Former Texas Ranger now runs TxDPS, calls it ‘the honor of my lifetime'

The Texas Department of Public Safety has a new director: Col. Freeman Martin, a former Texas Ranger and deputy director of the DPS.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott swore in Martin in a change of command ceremony outside the Texas DPS headquarters in Austin on Monday morning.

I thank the governor and I thank the Public Safety Commission for trusting me and having the confidence in me to lead the premier state agency responsible for protecting Texans. This appointment is the honor of my lifetime.

Col. Freeman Martin, director of the Texas DPS

Martin, 56, is replacing Col. Steve McCraw, who announced last summer that he would retire by the end of the year after leading the agency for 15 years. Last week, a day before Thanksgiving, McCraw said goodbye to personnel as he left Texas DPS Headquarters in Austin for the final time as director.

McCraw, along with the governor and members of the Public Safety Commission, was present Monday at the ceremony transferring the agency's leadership.

"It's an honor to be here today. It's a very important day. It's a day that I cherish because the Department of Public Safety can never be too good and frankly, when I'm being followed by someone who I believe will do as good or better job than I am, it's a great day. Great day for Texas. Great day for the Department of Public Safety. Congratulations Col. Martin," McCraw said. "God bless Freeman, you and your family, and good luck to you."

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The governor thanked McCraw for his leadership over the past 15 years and credited him with transitioning the Texas Department of Public Safety into one of the top state-level law enforcement agencies in the country.

"We cannot achieve our goal of public safety in this state if we do not have at the top of the leadership rung someone who is devoted 24/7 to fulfilling that mission for the people," Abbott said. "Texas is better and Texas is safer because of Steve McCraw."

Before administering the oath of office and presenting him with a new colonel's badge, Abbott said Martin had the heart of a leader, has a long tenure with the agency and knowledge in every subject matter and will be dedicated to the rule of law in the state.

"I know that he brings to this task the qualities, the traits and the experience needed to be able to fill the big shoes left behind by Steve McCraw, but more importantly than that, to be able to ensure to our fellow Texans that this premier agency will continue its legacy of working from all over corners of the entire state of Texas to ensure the safety of the people of Texas," Abbott said. "He will ensure that Texas will remain a law and order state."

Martin was unanimously selected last month by the five-member Public Safety Commission as the next director of the DPS. He is the first Texas Ranger in the department's history to be named director.

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"I can't not recognize Director Steve McCraw. Hands down, without question the best DPS director we've ever had. I've had the privilege of working with him for 15 years and side by side for the last six. When I say the last six, he doesn't know what nights, weekends, holidays ... he doesn't know what that is. I mean six years, every day, 365 days a year. It's been an honor to work with him," Martin said. "Through this process over the last couple of months, I've heard it repeated that you don't want to be the person that follows Steve McCraw and I disagree with that. I think the best way we can honor his legacy of good is to build on his success."

To that end, Martin promised to work closely with local and federal partners to ensure they have what they need to succeed in making Texas safer.

Martin began his career with the DPS in 1990 as a state trooper in Winnie. Since then, he's served the highway patrol in Lubbock, worked narcotics in Houston, and then moved to the Texas Rangers, where he worked in Houston and Austin before being named regional commander. Martin was appointed deputy director of Homeland Security Operations by the PSC in 2018.

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n their statement Wednesday, the DPS said Martin "has a wealth of expertise in crisis management and security, including executive protection, violent crime prevention operations, intelligence, counterterrorism, and border and homeland security. Throughout his career, Martin has led the department's response to numerous high-profile crises such as the Rice Village serial murders, the Twilight Rapist investigation, the Sutherland Springs mass shooting, Austin serial bombings, Hurricane Harvey, numerous riot prevention operations, and Texas' historic Operation Lone Star border security mission."

Martin, the DPS said, "established a Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG) in San Antonio, co-developed the Texas Ranger Major Crime Scene Response Team program, and oversaw numerous programs and initiatives to support local law enforcement agency partners across the state."

Martin earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice and graduated from Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command.