Governor Greg Abbott has announced an effort to strengthen penalties for crimes committed against law enforcement officers – the Police Protection Act.
The Governor will request the Texas legislature to pass the Police Protection Act in the 2017 legislative session.
Governor Abbott’s Police Protection Act includes the following proposals:
- Extend hate crime protections to law enforcement officers
- Increase criminal penalties for any crime in which the victim is a law enforcement officer, whether or not the crime qualifies as a hate crime
- Create a culture of respect for law enforcement by organizing a campaign to educate young Texans on the value law enforcement officers bring to their communities