Texas Top Cop Announces Retirement Amid Uvalde Controversy

Steve McCraw, the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), announced his retirement on Friday amid praise from Gov. Greg Abbott, effectively sidestepping the resignation demands made by Uvalde families following the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.

Despite calls for accountability from families like Brett Cross, who lost his son Uziyah "Uzi" Garcia and demanded "Good riddance" upon McCraw's retirement, the DPS director's departure offers little solace.

Accountability Denied

• Idle Troopers: 91 DPS troopers largely remained inactive for over an hour during the Uvalde shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers.
• Stonewalling: DPS continues to fight court orders to release shooting records and delayed Texas Ranger Christopher Ryan Kindell's appeal for 18 months, preventing public scrutiny.
• Broken Pledge: McCraw did not honor his 2022 promise to resign if DPS had any culpability. Instead, he received a $45,437 raise, boosting his salary to $345,250.

Praise and Criticism

Gov. Abbott commended McCraw as "a leader, visionary, and the quintessential lawman," while Public Safety Commission Chair Steven P. Mach praised him as "somebody of the caliber of Steve McCraw." However, McCraw's legacy remains marred by the Uvalde tragedy.

Legal Action

19 victim families sued DPS and 92 officers in May, seeking accountability through the courts.

McCraw's Tenure

• Led DPS for 15 years, overseeing border security, highway patrols, and driver's license offices.
• Called his service "the greatest honor" of his life.

Despite retiring on his own terms, McCraw's story is far from over, with ongoing legal battles and unanswered questions about the Uvalde response.

Grumet is the Statesman’s Metro columnist. Share your opinions via email at bgrumet@statesman.com or on X at @bgrumet. Find previous work at statesman.com/opinion/columns.