Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio’s newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The Texas Department of Public Safety already has a large presence at the Alamo complex on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, and it’s expected to grow even larger in the months ahead.
Following passage of Senate Bill 1 last year, state troopers in December replaced the Alamo Rangers, a volunteer security organization that had watched over the Alamo for the past 50 years. The law transferred responsibility for security at the Alamo to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
DPS officials say dozens of personnel are now assigned to the site, often referred to as the “Shrine of Texas Liberty,” with several more expected in the coming months.
“It is a tremendous honor to oversee the department’s transition in taking over security operations for the Alamo, helping to preserve one of the greatest symbols in Texas history,” said DPS Director Colonel Freeman F. Martin.
Personnel from the agency’s Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigations Division, and Homeland Security Division are stationed at the Alamo complex to provide around-the-clock protection for buildings, visitors and employees.
The security presence also includes troopers on bicycles and a bomb-sniffing dog, with another K-9 unit expected to be added.
The Alamo is the state’s top tourist attraction, drawing just under 2 million visitors a year.
The Alamo complex is also in the midst of a $550 million redevelopment that includes a new visitor center and museum with a 4D theater featuring simulated battle effects.
Great Job Brian Kirkpatrick & the Team @ Texas Public Radio for sharing this story.
