Public Safety & Criminal Justice

As governor, my number one job will be to keep the people of Texas safe.

As governor, my number one job will be to keep the people of Texas safe.

I agree with police chiefs from across the state, who tell me Texas will be safest and most secure when we start funding programs like mental health care, addiction treatment, housing support, and youth services that prevent crime before it happens and give families the tools to lead good lives and give back to our communities.

Beyond being inhumane, criminalizing poverty and mental illness jeopardizes public safety, keeping law enforcement from focusing on violent crime. That’s why I support equipping more social workers and diversion courts to handle these challenges so that police can focus their time and resources on arresting and prosecuting violent criminals.

When families face a mental health emergency, they deserve access to care—not a trip to jail.

As governor, I’ll lead the largest expansion of mental health care in Texas history and ensure our jails are no longer forced to be our state’s largest provider of psychiatric services. https://t.co/gTzKlu6zHa
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) April 30, 2022

Since Abbott took office, violent crime has risen faster in Texas than the national average, and fewer violent crimes are ending in arrest. In fact, the arrest rate for murder has fallen by 25 percent while the arrest rate for rape has fallen by nearly half. To fix this, I will strengthen forensic services, end Texas’ rape kit backlog, and ensure law enforcement agencies have everything they need to bring justice to victims.

As governor, my number one job will be to keep the people of Texas safe.

And finally, it’s critical that we equip people leaving jail and prison with the tools they need to successfully reenter our communities. That means incentivizing employers to hire people working to get back on their feet, and investing in treatment, education, and job training that will enable people to live crime-free lives after release.

That’s how we’ll strengthen the safety of our families, our communities, and our state.