Is DPS Inflating Its Border Success?

The San Antonio Express-News is calling on Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw to come clean on what exactly DPS is accomplishing in border security.

As I noted last month, McCraw tends to blend statistics from local and federal law enforcement into his reports on border security accomplishments, a form of resume fluffing. The El Paso Times and a local legislator also have taken note of this trend. As reporter Marty Schladen wrote last weekend: Texas border operation takes credit for feds’ work.

Now the San Antonio Express-News editorial board is pushing McCraw to tell the world honestly what he is accomplishing with the Texas taxpayers’ money. DPS must be accountable at border. 

Without this information, legislators cannot make a reasoned decision on whether to continue funding DPS efforts at the border, a “surge” started by Gov. Rick Perry but which Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to continue — and increase.

DPS either can’t or won’t divulge its own numbers, preferring to release overall figures lumping in efforts of all agencies — federal and state — participating.

We’ve asked for the DPS-only figures a couple of times. Rep. César Blanco, D-El Paso, has as well. And, frankly, all any of us has gotten is evasion.