Funeral services are pending for former Nueces County Constable Ronnie Polston, who passed away Wednesday in San Antonio from medical complications.
Polston was the Constable for Precinct 2 in Flour Bluff from 1981 to 2000. The county building in Flour Bluff bears his name.
A wall of honor was dedicated to all those elected to the office since the precincts inception in 1953 during a ceremony organized by current Constable Mitchell Clark in 2018. Polston was among those who were able to attend.
Polston was elected in 1980 when he defeated Jerry Boucher in the general election. Boucher eventually became his chief deputy and succeeded Polston when he left office.
Earlier, Polston has served in the Vietnam War and was stationed at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in 1962.
He finished his career in Corpus Christi in 1976 when he retired. He then went to work for the County Sheriff's Department, working his way up from a jailer to dispatcher to patrol and finally into the Criminal Investigation Department.
Polston eventually became a sergeant in charge of the Civil Section, where he was working when he made the decision to run for constable.
During his tenure as constable, Polston made community outreach a key part of his law-enforcement strategy.
His deputies often patrolled school crossings, dressing up in costume for Halloween.
“Oh, the kids and the parents loved it!” Polston told thepapertrail.com in a 2018 interview. “We really enjoyed going to the schools and talking to the kids. I’d show them things, give them books and stickers, and such, and I’d teach them what a constable does.”
Polston said in that interview that he was grateful to provide public service for his home area over the years of his service.
“I never expected the building to be named for me, but I was very honored,” he said. "I loved the Bluff and the job. I thank them for all those wonderful years. It was the highlight of my life.”
