AUSTIN – Texans For Greg Abbott today announced a new statewide television ad entitled “Cracking Down On Violent Gangs.” In the ad, Governor Abbott talks about the efforts he has made to keep violent gang members off our streets. Since Governor Abbott took office, five new Texas Anti-Gang Centers have been established in Dallas, McAllen, San Antonio, Lubbock, and El Paso. In 2017, Governor Abbott authorized a grant from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division to provide local law enforcement in Harris County with more resources and personnel, including additional Texas Rangers and DPS agents, to help combat violent gang activity. Keeping Texans safe is Governor Abbott’s top priority, and he has worked to crack down on dangerous gangs like MS-13 to make our communities more secure.
Beginning Sunday, the ad will be broadcast statewide across Texas.
TRANSCRIPT
GOVERNOR ABBOTT: An innocent young girl was brutalized and murdered in a quiet neighborhood. The monsters who did it dumped her body right here. They were members of the evil gang MS-13. They were caught, but there’s more to do. So I launched anti-gang task forces all across Texas and thousands of criminals have already been arrested. As your governor, there’s nothing more important than keeping you and your family safe, and I’ll do whatever it takes.
AD FACTS
“An innocent young girl was brutalized and murdered in a quiet neighborhood.”
- “The mother of a missing teenager has confirmed reports that her daughter was the unidentified teenager allegedly killed by two gang members in a satanic ritual… Now, her mother hopes the two alleged MS-13 gang members that police say killed her and left her on Sharpcrest in southwest Houston will rot in jail or receive the death penalty.” (Elissa Rivas, “Mother Says Girl Killed In Satanic Ritual Is Her Daughter,” KTRK, 3/3/2017)
“So I launched anti-gang task forces all across Texas and thousands of criminals have already been arrested.”
- “Abbott said to restore ‘law and order’ the state will establish an around-the-clock tactical operations center in Houston and provide $500,000 in new funding from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division to increase Texas Anti-Gang Center resources in the Houston area.” (John D. Harden, “Abbott Announces Anti-Gang Initiative In Houston Region,” Houston Chronicle, 4/10/2017)
- “When asked for historical data, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety released numbers showing that the Texas Anti-Gang Center in Houston, one of several in the state, reported 4,907 arrests in the region between January 2015 and July 2018.” (Robert T. Garrett, “Greg Abbott Says Texas In Good Shape In First Statewide TV Spot,” Dallas Morning News, 8/30/18)