Texas Recruiting Highway Patrol Officers To Southern Border

By Mónica Ortiz Uribe
March 03, 2015
Texas
Mónica Ortiz Uribe
Texas state troopers gather at the scene of a drug bust last summer near the border town of La Joya.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is looking to fill vacancies along the United States-Mexico border with fresh recruits.

The agency is currently accepting applications for an accelerated training program set to begin June 21. The shortened program will last eight weeks, less than half the time of a standard course, and is aimed at certified Texas law enforcement officers with at least two years of experience. Graduates will work as state highway patrol officers.

In recent years DPS has been criticized for its increasingly militarized operation. Last summer former Texas Gov. Rick Perry ordered a surge of DPS officers to the border during a wave of illegal crossings by Central Americans. The surge was part of Operation Strong Safety, a state initiative focused on intercepting drug trafficking and human smuggling. Current Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to continue the mission.

DPS will accept applications for new officers through the end of March. A recruitment officer reported the agency has already received 260 applications.