The law-enforcement group created in Texas in 1823 and often called America’s oldest state law-enforcement agency is the Texas Rangers.
Stephen F. Austin organized the first Rangers to protect settlers in the Mexican province of Texas. Their early duties included watching for raids, pursuing criminals, and providing armed defense across a large frontier where formal government institutions were limited.
The Rangers later served under the Republic of Texas and the state of Texas. They participated in conflicts involving Comanche and other Indigenous peoples, pursued bandits, guarded borders, and investigated major crimes. Their history includes both celebrated service and serious controversy, especially regarding violence and unequal enforcement.
The modern Texas Ranger Division is part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. The group is not the same as the Arizona Rangers or other similarly named organizations that appeared later in the American West.