Texas Department of Public Safety celebrates 90 years of service

AUSTIN (KAMR/KCIT) — Today, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that it is celebrating 90 years of service.

After nine decades of service, DPS has grown into one of the nation’s most comprehensive public safety agencies, encompassing divisions that lead in law enforcement, technology, forensics, aviation, intelligence and more.

“Since 1935, DPS has grown with Texas evolving to meet new challenges while never forgetting our core values of integrity, excellence, accountability and teamwork,” said DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin. “From our earliest days to today’s modern, multi-mission agency, DPS remains focused on one overarching goal: protecting and serving Texas, while remembering courtesy has a place in all that we do. This anniversary is more than a celebration of our history; it is a moment to honor the past and reaffirm our commitment to the future. None of this would be possible without the people we serve. Thank you, Texas, for 90 years of partnership and support.”

DPS said the department was established in 1935 through a merger of the Texas Highway Patrol and the Texas Rangers, aiming to unify statewide law enforcement efforts. In 2025, DPS manages public safety operations across Texas, including 1,200 miles of international border and safeguards over 31 million Texans, according to DPS.

Officials detailed that it employs 4,782 commissioned officers and 6,985 non-commissioned staff. This year, the agency is set to add 1,317 new positions that were approved in the most recent legislative session.

DPS operates 20 divisions and manages 384 buildings, almost 6,000, and around $1.9 billion in assets.

The department operates the following divisions:

• Aircraft Operations,
• Chief Auditor’s Office,
• Director’s Staff
• Crime Laboratory,
• Crime Records,
• Criminal Investigations,
• Cyber Security,
• Driver License,
• Finance,
• Government Relations,
• Highway Patrol,
• Information Technology,
• Infrastructure Operations,
• Media and Communications Office,
• Intelligence & Counterterrorism
• Office of General Counsel,
• Office of Inspector General,
• Regulatory Services,
• Texas Rangers,
• Training Operations.

DPS said the addition of the Homeland Security Division aims to increase the ability of Texas law enforcement to respond to and prevent threats.

For more information regarding DPS’s 90th Anniversary, visit DPS’s website.