Starbase, the company city in southern Texas where Elon Musk’s space company SpaceX has its headquarters and rocket launch site, is setting up its own police station as it moves to establish independent law enforcement authority. The move is seen as a strategic decision aimed at maintaining secrecy around SpaceX’s key Starship project and internalising city functions around the company.

TechCrunch and ValleyCentral reported on Tuesday that the Starbase city council recently held a special meeting and gave final approval to an ordinance establishing a city police department. Pending approval from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the department is expected to begin official operations as early as this summer. It is planned to have a chief appointed by the council, 8 police officers and 1 administrative staff member.

The background to the new department lies in Starbase’s unique environment. City officials stress that a dedicated security force is unavoidable given the city’s extreme geographic isolation, expensive rocket hardware and a small population centred on SpaceX employees. Supporters also argue these special circumstances justify an “unusual approach” that differs from typical cities. Above all, because Starship is a make-or-break project for the company, the move is interpreted as an effort to secure operational continuity by building and running a law enforcement infrastructure under direct control rather than entrusting security to outside agencies.

The decision gained momentum as cooperation on policing with the Cameron County sheriff’s office failed to deliver results due to staffing issues. Starbase has expanded public services since it was officially elevated to city status last year, including launching a fire department and introducing building inspection and permitting procedures. It is now moving to make public safety independent as well, bolstering city functions. Vision Quest Solutions, a consulting firm staffed by former law enforcement officials and hired to help establish the police department, is set to report progress to the city council over the next 4 months and support nationwide recruitment.

As company-led strengthening of city functions continues, social concerns are also rising. Experts describe this as an unprecedented company town experiment in a modern sense. While historical examples exist such as Hershey in Pennsylvania and Fordlandia in Brazil, attempts by a cutting-edge technology company in the 21st century to directly own comprehensive policing authority are hard to find.

Some critics in particular warn the move could become a modern version of the Pinkertons, the private security force that monitored workers and controlled them with coercive tactics for corporate interests during the industrial era. The warning reflects concerns about excessive control that could arise if protecting corporate assets takes precedence over the public’s rights and interests.

Ultimately, Starbase’s latest move is expected to be a key test of whether company-led public safety management becomes an innovative model that maximises efficiency in city operations, or a dangerous precedent that infringes on the rights of workers and residents.