AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott is directing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to expand a task force targeting repeat offenders into Austin and other major cities across the state.

The “Texas Repeat Offender Task Force,” which launched in the Houston area in October 2025, focuses on people accused of committing multiple violent crimes. The initiative brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest those considered high-priority offenders.

Abbott on Wednesday ordered the program expanded to the Austin, San Antonio and Dallas–Fort Worth metro areas, saying the effort is aimed at reducing crime by focusing on individuals who repeatedly offend.

“Targeting these dangerous perpetrators reduces crime, increases safety, and better protects Texans,” Abbott said in a statement.

KXAN has previously reported on issues involving repeat offenders in Austin, ranging from crimes of vehicle burglaries to more serious crimes.

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Michael Bullock, president of the Austin Police Association, said officers frequently encounter the same individuals.

“There’s some cases where officers may arrest somebody at the beginning of their shift, and by the time they get released, they may wind up arresting them again at the end of their shift,” Bullock said.

Under the expansion, DPS will coordinate with local and federal partners to carry out targeted enforcement operations focused on repeat offenders. Bullock said the biggest difference could come down to increased resources.

“It really comes down to more officers on the street,” Bullock said. “APD only has so much bandwidth to deal with these cases proactively.”

Bullock said while additional law enforcement support could help, he believes more needs to be done on the prosecution side.

KXAN reached out to both the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and County Attorney’s Office about the expansion.

In a statement, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office said it will “continue to work with law enforcement, victims, and the community to ensure that Travis County remains one of the safest counties in the state.”

A spokesperson for the Travis County Attorney’s Office said their office has not been contacted about the directive and is not aware of its operational details or potential impact.

In the governor’s press release, Abbott pointed to task force’s results from Houston. Since October, the task force has resulted in:

728 arrests of repeat offenders

455 classified as “high-threat”

Encounters with 155 known gang members

“We like these types of partnerships because it again it helps us better do our job,” Bullock said.

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