The leading public safety agency in Texas is being questioned for outsourcing part of its border security apparatus.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has pumped more than $200 million in the last two years for measures meant to protect the 1,254-mile Texas-Mexico border.
The 120-mile swath encompassing the most southern portion of the boundary, a region known as the Rio Grande Valley, has received the most attention.
Texas leaders have argued that state action was necessary because the federal government was not doing enough.
But DPS is now being criticized for quietly contracting out part of that work to a private group — with questionable results.
“The state contracted for almost $20 million and I want to know what were the results of all that money being spent on border security,” said Texas Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso. “And why it is that there was no transparency in letting other officials know about what this organization was doing.”
Rodríguez asked the state comptroller’s office to investigate. He has also written DPS with numerous questions. He’s not ruling out trying to pursue legislative hearings over the matter.
The private outfit in question is Abrams Learning and Information Systems (ALIS) in Virginia. The organization, led by retired Army Gen. John Abrams, did not respond to a request for comment.
For its part, DPS declined an interview. But in a letter in response to Sen. Rodríguez, the agency maintained it did not hide the need for outside assistance, further arguing help from ALIS has proven to be a cost-effective tool.
The agency recognized some past troubles with its contract procurement process, but it readily pointed out the problems have been fixed.
