Abbott orders DPS to expand Texas Repeat Offender Task Force to DFW

The operation, first launched in Houston in October, has led to the arrest of 728 repeat offenders.

Governor Abbott is expanding the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Repeat Offender Task Force to North Texas, targeting high-threat offenders from returning to Texas streets.

Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin are now part of the four areas in Texas where Governor Abbott has directed DPS to target dangerous criminals and prevent them from coming back into Texas communities.

In this letter to DPS Colonel Freeman Martin, Abbott says the initiative that started in Houston last October has led to 728 arrests of repeat offenders, including 455 high-threat criminals and gang members.

Abbott says DPS has also seized more than 225,000 lethal doses of fentanyl, 415 pounds of marijuana and 110 weapons.

"We're not waiting for violent criminals to strike again. We are going after them, finding them, and taking them off the streets," Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said.

Abbott’s announcement comes as North Texas police departments, like Dallas Police, continue to make arrests of their own for repeat violent offenders.

Comeaux announced an additional 162 arrests on Wednesday in his latest operation targeting fugitives, this time wanted for violent physical assaults known as “Operation We Got You." 86 of the offenders still remain in custody.

Since Comeaux started as chief a year ago, the ongoing partnership with the U.S. Marshals for the Northern District of Texas has yielded more than 1,300 arrests.

"It's going to be really easy to put a plan in place for us to join forces and use their strengths and our strengths to make everyone safe for here," Comeaux said.

Comeaux told NBC 5 on Wednesday that DPD and DPS are already working on Abbott’s ask and will carry the momentum of interagency work forward.

"There's things that we can do to look to see who's driving on the tollway, so if you have that felony warrant and you're on the tollway, you might need to be afraid that black and white car that says DPS might be behind you," Comeaux said.

North Texas DPS Region Chief Jeremy Sherrod added that DPS has already arrested 33 repeat offenders as part of the Governor’s Repeat Offender Program, saying in part, “Through proactive enforcement, and aggressive enforcement efforts, we are sending a clear message that repeat violent offenders will be held accountable.”