So Colonel Tom Davis, the head of the Department Public Safety, on whose watch the Governor’s Mansion burned, has announced his resignation. Davis issued a brief statement that read, in its entirety, “After 43 years and 9 months with the Texas Department of Public Safety, I am retiring on Aug. 31, 2008.” It’s about time. It seems to me that the political leadership has been inexplicably complacent about the shortcomings of security at the Governor’s Mansion — despite the fact that Governor Perry is the most security-conscious chief executive in my memory. Clearly, he has been working behind the scenes to get rid of Davis. We still need to know what Perry knew about the security problems at the Mansion and when he knew it. Did DPS inform him about its lack of personnel and its malfunctioning alarm and surveillance equipment? I bet not. If Perry had known, given his concern about security, he would have done something about them. The Legislature is supposed to provide oversight of state agencies. A legislative investigation of DPS’s performance is overdue. Yes, the Sunset Advisory Commission has been scrutinizing DPS, and they have issued a very critical report about the hidebound agency. But they are concerned primarily with management issues. There is no substitute for a public hearing with the narrow focus of what went wrong at the Mansion. Dewhurst and Craddick should create a joint ad hoc committee, as they did when the TYC scandal broke, and appoint members who would ask the tough questions. It’s not too late.
It’s About Time
By
Date
Share
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
- Email a link to this page
-
https://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/its-about-time-2/
Notes
News & Politics
Our latest stories and analysis, sent to your inbox each week.
Read More
-
Who Were the Texans Who Traveled to the Capitol to Challenge the Election Results?
By Sierra Juarez and Peter Holley
-
After Standing Up to Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, Congressman Chip Roy Faces an Uncertain Future in the Texas GOP
By Jonathan Tilove
-
The Texas Legislature Made It Just Three Days Without a COVID-19 Scare
By Andrea Zelinski
-
Rita Clements, The Power Behind a Governor, Dies at 86
By R.G. Ratcliffe
-
U.S. Immigration Director Threatens to Jail Elected Officials in Sanctuary Cities
By R.G. Ratcliffe
Comments