where the story ended.
The phone rang again. Same dispatcher. Completely different tone.
“Chief Losoya wants to talk to you,” he said, “but first he wanted me to talk to you.”
And then he apologized — directly, sincerely and without defensiveness.
Shortly after, Chief Losoya himself called me and provided the information I had originally requested.
I didn’t even publish that interaction at the time.
Why? Because it had already been handled — internally, professionally and decisively. Losoya turned it into a teaching moment inside his department. That mattered more than a headline.
That experience stuck with me — not because of how it started, but because of how it ended.
What real leadership looks like
Since then, I’ve continued covering Alpine and interacting with Chief Losoya.
There were times when his version of events differed from others — and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Not blindly, but because he had already demonstrated something rare: accountability without defensiveness.
When concerns surfaced about personnel, his department didn’t hide. They didn’t spin. They didn’t attack the messenger.
They acknowledged the issue, addressed it and worked to improve.
That’s what good policing looks like.
That’s what professionalism looks like.
And that’s what I’ve consistently recognized in my reporting.
Compare that to Jeff Davis County
Contrast that with Jeff Davis County, where accountability has been far more difficult to come by.
As reported by the Texas Tribune, I was detained while covering a public meeting — engaged in activity that is explicitly protected under Texas law.
The charge was later dropped.
I’ve since filed a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional violations, including retaliation for exercising First Amendment rights.
That’s not theoretical. That’s lived experience.
And it’s exactly why independent journalism matters in places like this.
Even then, I’ve recognized professionalism where it exists. Priscilla Muñoz, a former dispatcher in Jeff Davis County, consistently conducted herself with courtesy and professionalism, even within a broader system that often did not.
Because again — my work isn’t about tearing down law enforcement.
It’s about accurately reflecting reality.
My coverage often supports law enforcement
One of the most widely engaged content categories I produce is photography of law enforcement vehicles across West Texas.
Texas DPS units. Sheriff’s vehicles. Local departments.
Officers have stopped and asked if I got my shot. Others have told me they recognize my vehicle and appreciate what I do. Family members have commented, proud to see their loved ones represented well.
That’s not anti-law enforcement.
That’s community storytelling.
The claim about my income is false
TMPA also suggested that I derive most of my income from attacking law enforcement on social media.
That’s simply not true.
I operate Big Bend Times and Texas Reporter — two media outlets covering business, community, jobs, development and regional news.
Separately, I serve as a marketing executive for a multi-million-dollar home services company that supports more than a dozen families — a business I’ve helped grow significantly over the past four years.
Social media is a distribution channel. Not a revenue model built on outrage.
I study what I report on
When I referenced CALEA and IACP best practices, that wasn’t a throwaway comment.
I study the systems I cover.
Law enforcement standards. Public information law. Government procedure.
The suggestion that I should “apply for a job” in law enforcement misses the point entirely.
My role is not to be inside the system.
My role is to observe it, understand it and report on it.
The bigger issue
This isn’t about one emoji reaction.
It’s about whether independent journalists — especially in rural regions — are going to be dismissed when they do their job.
Big Bend Times exists because there was a gap in coverage.
That gap is real.
And filling it means sometimes writing stories that are positive, sometimes writing stories that are neutral and sometimes writing stories that make people uncomfortable.
Final point
There’s a reason I included that Losoya story in my editorial.
Because it reflects exactly how I approach this work.
Journalism isn’t just about exposing what’s wrong.
It’s also about recognizing when people in positions of power do things right — when they lead with accountability, humility and professionalism.
Chief Darryl Losoya did that.
And I said so — long before he ever joined TMPA.
I’m going to keep doing that kind of journalism.
Fairly. Accurately. And without apology.
That’s not anti-law enforcement.
That’s the job.
