Domestic terrorism task force looks at ways to prevent crimes before they occur
Created in the wake of the mass shooting in El Paso nearly one month ago, the Domestic Terrorism Task Force held its inaugural meeting Friday while focusing on strategies to put Texas “ahead of the curve” when responding to potential acts of domestic terrorism before they occur.
Tasked with ensuring the state is best prepared to combat “hateful acts and extremism,” the task force is primarily made up of local and federal law enforcement officials, in addition to state leaders.
Federal authorities are pursuing a domestic terrorism case against the suspected gunman, who killed 22 people and injured more than two dozen others in an attack targeting Hispanics.
Speaking to reporters before they were asked to leave the room, Gov. Greg Abbott stressed that while El Paso was a “catalyst” for the task force’s creation, its focus will be on tackling domestic terrorism across the state.
“The reason for the task force is broader than El Paso alone,” Abbott said. “We need to come to grips with the fact that there has been an increasing number and frequency of mass shootings as well as terroristic attacks.”
Abbott cited the 2016 shooting that killed five Dallas police officers, and the string of 2018 package bombings in Austin as recent examples of domestic terrorism in Texas.
“The list, unfortunately, is too long for me to recount,” Abbott said.
After meeting for a little over three hours, Abbott said the task force looked at ways the state could be proactive rather than reactive.
“The goal is not to react to what may have happened yesterday, such as trying to find a way to prosecute the crime that’s already been committed,” Abbott said. “Instead, our goal is to prevent from what may happen tomorrow.”
One step Abbott mentioned would be strengthening laws to “provide teeth” so prosecutors can pursue crimes before they’re committed.
“Make it easier to arrest someone who has shown the mental state that they pose a terroristic threat and then taking action to act on that threat,” Abbott said.
Abbott also noted strategies, such as collaborating with social media companies so information is more effectively shared to ensure suspicious activity is reported and acted upon.
Beyond implementing specific actions, Abbott said the state also needs to define what exactly falls under the definition of domestic terrorism. Abbott stressed that it includes more than just crimes involving guns, specifically mentioning gang activity and cyberattacks.
The task force’s meeting came a day after the Texas Safety Commission — which Abbott also created in the wake of the shooting — held its second meeting in El Paso Thursday.
In addition to assembling the task force earlier this month, Abbott also directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to “take immediate action to combat any form of domestic terrorism in Texas,” including conducting a statewide assessment, assigning additional special agents and more.
Earlier this month a DPS spokeswoman said with Abbott’s directive, the number of officers assigned to six Texas Anti-Gang Centers across the state will increase from 88 to more than 100, with personnel focused “on hate groups and networks espousing terrorist attacks.”
After the task force’s creation, Democrats criticized Abbott for the group’s lack of diversity and emphasis on law enforcement.
Texas Democratic Party executive director Manny Garcia voiced his concerns again Friday, a day after Abbott said “mistakes were made” about a fundraising mailer that stoked fears surrounding immigration. The Texas Tribune first reported about the letter, which was dated a day before the shooting in El Paso.
“Despite acknowledging wrongdoing yesterday, today’s domestic terrorism task force meeting continues to lack diversity while Abbott refuses to bring the voices of communities harmed by white nationalist terrorism to the table,” Garcia said in a statement. “Actions speak louder than words. If Abbott truly acknowledges the mistakes he’s made, he would immediately appoint a more diverse set of experts to this task force. He didn’t.”
Ahead of Friday’s meeting, former House Speaker Joe Straus said in a Facebook post that while the task force’s formation is a good first step, he hopes language used is “unifying and constructive rather than divisive.”
“I hope the conversation will expand to include more domestic terrorism experts and more people of color, representing the communities that are being targeted,” Straus, a Republican, wrote. “There should be no ambiguity about the fact that Texas and our leaders fully embrace diversity and inclusion while wholly rejecting prejudice or hatred in any form.”
The task force will meet quarterly, or at the call of the governor. It remains to be seen what ideas raised during the discussion will be implemented, but Abbott said the task force may produce reports or recommend new laws in the future.
“This is an ongoing task force that’s committed at all levels of government,” Abbott said.
This story was originally published August 30, 2019 at 5:07 PM.
