Texas Department of Public Safety
Recent News About Texas Department of Public Safety
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Texas DPS graduates new trooper class after rigorous training
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has officially welcomed 130 new Troopers to the Texas Highway Patrol.
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Freeman F. Martin becomes director of Texas Department of Public Safety
Freeman F. Martin has officially taken command of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) at a ceremony held in Austin.
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Texas DPS names training center after retiring director Steven McCraw
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steven C. McCraw was honored at his final Public Safety Commission (PSC) meeting before retirement. The meeting, held at DPS headquarters in Austin, saw the PSC adopt a resolution to name the department’s new training facility as the Steven C. McCraw Law Enforcement Academy and Training Center.
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Texas DPS trooper dies after being struck during crash investigation
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has announced the death of Highway Patrol Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez Vasquez, who was struck by a vehicle while investigating a traffic crash in Ector County. The incident occurred on SH 302 around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
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DPS announces featured fugitive Robert Gonzales for September
AUSTIN – Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Robert Gonzales is this month’s Featured Fugitive. The reward for information leading to his arrest is increased to $4,000 for the month if the tip is received in September.
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Public Safety Commission forms committee to select new DPS director
The Public Safety Commission (PSC) has established a selection committee to oversee the process of appointing a new Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director. The decision was made during a meeting held at DPS Headquarters in Austin, attended by PSC members Chairman Steven P. Mach, Nelda L. Blair, Dan Hord III, Larry Long, and Steve Stodghill.
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Texas DPS intensifies traffic enforcement ahead of Memorial Day
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is urging motorists in the state to pay attention to safety tips and prepare for increased traffic enforcement during the Memorial Day period. This includes the annual Click It or Ticket and Operation Crash Awareness Reduction Effort (CARE) campaigns, which commence today, May 20, and will continue through Memorial Day on May 27.
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Texas Department of Public Safety
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) congratulated the winners of the 12th annual Top Trooper Competition held in April at DPS' Tactical Training Facility in Florence. The winners were Top male Trooper Trevor Topper from Archer City and Top female Trooper Melanie Moreno from Alice. This competition honors fallen Trooper Javier Arana, Jr., who participated in the inaugural event in 2012. The contest tested Troopers on driving and firearms skills, physical conditioning, endurance, and job knowledge over nine events. Director Steven McCraw stated, "The Texas Department of...
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DPS Recognizes Heroic Actions at April PSC Meeting
The Texas Public Safety Commission (PSC) recently held a meeting at DPS Headquarters in Austin where several heroic actions were recognized by DPS Director Steven McCraw and the commissioners.Director McCraw commended the awardees, stating, “The men and women recognized here today embody the Texas Department of Public Safety motto: courtesy, service, protection. I am honored to recognize the courage and commitment of these awardees who have stepped up in service of their fellow Texans. Texas is safer—and brighter—because of them.”Among the awardees was Trooper Lyndon...
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DPS Recovers 23 Illegal Immigrants Smuggled Inside Flatbed Trailer
LAREDO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today recovered 23 illegal immigrants concealed inside a flatbed trailer during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in La Salle County.On April 12, 2024, just after 9:00 A.M., the driver of a white-truck tractor towing a flatbed trailer on Interstate Highway 35 failed to stop for a DPS commercial vehicle safety inspection. After a short pursuit, the driver stopped one mile north of the La Salle County Rest Area and fled the vehicle on foot. DPS Troopers and law enforcement agency partners then discovered 23 illegal...
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DPS Arrests More Than 200 Illegal Immigrants for State Crimes in El Paso
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has confirmed the arrests of 214 illegal immigrants on state rioting charges in connection with the March 21, 2024, incident near Gate 36 in El Paso. According to DPS, "The illegal immigrants attempted to breach the concertina wire and make illegal entry into the United States."The group, consisting of adult males and females from Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador, had previously been in federal custody for improper entry. They have now been rebooked on state rioting...
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Fugitive Sex Offenders from Houston, Odessa Added to Texas 10 Most Wanted List
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Braylon Lee Smart and Christopher Michael Anderson to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list. Texas Crime Stoppers is now offering a cash reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to each of their arrests. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.Braylon Lee Smart, 27, of Houston, has been wanted out of Harris County since February 2023 for evading arrest/detention with a previous conviction. Additionally, in October 2023, multiple warrants were issued out of Harris and Fort Bend counties for Smart’s arrest...
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DPS Arrests Six in Multi-Agency Lone Star Card Fraud Investigation
EL PASO – Earlier this week, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) arrested six suspects in connection with a Lone Star Card fraud investigation in the El Paso area. Administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Lone Star Cards are Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used to access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash help payments. From 2016 to the current date, 30 individuals have been arrested for Lone Star Card fraud.The multi-agency...