Austin, Texas – Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase preventative measures and anti-terrorism resources.
The move comes in the aftermath of the deadly New Orleans attack that killed 14 people.
“Terrorism has no place in Texas,” Gov. Abbott stated. “Law enforcement at all levels must aggressively collaborate to eliminate radicalization that can lead to terrorist attacks.”
New measures include increased collaboration with the FBI, watchlist monitoring, public education on topics such as bomb-making materials, and cross-agency collaboration to implement the Texas Behavioral Threat Assessment Intervention and Prevention Program Strategy.
Texas will also consider the possibility of terrorist attacks, such as vehicle rammings at the capitol complex. The government is also working on developing or updating plans for the aftermath of terrorist attacks.
The DPS will also tighten its information monitoring by expanding the Texas Infrastructure Liaison Officer Program.
According to the governor’s office, this program will provide DPS officers with additional certification and training in “intelligence sharing, suspicious activity reporting, and incident coordination with private sector partners.”.
