Abbott directs Texas public safety department to bolster security at religious spaces

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to increase security at religious spaces like churches and synagogues amid a rise in attacks on places of faith. 

The order comes after a mass shooter killed two children and wounded more than a dozen others at a Catholic school in Minnesota last month, and after four people were killed and eight others were injured during a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday.

The DPS security team will consist of Texas Highway Patrol troopers, Criminal Investigations Division special agents, and Texas Rangers, who will be supported by DPS’ Homeland Security Division, the governor's office said in a news release. 

"Places of worship are sacred," Abbott said. “We will marshal all resources necessary to safeguard our places of faith. To accomplish that objective, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to bolster security efforts to protect places of worship." 

The governor also urged Texans to use the iWatchTexas Community Reporting System to report any suspicious activity near schools, religious spaces or communities “that may indicate criminal, terror, or school safety-related threats.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.