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Gov. Greg Abbott recently imparted congratulations and gratitude to the latest graduating class of public safety troopers, telling them they are "exceptional."
"Congratulations to the newest – and largest – graduating class of Texas Department of Public Safety [DPS] troopers," said in a July 30 Twitter post. "On behalf of the Lone Star State, we are so grateful for your sacrifice and commitment to serving your communities."
Earlier in the day, Abbott delivered the keynote address to what was the largest graduating class in DPS history during commencement ceremonies at Great Hills Baptist Church Worship Center on Jollyville Road in Austin. Abbott told the 145 members of the A-2021 Trooper Training Class, now new Texas State Troopers, what their service actually means to the Lone Star State.
"Texas is exceptional because of the people who call our state home, and it is your fellow Texans that you have sworn to protect and serve as you join the most elite state law enforcement agency in the nation," Abbott said, according to a separate statement issued by his office the same day. "On behalf of the Lone Star State, we are so grateful for your sacrifice and commitment to serving your communities."
Their service will not be easy, Abbott told them.
"You will face challenges along the way, but never forget that what you do matters," he said. "It matters to the over 29 million Texans who depend on you every single day to keep our communities safe. And I have no doubt that after today, our state will be made safer by the brave men and women in this room."
The graduating class included 40 U.S. military veterans – of whom, 22 had prior law enforcement experience – and the most women as DPS recruits in the state's history, according to the statement.
More than a third of the graduating class will be assigned to the Texas border with Mexico, according to a KXAN news story published the same day.