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Starbase Proposes Municipal Court, Accelerating Shift to Local Policing

Officials cite rising emergency calls linked to launch traffic.

Overview

  • City administrators submitted an ordinance to establish a municipal court with a part‑time judge, prosecutor, and clerk.
  • Mayor Bobby Pedersen will serve as interim judge until a two‑year appointment, with a candidate expected to be proposed next month.
  • After a patrol contract with Cameron County collapsed, Starbase is creating its own police department and projects roughly six months to stand it up.
  • Pre‑meeting filings confirm the city will continue using Cameron County jail facilities during the transition.
  • The application reviewed by state regulators cites 2025 volumes of 420 law‑enforcement calls, 180 fire calls, 140 EMS calls, 353 crashes, more than 7,000 daily vehicles on Highway 4, and a need to protect spaceflight operations.