'We’ve got to stay ahead': DPS director talks need for new troopers, as 130 graduate academy

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new class of 130 Texas state troopers graduated from the Texas Department of Public Safety academy on Friday, after seven months of training.

Colonel Freeman Martin, the newly named director of DPS, said the graduating class marked the “most talented, best trained” group he has seen in his three decades with the agency.

The new troopers will fill vacancies across the state, but their graduation comes at a time when agency leaders plan to ask lawmakers to fund hundreds of new positions next year.

“We don’t want to get behind,” said Martin following the graduation ceremony.

KXAN previously reported agency leaders are requesting 500 new commissioned personnel to help address population growth and provide relief for the current force. The agency’s Legislative Allocations Request details the agency’s ask, which includes more than 400 highway patrol troopers and around 65 special agents.

“We’ve got to stay ahead of the threats that we face,” Martin said. “The threats have increased. Our fatality crashes – we are always concerned about. You look what happened the last four years – Texas is obviously less safe. Our troopers have seized right at 600 million lethal doses of fentanyl and 65 tons of methamphetamines. What we are concerned about is how much did we miss? We are always trying to keep up.”

KXAN asked how the agency balances staffing statewide, as Texas continues to deploy troopers to the border region for Operation Lonestar. The director said preventing drug trafficking and human smuggling at the border will result in a safer state overall.

“We’d rather arrest them on the border than have to arrest them in Houston, Dallas or San Antonio – or on the corridors,” Martin said. “We can’t empty one area to protect another area, so we’ve always got to have coverage. I think we can do better as far as 24-hour coverage.”

Martin was sworn in as director of the agency last week, taking over the role after previous director Steven McCraw stepped down.