DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced a lease agreement Monday that will allow the state to build a border wall in Starr County. The commissioner held a news conference in Starr County in July to talk about a lawsuit filed by his office over the unfinished border wall in a property stretching 3,099 acres. Greg Abbott visited Del Río, he announced his plans to create a border wall and barriers. That same day Bush said the construction would receive emergency authorization on state lands. During Bush’s visit to Starr County in July, he announced the General Land Office would be making its 20,000 state-owned border acres available to his plans.

Gov. Greg Abbott says the wall of roughly 20 shipping containers will help prevent migrants from crossing the border.

A proposed chain-link fence by Governor Greg Abbott was unanimously denied by City of...

Police accountability activists are vowing to keep fighting for change despite the failure of a ballot proposal to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a reimagined public safety unit.

The Department of Public Safety presented to Laredo City Council on Monday night a...

The Associated Press projected the ballot measure to create a new Department of Public Safety had been rejected.

The Associated Press projected the ballot measure to create a new Department of Public Safety had been rejected.

The ballot question is to decide whether to replace the local police department with a new Department of Public Safety.

The ballot question is to decide whether to replace the local police department with a new Department of Public Safety.

Voters were deciding Tuesday whether to replace the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety.

Minneapolis voters have rejected a proposal to replace the city’s police department with a new Department of Public Safety — an idea that arose from the May 2020 death of George Floyd.

The community called for change after the death of George Floyd. On Tuesday, they can vote to replace the police with a new department of public safety.

Minneapolis voters are deciding whether to replace the city’s police force with a new Department of Public Safety.

The 24-year-old was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Border Patrol insist the 11 men, arrested under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border initiative, weren’t set up for trespassing charges. But a county attorney decided the case was too muddled to prosecute.

As activists mobilized this summer to ask Minneapolis voters to replace their police department, one of the first prominent Democrats to slam the plan was a moderate congresswoman who doesn’t even live in the city. Angie Craig declared it “shortsighted, misguided and likely to harm the very communities that it seeks to protect." Craig's district covers a suburban-to-rural and politically divided region south of the city, but her willingness to jump into the fight next door highlights the political threat that Democrats like Craig see in the proposal.

Investigators searching for an Iowa boy who vanished in May days before his 11th birthday say they have found human remains matching his description in a nearby cornfield.

Agents found the hiker after hearing faint screams.

The men were arrested by state troopers and held for weeks without facing formal charges, a violation of state law. It’s the latest misfire in Abbott’s hastily assembled effort to involve Texas in patrolling the border.

Defense attorneys have started asking courts to set migrants free because local justice systems, overwhelmed by arrests under Gov. Greg Abbott's border security push, are routinely violating state law and constitutional due process rights.

Officials said immigration authorities weren’t interested in taking migrants who had no criminal conviction into federal custody. But without documentation, at least one newly released migrant soon found himself back in detention.

The accusations involve "an extraordinary level of misconduct — a criminal violation of the law," Vermont State Police Director Colonel Matthew Birmingham said.

The accusations involve "an extraordinary level of misconduct — a criminal violation of the law," Vermont State Police Director Colonel Matthew Birmingham said.

Under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security push, Texas state police have arrested hundreds of migrants in the conservative county, usually after spotting them on cargo trains or walking remote ranch lands. Sent to a state prison retooled as an immigration jail, many men were left without lawyers for weeks.

The bill would nearly triple border security funding from the last biennium. The legislation needs one more vote of approval from the House before moving to the Senate.

The driver lost control of the SUV and it ran off the interstate, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

After more than three weeks in jail, a trespassing charge against the man was dropped because state troopers shouldn’t have arrested him under Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security push. He wound up in bureaucratic limbo for days as federal agencies passed the responsibility for resolving his immigration status.

Abbott instructed state troopers to pull over civilian drivers transporting migrants who may be infected with COVID-19 and seize vehicles if they don’t comply.

DPS troopers took about a dozen people into custody in far Southwest Bexar County who they believe are connected to human smuggling. They say eleven of them appeared to be undocumented immigrants.

The Texas governor has derided federal immigration policy as "catch and release." But unless federal authorities now take them into custody, the migrants Abbott ordered state troopers to arrest could soon be freed.

A group supporting the abolition of the Minneapolis Police Department raked in nearly $1 million from liberal special interest organizations, including from many who do not live near the city.

The U.S. Border Patrol Laredo Sector announced that a vehicle pursuit in Freer resulted...

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott over the executive order the governor issued on Wednesday that allowed Department of Public Safety troopers to restrict lawful ground transportation of migrants.

The governor's decision to go all in on border security is evolving rapidly, and many of those on the ground don't know how it's going to work.

A sandstorm caused a huge 22-vehicle pileup on a Utah highway that left eight people dead.

Border-crossing immigrants are being arrested by Texas troopers on state charges like trespassing, and they’re starting to trickle into a prison emptied to house them.

The crash was caused when a car swerved into oncoming traffic, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the pickup truck when it hit a ditch, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The “defund the police” movement had unprecedented momentum last summer. But Atlanta is a window into a mounting backlash.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the pickup truck in the wreck, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

One driver died and another was taken to a hospital, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday joined Texas’ top state leaders at the U.S.-Mexico border to slam the Biden administration’s immigration policies during a visit to the “unfinished border wa[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

Trump, who made immigration restrictions and border security a staple of his administration, applauded Abbott’s plan to construct a state-funded border wall.

The woman was not wearing a seat belt and was partially ejected from the SUV when it overturned, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

An SUV crossed the center line and smashed into an oncoming car, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

A passenger died at the scene of the wreck, according to South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Three of the eight people in the SUV were ejected when it crashed into a median and flipped over.

Three of the eight people in the SUV were ejected when it crashed into a median and flipped over.

Opioid overdoses are on the rise, but the Texas Narcan program is one of the largest and...

The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office announced on Sunday that deputies, along with FBI, Department of Public Safety and Secret Service, had arrested a man who self-identified as a terrorist and had plans for a “mass casualty event.”

The driver died after being taken to a Richland County hospital, South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

A 34-year-old woman is facing a mail theft charge after San Antonio police say she and another man stole mail from 90 different addresses.

A South Dakota judge on Thursday blocked Governor Kristi Noem from releasing documents and video in the investigation of the state's attorney general for striking and killing a man with his car. Price had said the Department of Public Safety was within the bounds of state law in releasing the documents. In the videos, investigators confront the attorney general with the gruesome details of the crash. South Dakota Department of Public SafetyIn the interviews, Ravnsborg appears unsure of how his Ford Taurus veered onto the highway shoulder, where it struck 55-year-old Joseph Boever. House Speaker Spencer Gosch has proposed forming a special committee to investigate Ravnsborg's conduct in the fatal crash.

LEON VALLEY, Texas – Kathy Francis said her troubles with the Department of Public Safety started in March 2019, while applying to renew her driver’s license. The couple lives in rural Bandera County, meaning it made sense during a trip to town to stop by the driver’s license mega center on Huebner Road, in Leon Valley. Francis disclosed a bipolar disorder diagnosis on her March 2019 application to renew her driver's license. AdIt is unclear whether writing down PTSD on the application would have caused the state to flag Francis’ application. Francis' wife Kari has been forced to become her driver, after the state revoked Francis' license in September.

Inmates and staff at North Carolina's prison system began receiving doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, officials said. Airman First Class Emily Riddles of the North Carolina Air National Guard prepares a COVID-19 vaccine shot at Raleigh's Central Prison on January 21, 2021. In North Carolina alone, there have been 9,414 positive cases among inmates. Staff cases have not been reported. North Carolina Army National Guard/Sergeant Jamar Marcel PughSara J. Totonchi, executive director for the Southern Center for Human Rights, said North Carolina ranks among the top states with high COVID-19 cases among inmates.

The Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that the temporary waiver for driver's licenses and identification cards will end in April. The waiver expires April 14 for residents who need to renew their licenses or identification cards. Greg Abbott granted a waiver for licenses, commercial learner permits, ID cards and election identification certificates for those that expired on or after March 13, 2020. All DPS services are now by appointment only and can be made online. DPS also recommends that anyone who needs to renew their license before April 14 should make an appointment in the coming weeks.

LULING, Texas – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is continuing their search for a Texas State student who disappeared following a car crash near Luling, Texas. According to a department spokesperson, the crash happened at around midnight Monday morning. Law enforcement officers found a crashed vehicle near Salt Flat Road north of Interstate 10, but do not know how the incident occurred. Officials are still trying to locate the victim who they believe may be Jason David Landry, 21, a Texas State University student. A university spokesperson confirmed that DPS would be handling the case.

FILE - This Nov. 18, 2020, file photo provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety shows a metal monolith in the ground in a remote area of red rock in Utah. The Bureau of Land Management said it had received credible reports that the three-sided stainless steel structure was removed on Nov. 27. The site doesn’t have a parking lot, bathrooms or cellphone coverage, and some passenger cars had to be towed from the remote area after getting stuck. The attention came after the monolith was spotted Nov. 18 by state helicopter crews helping wildlife biologists count bighorn sheep. The site is now empty except for a piece of rectangular metal covering a hole where the monolith had stood.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said biologists spotted the monolith on Nov. 18, a report that garnered international attention. While Utah officials did not say specifically where the monolith was located, people soon found it on satellite images dating back to 2016 and determined its GPS coordinates, prompting people to hike into the area. Reporters with The Salt Lake Tribune hiked to the spot on Saturday and confirmed that it was gone. “This was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we couldn't miss out,” Marino told KUTV. On the way, they passed a long-bed truck with a large object in the back and he said he joked “oh look, there's the Utah monolith right there,” he said.

This Nov. 18, 2020 photo provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety shows a metal monolith installed in the ground in a remote area of red rock in Utah. The smooth, tall structure was found during a helicopter survey of bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, officials said Monday. State workers from the Utah Department of Public Safety and Division of Wildlife Resources spotted the gleaming object from the air and landed nearby to check it out. The smooth, tall structure was found during a helicopter survey of bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, officials said Monday. “This thing is not from another world,” said Lt. Nick Street of the Utah Highway Patrol, part of the Department of Public Safety.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – Two people are dead following a plane crash outside of Houston, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The crash happened Sunday morning after a fixed-wing, single-engine plane crashed into the neighborhood of Linnwood Drive and Elm Street, according to officials. MONTGOMERY COUNTY - @TxDPSSoutheast Troopers responded to a Fixed Wing Single-Engine (N26136) plane crash in the neighborhood of Linnwood/Elm St. Two confirmed fatalities identities unknown. pic.twitter.com/NAV8andmWc — TxDPS - Southeast Texas Region (@TxDPSSoutheast) October 25, 2020Officials said it’s unclear what led to the crash at this time. RELATED: US Navy: 2 onboard training plane killed in Alabama crash

– South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg reported hitting a deer with his car on Saturday night but actually killed a pedestrian whose body was not found until the next day, state investigators said Monday. The Department of Public Safety issued a statement Monday that said only that Ravnsborg told the Hyde County Sheriff’s Office that he had hit a deer. Tony Mangan, a spokesman for the department, would not confirm whether Ravnsborg called 911, saying it is part of the ongoing investigation. The pedestrian, who was identified as 55-year-old Joseph Boever, was not found until Sunday morning, according to the department. Boever told his cousin that he had been reaching for some tobacco.

SAN ANTONIO Twenty-five years after the death of Beaumont teacher Mary Catherine Edwards, Texas law enforcement officials are still looking for her killer. The Texas Department of Public Safety has increased the reward of up to $6,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, or suspects. The well-loved teacher was last seen in public on Jan. 13, 1995, DPS states. The case remains unsolved as Texas Rangers and Beaumont detectives have exhausted all leads. Anyone with information is asked to submit information through the Texas Rangers cold case website or by calling the missing persons hotline at 1-800-346-3242.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said law enforcement, public safety staff and local businesses are prepared for the peaceful protest planned for Saturday afternoon. The protest is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Travis Park and is in response to the recent killing of Houston native, George Floyd. McManus said 75 Department of Public Safety Troopers as well as numerous San Antonio police officers and other officials will be working at the protest for safety, in case behaviors escalate. McManus said he met with the protest organizers and believes the protest will be peaceful. What happened to the police officers is an absolute justice in this case,” McManus said.

SAN ANTONIO – Authorities are searching for an 85-year-old man who disappeared in Weslaco on Tuesday evening. According to a Silver Alert issued by the Department of Public Safety, Hilario Torres Perez disappeared around 6 p.m. Tuesday in the 700 block of Agostadero Street in Weslaco. He is 5-feet, 7-inches tall, weighs 170 pounds, has brown hair and has brown eyes. DPS states he was last seen wearing a flannel button-up shirt and khaki pants. Officials believe his disappearance “poses a credible threat to their own health and safety.”Anyone with information is asked to contact the Weslaco Police Department at 956-968-8591.

The FBI and Texas Rangers executed a search warrant early Monday morning inside the offices of the Bexar County Constable for Precinct 2. The reason why is that I don't believe in the good ole boy system, I never have," Barrientes Vela said. Barrientes Vela declined to respond to questions about those incidents. "The Bexar County Criminal District Attorney's Office has no comment regarding the activity by the Texas Rangers and the FBI related to the Precinct 2 Constable's Office this morning," a spokesperson for the DA's office said. 2:Barrientes Vela accused of sex discrimination in latest lawsuit filed by deputy constableEmbattled Precinct 2 constable announces future political plansBarrientes Vela, top Pct.

BEAUMONT, Texas - A portion of Interstate 10 in southeast Texas that was closed due to flooding from Tropical Storm Imelda has reopened. KFDM-TV reports that officials with the Texas' Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation said the interstate between Winnie and Beaumont reopened as of noon Sunday. The interstate though is still closed at the San Jacinto Bridge in Harris County after loose barges struck the support columns near the water. The Texas Department of Transportation said Sunday that the barges had been dislodged and officials are inspecting the bridge for damage. This weekend floodwaters began to recede to reveal the exhausting cleanup effort that lies ahead after Imelda slowly churned across the region, damaging hundreds of homes and causing five deaths.

"To be clear, this was not a case of a tainted drug being passed around or distributed in large volume at a large venue which could have affected even more people. It appears to have been isolated to a single location," the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said in a statement. "However, police are concerned about a tainted, potentially deadly batch of drugs in the community."

SAN ANTONIO - Authorities have a man in custody after the Department of Public Safety says he led troopers on a chase around San Antonio's East Side. Troppers said the chase started around 1:20 a.m. Saturday when they tried to pull over a motorcyclist near I-35 and AT&T Center Parkway, but he refused to stop. The pursuit ended about 30 minutes later when DPS troopers were able to box him in at a H-E-B store on Rittiman Road. The suspect was arrested and charges are pending. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

SAN ANTONIO - A local woman says she couldn't believe the images she saw of the car crash that took her boyfriend's life. Cantu was into fitness, boxing and his faith, Canales said, and they had been planning to take a road trip around the state this week. "He wanted to go to Houston because he loved Joel Osteen, and he really wanted to go to the Sunday service," Canales said. Canales said Cantu worked for a dairy company, rotating and stocking the milk at H-E-B stores, and he was driving his work vehicle when the crash happened. Hernandez, his passenger, worked as a team lead at an H-E-B store, according to her family.