Every police department has a unique history that is tied to the history of the city it serves, and the New Braunfels Police Department is no different. Thanks to the work and dedication of the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung throughout the years, we can all now look back at photographs and newspaper articles to see how the New Braunfels Police Department has grown and changed. This portion of the NBPD website would not be possible without the help and cooperation of those agencies.
The City of New Braunfels was founded in 1845 and, at the time, the Beschutzen (German for protector) was John O. Meusebach. The city then transitioned to a City Marshal system where it appears the first elected City Marshal was H.A. Wagenfuehr. In 1930 the first Chief of Police was appointed by the fire and police commissioner. Since 1930, NBPD has only had 14 police chiefs.
Throughout the years, the city and its police department has undergone many changes. In 1930, the population of New Braunfels was approximately 8,000 citizens. The first Police Chief, Bruno Merz, had two assistants and three night security officers. Today, the police department has over 160 full-time and part-time employees, including an authorized force of 140 commissioned peace officers. Those officers are now responsible for a population of approximately 90,000 residents plus the tens-of-thousands of visitors that make their way to New Braunfels throughout the year. New Braunfels now covers approximately 45 square miles in two counties (Comal and Guadalupe).
We hope that you'll explore the links below to learn more about the history of the New Braunfels Police Department and the City of New Braunfels.