eli5: Texas Rangers

Question

I’m watching a documentary and the Texas Rangers are a big part of it. I only vaguely know about them from other docs and pop culture and now I’m curious-

Why are the Texas Rangers a thing? And why aren’t there similar, uh, I guess… departments? Services? like them in other states?

In: 0

Answer 1

The Texas Rangers are an MLB baseball team, I guess you don’t mean that.

The Texas Ranger Division is a state law enforcement organization, which employes law enforcement people it calls Texas Rangers. It’s the investigative arms of what would be called the “state police” in any other state.

Texas has a separate State Police, because it used to be a country and these Texas Rangers were the FBI agents of that country. Texas loves opportunities to show it’s “special” in that it used to be a country, so the naming confusion is “a feature”.

Answer 2

The Texas Rangers are an MLB baseball team, I guess you don’t mean that.

The Texas Ranger Division is a state law enforcement organization, which employes law enforcement people it calls Texas Rangers. It’s the investigative arms of what would be called the “state police” in any other state.

Texas has a separate State Police, because it used to be a country and these Texas Rangers were the FBI agents of that country. Texas loves opportunities to show it’s “special” in that it used to be a country, so the naming confusion is “a feature”.