Members of the Johnson County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Monday to name the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center after former Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy George Alvis Robinson.
Robinson in one of two JCSO deputies killed in the line of duty.
Robinson died on February 11, 1971, after his patrol car crashed while responding to reports of a possible burglary in the far western part of the county.
Robinson’s patrol car collided with a donkey walking onto the road as Robinson drove through dark county roads that night while responding to the call. The impact caused Robinson’s car to leave the road and come to a stop out of sight of passing traffic. Law enforcement officers from across the county joined the search, but Robinson was not located until the next morning.
County Commissioner Mike White, himself a former law enforcement officer, presented the new name proposal to the court.
“Because Deputy Robinson’s death occurred quite some time ago, many people now do not know or never knew he was a deputy here,” White said. “I think renaming the call center after him would be a good way to get his name out there and show his family how much we appreciate his service and sacrifice.
Judge Chris Boedeker called White’s proposal a great idea, as did fellow commissioners.
“I think this would be a good way to honor how important Johnson County and its services here were to Deputy Robinson,” said Commissioner Kenny Howell. “And something that I think will mean a lot to his family and our county residents.”
Tragedy unfortunately ran in the Robinson family, Sheriff Adam King said.
“Deputy Robinson’s son also died in the line of duty in 1962 while serving as an officer in the Corsicana Police Department,” King said. “So the Robinson family has given a lot to law enforcement.”
Robinson’s son, Sgt. Robert Glenwood Robinson died on December 23, 1962 after being shot.
Robert Robinson was shot and killed that day during a traffic stop while writing a citation to a man who had a grudge against him, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page website.
During the stop, the man jumped out of the car and shot Sgt. Robinson in the head with a sawed-off shotgun. Robinson had leveled several charges against the man over the years and the man had threatened to kill him, the web page said.
The gunman fled but was arrested a short time later and sentenced to 99 years in prison, although he was later released on parole. Robert Robinson, 32 years old at the time of his death, had served on the Corsicana Police Department for four years. George Robinson also worked for the Corsicana Police Department at the time of his son’s death.
King noted that another son of George Robinson served as a Texas State Trooper.
“Each year we host members of Deputy Robinson’s family on the anniversary of his death,” King said. “They come from everywhere. Most still live in Corsicana and East Texas.”
The province’s new reporting center – the former center was housed in the jail – opened in June.
“I think the anniversary of February 11 would be a good date to dedicate the center after Deputy Robinson and unveil the new sign,” Howell said.
White agreed and filed a motion to do just that, a motion that other court members voted in favor of.
Boedeker also remembered former JCSO deputy Clifton Taylor in praising White’s proposal.
While responding to a domestic disturbance call on April 23, 2011, Taylor was shot and killed.
“The Johnson County Law Enforcement Center was subsequently named for Deputy Taylor, as was a portion of Interstate 35W,” Boedeker said. “So I think this idea of naming our call center after Deputy Robinson is very appropriate and appropriate.”
