- Governor Abbott has announced the creation of the Texas Repeat Offender Program, a new public safety initiative targeting threats posed to the public by repeat violent offenders
- The program includes participation from the Texas Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies in the Houston area
- Public Safety has been a priority for Abbott, who is supporting a proposal to amend the Texas Constitution that expands the ability of Judges to deny bail to those accused of certain violent crimes
Governor Greg Abbott has announced the creation of the Texas Repeat Offender Program, a new initiative that works with law enforcement agencies to reduce the threat to the public posed by repeat violent offenders, with a focus on the Houston area. The initiative was announced at a press conference on Wednesday held at the Houston office of the Department of Public Safety.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the initiative include the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies in the Houston area.
“Today, we are putting violent repeat offenders on notice,” said Governor Abbott. “We are coming for you. We are going to target you, arrest you, and put you behind bars where you belong. This is a Texas-sized effort by both the Texas Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement at every level to crack down on dangerous repeat offenders in the Houston area. Our goal is simple: every Houstonian deserves to walk the streets, take their kids to school, open their businesses, and go shopping or dining without fear.”
In addition to Governor Abbott, others participating in the press conference included Texas Department of Public Safety Colonel Freeman Martin, Houston Crime Stoppers Senior Director of Programs and Special Projects Sydney Zuiker, and Houston Police Officers Union Executive Director Ray Hunt.
Zuiker discussed data compiled by the Glenda Gordy Research Center, which demonstrates the threats to public safety posed by repeat offenders.
“Once someone has committed a violent crime, the chances of them committing another offense – violent or not – are far too high. In Houston, 55% of violent crimes are committed by individuals with a criminal past. That’s not just a statistic. It represents lives lost, families changed forever, and communities left to pick up the pieces,” said Zuiker.
Freeman discussed some of the efforts law enforcement will be using to target the offenders.
“We have an opportunity to make Houston and Harris County, the greater Houston area, the safest county in the nation. We know who these thugs are. So what you’ll see is, number one, you’ll see an increased uniformed presence and patrol operations in high-crime areas. Saturated patrols reduce crime 1,000% of the time. We’ve seen it in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. But what you’re not going to see is the covert operations going after these thugs,” said Freeman, who added that the Homeland Security Division was compiling a list of offenders that would be targeted.
Public safety has been a priority for Governor Abbott. In November, Texas voters will be voting on Proposition 3 – a measure backed by Abbott that, if passed, will amend the Texas Constitution to expand the circumstances in which criminal defendants accused of certain violent offenses can be denied bail.
