Office of the Governor TO: WILLIAM P. CLEMENTS, JR. FROM: DAVID A. DEAN RE: ATASCOSA COUNTY DPS CONFRONTATION Austin, Texas 78711 Phone (512) 475-3021 On Friday afternoon, September 28, 1979, County Judge Gates from Atascosa County called and spoke with Allen Clark. Judge Gates asked Allen to have the Governor intervene on behalf of the Atascosa Commissioners' Court and support the removal of two of the six DPS troopers that were assigned to Atascosa County. Allen told Judge Gates that he would refer the matter to the Governor's General Counsel. Last Friday P.M. I called Col. Leo Gossett and asked that he put together a report on the situation. I was unable to reach Judge Gates that afternoon after numerous attempts. During the first part of this week Dary assembled the various reports and informed Judge Gates that your office was endeavoring to find the facts and encouraged him to be specific and reduce the facts to writing. I spoke with Col. Gossett again this morning. DPS has directed its Internal Affairs Division to conduct a complete investigation which should be completed within 4m4o-64tt-- weeks. I recommend that you be totally supportive of DPS regarding this situation until such time as the report of the Internal Affairs Division is completed. Atascosa County officials clearly took inappropriate action in causing DPS to vacate county owned facilities and in instructing the county sheriff not to accept persons arrested by the two troopers in question. Local officials should not be permitted to interfere with state law enforcement activities. DAVID A. DEAN General Counsel