Reginald Trainer, a Port Arthur businessman running for the Position 7 City Council seat has failed to produce a copy of the state license required to operate a locksmith company. He is not listed in the state’s data base as having a license, though he says he does.

For the past 14 years, Trainer has owned Trainer Lock and Key Locksmith.

Trainer may have had a license to operate a locksmith business in previous years, but at this time does not, according to state records.

Trainer told The News on Friday that he does have the state required license. He was given the opportunity to provide a copy of the document to The News both Friday and Saturday, or to call in his license number, but failed to do so.

State administrative code laws require all locksmith companies operating in Texas to have a private security license before doing business.

Private security licensing in Texas is administered through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Regulatory Services Division. The DPS provides a data base on its Website listing all licensed locksmith owners in the state.

The data base can be searched by license number, owner’s name, or name of the company.

The News on Friday conducted as search for Trainer’s name, and his company’s name among the DPS data base of licensed locksmith’s. Neither Trainer or his company

was listed.

In a telephone interview with The News Friday, Trainer at first said he did not need a license. When told that he did per state law, Trainer said he had a license, but did not have it in his truck. He was driving, he said.

“I am not required to have one,” he said.

“I have a license with the Controller board,” he said.

“I don’t have my license with me. I am in my truck,” he said.

Trainer further stated he knew this issue was going to come up, then stated he did indeed have a license. He agreed to bring it by The News offices Friday, but did not.

On Saturday, The News made repeated phone calls to Trainer, but was not able to reach him. The News left messages to bring the document by Saturday before an article was written questioning whether he was licensed, but he failed to do so.

This is not Trainer’s first time to provide questionable information to The News.

In May 2014 Trainer ran unsuccessfully against Derrick Freeman for the Position 7 seat.

During that election cycle Trainer had provided The News with a biography stating he earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering.

It was determined he did not possess the degree, nor had he been to college.

Trainer’s only higher education came in the form of a certificate from Balsaw Technical School, he said.

In a Feb. 1, 2014 news article published by The News, Trainer blamed the innacurate information on his daughter. He said she put his biography together and thought he had earned a degree from Baylor University, but in fact, he never attended Baylor, nor did he have a chemical engineering degree.

“My daughter did some stuff she should not have done. I don’t want the public to think I am being dishonest. I am trying to run an honest campaign,” Trainer said in the Feb. 1, 2014 article.

At the time, Trainer said he had first became aware of the discrepancy in his education information when at a fundraiser someone questioned him about the inaccuracy.

E-mail: sherry.koonce@panews.com

Twitter: skooncePANews