Gov. Abbott Touts Success of Ongoing Texas Repeat Offender Program

“This past session, I signed the strongest bail reform package in Texas history, including a law that allows judges to deny bail to criminals charged with rape, murder, or human trafficking."
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today touted the success of the ongoing Texas Repeat Offender Program (TxROP), a joint task force between state and local law enforcement that is cracking down on violent crimes committed by repeat offenders across the greater Houston area. In collaboration with the Houston Police Department and other local and federal law enforcement partners, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is placing a renewed focus on repeat offenders who are prone to violent criminal acts. Law enforcement identified offenders and prioritized field operations to ensure compliance with any court-ordered conditions and arrested those terrorizing Texas communities.

Since the operation’s launch in October:
 

• 193 total arrests have been made. Of those, 135 have been identified as repeat offenders, 121 were identified as high-threat criminal arrests, and 107 were wanted fugitives.
• Law enforcement activity has yielded 85 drug seizures, 30 weapon seizures, and three currency seizures. Additionally, the operation has resulted in the recovery of four stolen vehicles and 77 gang encounters.

In June, Governor Abbott signed the strongest bail reform package in Texas history to protect Texans by keeping violent, repeat offenders behind bars. That package included:
 

• Senate Bill 9 (Huffman/Smithee) gives prosecutors the ability to appeal bad bail decisions made in cases involving the most heinous crimes and repeat felons. This law also ensures only elected judges may reduce the amount or conditions of a bail set by an elected judge. 
• Senate Bill 40 (Huffman/Smithee) prohibits the use of public funds to pay a nonprofit organization that will then post bail for criminals. 
• House Bill 75 (Smithee/Huffman) ensures transparency in the initial stages of a criminal case, requiring magistrates provide a written explanation on why they determined an arrest was made without probable cause. 

Senate Joint Resolution 5 (Huffman/Smithee) is a constitutional amendment that will require a judge to deny bail to a defendant charged with the most heinous crimes — such as rape, murder, human trafficking — when the state proves the defendant is a threat to public safety or will not show up for trial.