Gubernatorial hopeful White says he would increase law enforcement ranks along Texas-Mexico border

HIDALGO — Flanked by sheriffs from both ends of the state’s border with Mexico, Texas gubernatorial candidate Bill White emphasized Thursday that his border security plan was developed based on input from border law enforcement authorities.

In unveiling his plan alongside sheriffs from El Paso and Cameron counties, the Democrat said his opponent, Republican Gov. Rick Perry, uses the U.S.-Mexico border as a backdrop for “political theater” to blame the federal government for border security concerns, yet has failed to deliver in his own right in nearly 10 years as governor.

White said he would use a combination of federal grants, state money and drug forfeiture dollars to hire 1,000 new local law enforcement officers and 250 state troopers if elected.

He also pledged to attend regular meetings with sheriffs and police chiefs from border communities, noting they are the front lines of border security.

Some Rio Grande Valley law enforcement officers criticized Perry in March for implementing a contingency plan for spillover violence without informing them of its basic outline.

“The people who are going to arrest people and stop crimes ought to be the ones formulating the plan,” White said during Thursday’s news conference at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge. “Anybody that has a plan that’s secret from law enforcement — that’s no plan at all.”

White said he would ensure state appropriations for border security are used more effectively, pointing to a 2009 state audit that found that border security funds were diverted to other parts of the state. He also would ensure the state pursues any federal grant opportunities that would benefit the border region, including the Community Oriented Policing Services program that supports local law enforcement.

Texas ranks last in per capita dollars received from the program, which pays the salary for law enforcement officers during the grant period and then requires the local entity to cover the cost.

Perry, speaking to reporters in Austin on Thursday, countered that White’s plan relied too heavily on a federal government that he called an “abject failure” in securing the border, according to The Associated Press.

For years the governor has called for National Guard troops to be sent to the border but was regularly rebuffed, and the federal government won’t send money to the state without strings attached, Perry said. Meanwhile, the Legislature has spent about $230 million since 2007 to beef up state law enforcement along the border.

“The state of Texas has made a substantial effort towards border security, more so than any other state,” Perry said. “(White’s) campaign is very high on criticism and very light on any new ideas.”

White said during his campaign stop in Hidalgo that border security is not just a local issue, but he reiterated earlier complaints that Perry hasn’t done enough to listen to local concerns.

Hidalgo Mayor John David Franz, who has endorsed Perry in the past, said White solicited input from his city’s police chief and other law enforcement officers with jurisdictions along the state’s border in formulating his six-point plan.

Franz, who is also chair of the Texas Border Coalition, said border police chiefs know the issue better than anyone else and should be consulted. Comprised of border mayors, county executives and local economic development officials, the coalition advocates on behalf of communities along the Texas-Mexico border on issues such as education, security and transportation that affect the quality of life in the region.

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said Perry has been slow to respond to aid requests from border sheriffs, who are almost unanimously endorsing White.

Lucio, who talked with White twice on border security, said a plan that includes funding for 1,000 new local law enforcement officers could provide needed assistance to his agency.

White estimated his plan would cost $75 million to $95 million.

“The personnel are the main thing. We need more officers to help secure the border,” Lucio said. “We’re not getting the help we need.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.