Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw Announces Retirement

After 15 years as Texas' top law enforcement officer, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw announced his retirement on Friday. His tenure included overseeing the state's response to numerous mass shootings and the ongoing immigration crisis at the border.

McCraw made the announcement during a graduation ceremony for new cadets at Great Hill Baptist Church in northwest Austin, with Gov. Greg Abbott in attendance. Abbott was the keynote speaker at the event.

McCraw began his law enforcement career in 1977 with the agency, rising through the ranks before joining the FBI in 1983. He served as a special agent in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and San Antonio before returning to Texas to serve as Homeland Security Director in the Office of the Governor. He was later appointed DPS director.

McCraw became a public figure alongside Abbott during updates on weather emergencies and immigration issues. His profile rose significantly after the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, which left 19 school children and two teachers dead. Initially, Abbott praised the law enforcement response, but it was later revealed that officers waited 77 minutes before confronting the gunman.

In an interview with the American-Statesman and KVUE four months after the shooting, McCraw acknowledged some flaws in the DPS response:

"We have some level of culpability. I've got no doubt," he said. "To the extent that the Department of Public Safety is responsible for the failed response, there are some things I just can't admit to, simply because it's not true. And I'm not in a position right now to try to defend what DPS did or not. It really doesn't matter what I say. In the end, what's going to matter is the evidence."

McCraw, a native of El Paso, returned to state government in 2004 when he retired from the FBI to become the head of the governor's office for homeland security under then-Gov. Rick Perry. Five years later, he took the helm at DPS and was awarded the title of colonel.

One year ago, the Public Safety Commission awarded McCraw a 15% pay raise, bringing his annual salary to $345,250. Commission chair Steven P. Mach praised McCraw, saying, “We are truly fortunate to have somebody of the caliber of Steve McCraw as director of the Department of Public Safety, and we cannot pay you enough to do this important job,” as reported on Aug. 24.