Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw said goodbye to personnel Wednesday as he left Texas DPS Headquarters in Austin for the final time.
McCraw announced in August he planned to retire by the end of the year after 15 years leading the department.
“Serving as the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety has been the greatest honor of my life,” McCraw said in a statement. “I leave knowing that the future of this department is in the best possible hands. The continued efforts and commitment to excellence by those that work at DPS have made, and will continue to make, a profound difference in the lives of the people of this great state.”
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The Texas DPS said McCraw's lifetime of service to law enforcement has been honored and recognized in many ways since he announced his retirement, including in a video series chronicling his impact on the DPS called "Honoring a Lifetime of Service."
Earlier this week, employees said goodbye to the director by lining the driveway at headquarters as he left campus. The tribute included a flyover.
McCraw, a native of El Paso, began his career in law enforcement in 1977 as a state trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol. He would go on to work as a narcotics agent for the DPS and as a special agent with the FBI before returning to the DPS as director in 2009.
In 2004, McCraw left the FBI to become the Texas Homeland Security director in the Office of the Governor, where he served until he was appointed DPS director five years later.
According to his bio with the Texas DPS, McCraw's FBI career included working as "Supervisory Special Agent, Unit Chief of the Colombian/Mexican Organized Crime Unit, Assistant Special Agent in Charge in Tucson, Inspector-In-Charge of the South East Bomb Task Force, Inspector – Deputy Assistant Director, Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio office, Assistant Director of the Office of Intelligence for which he was tasked to establish after the attacks on 9/11. He was also responsible for establishing the Foreign Terrorism Tracking Task Force under the Office of the Attorney General."
McCraw’s last official day as director is Saturday, Nov. 30. The Public Safety Commission named his successor, Freeman Martin, earlier this month. Martin will take over on Sunday, Dec. 1, and will be sworn in during a ceremony on Monday, Dec. 2.
