DPS confirms its Austin crime task force will cease operations this weekend

The Texas Department of Public Safety task force dedicated to policing Austin will cease operations on Saturday, the state agency confirmed Thursday.

Troopers will be redirected to the southern border "due to the ever-changing situation," according to Ericka Miller, a press secretary for the DPS.

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a controversial bill into law that allows state law enforcement officers to arrest, detain and deport individuals suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. This comes after tens of thousands of migrants crossed the border this week, prompting U.S. Customs and Border Protection to shut down international rail crossings in Eagle Pass and El Paso on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether the DPS will revive the Austin task force in the future or how many, if any, troopers will remain on Austin streets.

Mayor Kirk Watson, who helped orchestrate the initial partnership between the DPS and the Austin Police Department earlier this year, did not address the end of the task force when reached for comment by the American-Statesman. But he said in a statement that the city "will continue to support our police officers to assure our public's safety."

Incidents during the Austin police and DPS partnership

The Austin Violent Crimes Task Force began in March as a partnership between the Police Department and the DPS. At the time, Watson said DPS troopers would help control traffic and combat violent crime, while also alleviating the city's police staffing shortages.

The partnership was beset by multiple incidents, amid accusations that troopers were over-policing communities of color. In July, Fox 7 Austin reported that a trooper had pulled over and pointed a gun at a man whose 10-year-old son was in the car, leading Watson to sever ties between the agencies.

Although it was short-lived, Watson said the partnership was a success and had led to lower levels of violent crime, fewer traffic fatalities and quicker response times.

On the same day in July that Watson announced the partnership's end, Abbott announced DPS troopers would continue to patrol Austin streets anyway, given their statewide jurisdiction, and the only change made would be the repeal of directives from Austin police. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Abbott said he would send an additional 30 troopers to the capital city, bringing the total to 130, which was more than had patrolled the city during their partnership with the Austin police.

Watson said in his Thursday statement that efforts are ongoing to hire and retain more police officers, in part through incentives such as a signing bonus for new cadets that was implemented this year.

Statesman staff writer Skye Seipp contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: DPS to cease Austin task force as it sends troopers to US-Mexico border