One-hundred and forty-five Texas Department of Public Safety troopers (DPS) crossed the stage in Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin recently for their graduation, the largest graduating class in history.
Among the new state troopers are 40 U.S. military veterans, 22 with prior law enforcement experience, and a record-setting 21 women graduates, DPS said in a July 30 press release.
"Whatever the challenge, whatever the danger, DPS troopers consistently answer the call, whether it’s stepping up to stop international cartels or being first on the scene at a mass shooting,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in his keynote speech, KXAN reported. “Troopers are the go-to team to protect our state.”
The duties of a Texas state trooper have expanded over the past year to include responding to social justice demonstrations, assisting with COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, and guarding the southern border with Mexico, Gov. Greg Abbott said in his keynote speech, KXAN reported.
Abbott has been sending DPS troopers to the Texas border to strengthen security because of the increasing number of people attempting to cross illegally, fleeing their native nations because of a mix of violence, political turmoil and economic crisis. DPS assigned over 33% of the fresh graduates to border regions, KXAN reported.
“We have a new program contrary to the Biden plan to catch and release,” Abbott said July 25 on Twitter. “The Texas plan is to catch and to jail.”
In another attempt to increase border security, Abbott declared a state of disaster in 34 counties on May 31 to get money to continue constructing a wall — asking for $250 million of legislatively appropriated funds, the Texas Tribune reported.
“It’s extraordinarily unusual,” Jon Taylor, professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told the Tribune about the declaration. “Traditionally, it’s used for natural disasters."
One state lawmaker expressed the need for the new state troopers to be deployed throughout the state.
“We know that the border from El Paso to Brownsville contain[s] some of the safest cities of their size in the entire United States,” State Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas), the chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, told KXAN. "We have places in East Texas and West Texas, elsewhere in the state that need their presence, and I'm sure that the need will drive the deployment."
Still it was a day for celebrating the graduates, who persevered through a 27-week training program while practicing social distancing and being tested frequently for COVID-19.
“Texas is exceptional because of the people who call our state home, and it is your fellow Texans that you have sworn to protect and serve as you join the most elite state law enforcement agency in the nation,” Abbott said in his address. “On behalf of the Lone Star State, we are so grateful for your sacrifice and commitment to serving your communities. You will face challenges along the way, but never forget that what you do matters."