Governor Greg Abbott held a roundtable discussion on public safety and law enforcement and delivered remarks on Thursday, January 21st in Austin. During the roundtable, the Governor discussed his legislative priorities for ensuring a safer future for the state of Texas. Following the roundtable, Governor Abbott held a press conference to discuss his priorities.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Governor Greg Abbott
- DPS is helping with oncoming efforts to collaborate to help border remains safe, capitol remains safe, and communities stay safe
- Expresses gratitude for law enforcement officers across the state
- Is “shocking that some cities have turned their back” on the police; like Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, and the city of Austin
- In Texas, we do not turn our backs on law enforcement officers; are a law and order state
- Defunding the police is reckless; will not allow cities like Austin to defund the police
- Texas must set the example for the states to fully fund law enforcement agencies
- Must make it fiscally impossible for cities to defund police; created a legislative proposal in which cities will either fulfil their duty to fund the police or lose access to all tax revenue
- Aim to pass the above legislation to hold cities accountable
- Are working on bail reform and working on legislation like the Damon Allen Act; Texas has a broken bail system that allows dangerous people go free
- Working with legislature to end the revolving door bail system; focusing on criteria like:
- Expanding criteria judges must consider before setting bail
- Increasing qualification of judges who are in charge of setting bail
- Ensuring uniform court systems so judges have full criminal mail history before setting bail
- Judges must look at all information in the system before they set bail
Col. Steve McCraw, Texas DPS executive director
- Texas has challenges; radicalized violent individuals, riot behaviors, Mexican cartel action, sex trafficking, methamphetamine prevalence in communities
- Continue to lose individuals daily from violent crime; some as a result of the broken bail system
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Mitch Landry, Texas Municipal Police Association deputy executive director
- Have been discussing how we can keep communities safe and that is the goal with the proposals presented today
Marvin Ryals, Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas president
- Living in times where we are experimenting unprecedented things; need to defund cities who plan to defund the police and work on bail reform
- Have to deal with COVID-19 as well; are inmates with COVID-19 and respond to calls related to COVID-19
Questions & Answers
Q: Do you support some of the Democrats priorities like training reform?
- Abbott – Have not seen that list of priorities; fully support funding training reform
Q: When will the Governor’s office release the report drafted on the El Paso attack; in light of that, what would you classify what happened in D.C?
- Abbott – About to issue something on it after working to assemble all the information
- Abbott – Incapable of making the same assessment of what happened in D.C.
- Abbott – Will say acts of crime happened occurred in D.C and those who committed them must be held accountable
Q: Houston and Dallas have increased their investment in the police, but have seen an increase in violent crimes?
- Abbott – Have a problem in Dallas where the DA will not prosecute those who commit crimes; sets a standard that some crimes will not be prosecuted
- Abbott – Houston crime shows the bail reform problem
- Abbott – Austin cuts show repercussions in other jurisdictions
Q: How will you address homelessness on the state level?
- Abbott – Homelessness is not on today’s agenda; is going to be an issue that is addressed this session
- Abbott – Will dedicate a day to laying out the state’s plan; will include a ban on camping and other ideas
Q: Is there room in the bail reform plan for flexibility for those who cannot afford bail?
- Abbott – Will be multiple bills filed; one the Damon Allen Act mentioned today
- Abbott – Others will be filed about reforming bail for petty crimes
Q: Is DPS working with the FBI to root out any extremist groups in Texas?
- McCraw – Working with federal and local partners; working to find not just individuals, but groups
Q: What about gun reform in the state to keep officers safe?
- Abbott – Working on bail reform to ensure that criminals do not take the life of officers
- Abbott – Will go after criminals who go after law enforcement officers
- Q: What about stats in California that state…
- Abbott – I am not the Governor of California; am working to keep Texas police officers safe
Q: Why is Austin not here at the table? Will/have you talked to them?
- Abbott – Have talked to the police chief, but the city council has already defunded the police
- Abbott – Proposal is about making it fiscally impossible to defund the police
Q: Still support the state taking over the Austin Police Department?
- Abbott – Need a “safe zone;” working on strategies that we will propose that protect the capitol complex and UT regions