SAN MARCOS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Retired San Marcos Police Department Officer Laray Taylor has transformed a corridor of the department into a visual timeline, bringing decades of law enforcement history to life. Since his retirement in 2021, Taylor has curated a photowall featuring archival images and stories of early officers, milestones and historical moments that have shaped the San Marcos Police Department’s legacy.
When Taylor retired from the San Marcos Police Department in 2021, he left behind not only years of dedicated service but also an invaluable gift: the beginnings of a visual history chronicling the department’s evolution. Inspired by the lack of a cohesive record of the department’s past, Taylor took it upon himself to create a pictorial history of the agency, featuring significant milestones, personnel and events.
“There was really no de- fined history,” Taylor said. “Where we came from, who was here, how the department started, who were the very first police officers — it was mostly unknown.”
Initially, Taylor began gathering historical pieces on his own in the years leading up to his retirement. However, after leaving the force, he proposed the idea of a permanent display to staff, who embraced the concept. Since mid-2022, he has meticulously curated and expanded the collection on the department’s walls, currently covering notable events and figures up to the late 1970s, with plans to extend into the 1980s and beyond.
One of the standout pieces in the collection, according to Taylor, is an enlarged 1950 Ford ad that features the first police car the department purchased.
“It was a tiny ad in a 1950 newspaper, but I blew it up, and it now honors that pivotal moment,” he said.
The display also includes pictures and articles about Alfonso Rodriguez, San Marcos’ first Hispanic officer, who received his citizenship in 1940 and joined the department a decade later. His story is celebrated with a number of family-donated photos and newspaper clippings.
Several photos on the history wall feature Rodriguez. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Rodriguez immigrated to Texas as a child. In January 1940, he became a United States citizen. Ten years later, in 1950, he was hired by the San Marcos Police Department. Rodriguez was one of seven officers appointed to the city’s first official police force. He retired in 1968 after 18 years of service as a San Marcos police officer.
Rodriguez’s granddaughter, Irma Gaitan, was expected to attend the open house and did so, accompanied by his daughters, Celia R. Villarreal and Oralia R. Flores. Both daughters were thrilled to see their father’s images displayed at the San Marcos Police Department.
Taylor also highlighted images of Karon Guenther, the department’s first female officer.
“We had a photo of her but didn’t know its origin until I called Karon, who couldn’t remember herself,” he recounted. “After some digging, I found an article, and it turned out the entire story was about her achievements as the first female officer.”
Chief Stan Standridge praised Taylor’s work, noting that it was done independently, with no predefined plan.
“Laray had a very creative imagination,” Standridge said. “He went to work to honor the men and women, both sworn and professional, who have built our legacy. It’s an incredible tribute.”
While the photo wall is located in a secure corridor, visitors to the administration section may view it when visiting personnel.
“It would take a full day to appreciate all the history it contains,” Standridge added.
For Taylor, the project is far from complete. He regularly scours archives, pulling historical records and pictures from sources like the Daily Record to fill in the gaps. Each discovery, he said, brings new surprises, helping flesh out the department’s legacy for current and future generations.
