Complaint Review: Texas Department Of Public Safety

For people who were born in Texas and spent a lot of time here, this seems like a HORROR STORY and hardly possible that we would nearly lose our beloved Texas Governor's Mansion... I wouldn't have believed it but there are the stories you can read for yourself how our beloved landmark in downtown Austin,Texas was nearly RIPPED OFF..and you have to wonder about the Security detail that was on-duty that night. Various accounts have said there was only one or two DPS troopers on-duty that night and some of the detection equipment did not or was not working at the time...

Texas / South Central News
Study Calls for Sweeping Changes at Texas Department of Public Safety

November 3, 2008

Texas' top law enforcement agency, which has been criticized for numerous problems including staffing levels when the governor's mansion was set on fire, is in need of a major overaul, according to a report released Oct. 31,2008.

The 10-week study on the Texas Department of Public Safety, commissioned by the state, was conducted by international management and consulting firm Deloitte Consulting. It identified significant problems in DPS' organization, business processes and information systems.

"The recommendations call for a fundamental makeover of the Department,'' Drew Beckley, principal of Deloitte Consulting wrote to Allan Polunsky, chairman of the Texas Public Safety Commission that oversees DPS. Polunsky said DPS will implement significant changes, although it will take several years.

The study is in response to a variety of woes, including an arson fire that nearly destroyed the Governor's Mansion in June. It was later revealed that there were too few guards and malfunctioning security equipment at the site.

A legislative report this year outlined many problems that were mentioned in the study, including the handling of driver's licenses and vehicle inspections, inadequate technology, and communications in the event of a possible terror attack.

DPS director Col. Tommy Davis retired Aug. 31,2008.

The DPS is a billion dollar agency with more than 8,000 employees, nearly half of them law enforcement officers. Consultants interviewed almost 400 DPS workers and others for the report.

Their recommendations call for the combining all DPS law enforcement divisions under a single deputy director and deploying them across the state through a new regional command structure.

The study also suggests establishing a new organization for intelligence and counterterrorism, focused on information sharing and intelligence-led policing. A director in charge of human resources will improve recruitment and retention, and more infrastructures and information systems also are needed, the report said.

Also, the report suggested overhauling financial processes and systems, and organizing all licensing and regulation functions under a single deputy director. DPS' duties include driver licensing, vehicle inspection and concealed handgun licensing.

***WHAT ABOUT THIS FIRE AT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION? How many other governors mansions in the USA have been deliberately TORCHED? The guy who did it is STILL AT LARGE AND HE NEEDS TO BE CAUGHT AND BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!

But... there's more.

The municipal transit company recently MOVED the downtown bus stop which has been between the Capitol Building and the Governor's Mansion for years without incident.

BUT SUDDENLY, WHEN WE GET THE DOWNTOWN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER OF A MAYOR AND HIS SYNCOPATES ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNSEL, THERE IS SUDDENLY A PROBLEM WITH THE RIDERS OF MASS TRANSIT HAVING A CONVENIENT DOWNTOWN BUS STOP WHERE THEY ARE TRYING TO DEVELOP EXCLUSIVE,UPSCALE,TRENDY CONDOS FOR YOUNG,RICH AND BEAUTIFUL ONLY!

Having working poor, retired, disabled and minority mass transit customers being in such a highly visible location was EMBARRASSING for these ELITISTS on the Austin City Council,many of whom come from influential families and do not have to take the bus in spite the drivel they preach about reducing greenhouse gases and thus creating more hot air... So they conspired with the Texas Historical Commission ( WHY them indeed, I will never know!) to have the bus stop moved away for SECURITY reasons. Like the poor and downtrodden people who ride the bus were going to do anything to the capitol building or the governor's mansion. If that was the case, then the damage would have been done a long time ago. These folks were just interested in taking their bus and GOING HOME! Most of them VOTED for GOVERNOR PERRY AND NONE OF THE ONES I SPOKE WITH HAD ANY INTEREST IN HARMING HIM OR HIS FAMILY!

The irony is that THE ARSON APPARENTLY WAS COMMITTED BY A YOUNG WHITE MALE WHO WAS NOT WAITING FOR THE BUS. HE APPARENTLY HAD AN ACCOMPLICE WHO WAS DRIVING A SEDAN! according to news reports and broadcasts.

Isn't that the sort of person they wanted downtown in the first place, a YOUNG WHITE MALE? He was probably a rich, arrogant young man on drugs or drunk -- the same kind of rich young guy who vandalized the Zilker Park Holiday Decorations several years ago.

Anyway, here is some documentation on the Texas Governor's mansion being nearly destroyed by this ( expletive deleted) and you have to wonder about our TAXPAYER DOLLARS that were supposed to pay for ADEQUATE SECURITY TO PROTECT OUR GOVERNOR AND HIS FAMILY. After all, THEY COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE FIRE BOMB ( Later determined to be a Molotov Cocktail-like device was tossed out).IGNITED IT!

And taxpayer dollars for the alarms and intruder detection devices that were apparently wasted since they were certainly NOT working that night.

**Texas Governor's Mansion Fire
Sunday June 8, 2008
Although it's too early to assess the complete damage, today's fire at the Governor's Mansion is a devastating loss to all Texans. As I'm watching KEYE-TV news right now it appears that there is some early good news -- because the Mansion was undergoing renovation the valuable and irreplaceable artifacts were not in the building at the time of the fire. Additionally, Governor and Mrs. Perry were out of the country (and had moved out of the mansion temporarily because of the construction) at the time of the fire.

Home to Texas Governor's since 1856, the Greek Revival style building located across the street from the Capitol was built by architect Abner Cook. The Mansion was a popular tourist attraction for Austin visitors whether they were taking one of the tours or simply admiring the building from the street. My kids and I would often walk by each time we were downtown. I recall one early morning stroll when we spotted Governor Perry outside in one of the side yards with his dog. I did a doubletake because he was so unexpectedly close. I wish I'd taken my kids on one of the tours inside the building before this tragic event. Early reports indicate that while the exterior walls are standing the damage inside the building is extensive, with at least partial collapse of the roof.

IMPORTANT- IN CASE ANYBODY AT THE BUS STOP WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN RELOCATED OR ANYBODY ELSE SAW ANYTHING:

Arson is suspected. If you were in the area in the early morning hours and think you may have seen something related to the fire or know anything about the fire, please call 1-877-434-7345 with information.

**FROM KEYE TV- CHANNEL 42 in Austin,Texas:

Fire investigators think someone intentionally set a fire Sunday that heavily damaged the 150-year old Texas Governor's Mansion in Downtown Austin.

"The damage borders on catastrophic," Robert Black, a spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry said.

Part of the roof has collapsed and the fire destroyed much of the internal structure. But Texas Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said the building is salvageable.

The first call about the fire came in just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters entered the mansion from the front door and knocked the fire down but realized it had spread through the walls and to the attic. They had to leave the building and make what's called a defensive attack. More than 100 firefighters battled the fire.
Hours after the fire, our Downtown tower camera caught a hotspot flaring up at the Texas Governor's Mansion. You can see the flames to the left and water being sprayed on them to the right.

Hours after the fire, our Downtown tower camera caught a hotspot flaring up at the Texas Governor's Mansion. You can see the flames to the left and water being sprayed on them to the right.

No one was inside the 150-year-old home when the fire began. The mansion had been undergoing a $10 million renovation, and Perry and his wife had moved out last fall. All of the furniture, paintings and other artifacts had been moved out of the building.

"The mansion was completely empty. The walls had been stripped of all paint and wallpaper. Crews were doing extensive work cutting into walls, replacing pipes, fixing pipes, electrical work that sort of thing, Black said.

Perry and his wife, Anita, are currently in Sweden on a European trip.

We are heartbroken by the fire that has ravaged the Texas Governor's Mansion. It has not only been our home for the past eight years, but has stood as a symbol of Texas pride throughout its history. Though it can certainly be rebuilt, what Texas has lost today can never be replaced.

We are grateful to all the firefighters who worked heroically to save this historic landmark and Texas treasure. And like all Texans, we hope that this remarkable building, which has served as the home for our family and other Texas governors' for the last 150 years, can be saved and restored.
The fire broke at just before 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
(BARS IN TEXAS CLOSE AT 2 A.M. THINK ABOUT IT)
More than six hours later heavy smoke was still pouring out as onlookers came to see for themselves.

My thoughts this morning when I first heard it on TV was, 'My God. Why do things like this happen.' It's very, very sad, Garland Hays, visiting from Sulphur Springs said.

This is just a great treasure and wonderful place for all of us to think of and we're just heartsick. A terrible loss, Austinite Carlton Wilkes said.

It is one of the few governors mansions in the nation that is still intact and it is a work of Abner who was a prominent builder in Austin," according to Wayne Bell, Texas Historic Commission architect. "To Texas, it was a major loss. The United States a major loss too.

"It ranks along with the Alamo and the San Jacinto monument as one of the real historical landmarks of Texas," historical scholar Terrell Blodgett said.

The National Response Team from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms are on its way to help with the investigation. In addition to interviews with witnesses, Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said investigators are reviewing video from security cameras.

88Security looked at in Governor's Mansion blaze

11:39 PM CDT on Monday, June 9, 2008

The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN 911 records from Sunday's fire at the Texas Governor's Mansion indicate that a passer-by reported the blaze moments before the Department of Public Safety officer stationed there and after it had engulfed the entire front of the 152-year-old home.

While neither the state fire marshal nor the governor's office is laying blame for Sunday's blaze at DPS' feet, it remains unclear how a suspected arsonist got close enough to the mansion to start the fire. The historic home, which has been vacant since extensive renovations began last fall, was guarded by authorities.

"The governor's immediate focus is on catching the perpetrator," said Robert Black, spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry. "But these are difficult questions that will be asked, not only by the governor but by the Legislature and by taxpayers who have had a part of their history taken away."

DPS officials responded indirectly to questions about the level of security at the mansion on Sunday, saying they were doing a routine review. Agency officials would not comment on how many officers were stationed at the mansion on Sunday. It's their policy not to discuss the governor's security detail.


DPS records show security concerns at Texas Capitol

Perry faults DPS for 'lapses' leading up to Governor's Mansion fire

State calls for public's help with tips on Texas Governor's Mansion fire

Texas Governor's Mansion alarm may have malfunctioned

Fire marshal: Video shows person setting fire at Texas Governor's Mansion

Rick Perry vows to rebuild Texas Governor's Mansion

Arson suspected in Texas Governor's Mansion blaze

Perry vows to rebuild Texas governor's mansion (KVUE)

"Obviously anytime something like this happens, we don't like it," said Capt. Paul Schulze. "We're still reviewing everything we have."

State authorities, assisted by a national arson investigation team, revealed few new details Monday about who may have set the fire. So far, their best evidence comes from security cameras, which captured at least one person near the mansion when the pre-dawn fire erupted.

Meanwhile, anxious preservationists are waiting their turn to assess the damage from Sunday's blaze, a chance they may not get until later this week. Once all criminal evidence has been collected and it's safe to enter, officials say, the Greek Revival-style mansion will be turned over to historical engineers and period architects. They will determine what if anything can be saved.

"We're taking steps to ensure further damage is not incurred," said Krista Piferrer, a spokeswoman for Mr. Perry. "But we're having those conversations with the knowledge that we don't want to do anything to compromise the criminal investigation."

Sunday's blaze broke out just before 2 a.m., and took several hours and 100 firefighters to put it out. No one was injured in the fire, which nearly demolished the mansion.

The Perrys, who have been living in an Austin-area rental home since the multimillion-dollar renovation began, are traveling in Europe and are expected home today. The art and artifacts normally housed in the mansion were in storage for the renovation, which was scheduled to include a sprinkler system.

Investigators spent Monday interviewing witnesses and the DPS troopers who responded to the fire. Emergency 911 calls released by the Austin Fire Department indicate a man walking down the street with his girlfriend was the first to report the fire, at 1:43 a.m., followed 24 seconds later by a DPS trooper who noticed the mansion fire alarm had been triggered.

In his two-minute phone conversation with a 911 operator, the pedestrian described flames leaping from the mansion's door to the roof and said the entire front facade was on fire. The fire department arrived moments later.

Austin firefighter Brian Janek and others fight a fire early Sunday morning at the Governor's Mansion in Austin.


State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said there is no evidence that the fire was politically motivated, and investigators don't know whether the arsonist was an experienced criminal or a prankster. The fire did not start with an explosion, he said. K-9 dogs were on the scene on Monday to try to sniff out an accelerant.

"We still have evidence that we collected on the scene that indicates this is an intentionally set fire," he said.

He said no one was pointing the finger at DPS.

"It is not determined yet whether there was any fault of the agency," he said.

Questions about whether the mansion is salvageable will fall to the State Preservation Board and the Texas Historical Commission, Ms. Piferrer said. Their engineers and architects will assess the damage after all the criminal evidence has been collected. The contractors who were in the process of renovating the mansion will be at the table, too, she said.

"I don't think anybody's ready to say for sure that it is" restorable, she said.

Once the preservationists get in, their first task will probably be to triage the house, said William Dupont, a historic conservation expert at the University of Texas at San Antonio. If need be, they'll add structural reinforcement to stabilize the building, he said.

If the home can be stabilized, it's probably not a loss, said Mr. Dupont. In many cases, he said, "large timbers, even when charred, are strong enough to hold the loads assigned to them."

The next step is generally to drain the house, he said, because water in the masonry and timber speeds decomposition. Firefighters pumped water out of the mansion's basement at the request of preservationists, for fear it would weaken the home's foundation.

Mr. Black said Mr. Perry hopes to see the mansion rebuilt but that it would be up to the Legislature to decide whether the project gets funded. He said it is "way too early" to determine the cost of restoring the mansion.

**DPS records show security concerns at Texas Capitol

11:02 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 9, 2008

AUSTIN,TX - Ten days before an arsonist set fire to the 152-year-old Governor's Mansion, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper assigned to the Capitol expressed concern in a memo about inadequate security there, according to published reports.


911 calls reporting the mansion fire

* Caller 1 reports at 1:43 a.m.
* DPS reports at 1:44 a.m.
* Caller 2 reports at 1:46 a.m.

The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News reported in online editions Wednesday that records obtained under the Texas Public Information Act documented DPS' concerns about staffing shortages and weakened security at the Capitol.

"Our troopers are constantly being pulled away from their primary responsibility, which is to maintain public safety and security at the Capitol," Sgt. Adam Kinslow, assigned to the Capitol, said in a May 29 memo.

The June 8 fire caused heavy damage to the mansion's roof and columned front.

Only 13 of 20 security cameras on the mansion grounds were working when the fire broke out, and a motion sensor system wasn't working properly, a state official has said.

The documents consisting of dozens of DPS e-mail exchanges indicate concerns dating back to last fall. Some recent complaints addressed trooper reassignments that exacerbated staff shortages.

Capitol troopers were diverted to the Governor's Mansion and Honor Guard details, Texas Supreme Court and Operation Border Star with the latter posing a particular problem wrote Kinslow in the memo, which was among documents released to the newspapers on Tuesday.

"Not only do we not have the manpower to spare, many of the troopers we are sending to the border lack current training and recent experience in patrol procedures, which is unsafe for them and the public. By sending troopers to Operation Border Star, security is weakened at the Capitol," Kinslow wrote.

He complained to Lt. Ken Scheer that two troopers were taken away from Capitol duties for the Governor's Mansion, another two for the Honor Guard, and one each for the Supreme Court and Operation Border Star, a border security program.

"There are several days security coverage is lacking due to these assignments," Kinslow wrote.

DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said the Capitol isn't in danger and that troopers sent to the border are properly trained.

Another newspaper report said a state trooper on duty at the Governor's Mansion the night of the fire spent about 27 minutes surfing Internet Web sites, according to a newspaper report.

The Austin American-Statesman reported in its online edition Tuesday that records obtained under the Texas Public Information Act show the trooper spent about five minutes on youtube, about two minutes on livevideo and 20 minutes on waterpoweredcar.websites.

DPS has previously said that the trooper, who was working alone when the fire broke out June 8, was surfing the Internet, several feet away from a security camera console, when an alarm alerted him to the fire.

Internet surfing does not violate agency policy unless it interferes with an employee's performance or involves prohibited or pornographic Web sites, which DPS officials said this surfing did not.

Meanwhile, the Texas Attorney General's Office has ruled state officials don't have to release video surveillance tapes of the Governor's Mansion from the day it burned because of a pending criminal investigation.

( IS THIS SOME RICH,YOUNG WHITE MALE THAT THEY RE TRYING TO PROTECT BECAUSE OF HIS POLITICAL CONNECTIONS? WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ARREST BY NOW!)


**Texas Governor's Mansion alarm may have "malfunctioned"

06:17 PM CDT on Saturday, June 14, 2008

HOUSTON A lawyer for state troopers says an infrared security system designed to detect intruders wasn't working the night that an arsonist torched the governor's mansion.



911 calls reporting the mansion fire

* Caller 1 reports at 1:43 a.m.
* DPS reports at 1:44 a.m.
* Caller 2 reports at 1:46 a.m.


The security system used infrared beams that would sound an alarm to troopers in a carriage house behind the mansion if someone got over the property walls.

Don Dickson, an Austin lawyer who represents the Texas State Troopers Association, told the Houston Chronicle that one of his clients notified Department of Public Safety superiors that the system wasn't working.

DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange declined to comment, saying that the fire is still under investigation.

The DPS cut back its security at the 152-year-old mansion last year after Gov. Rick Perry and his wife moved out at the start of a $10 million renovation job. Only one trooper was on duty when the fire broke out early on the morning of June 8.

State officials said this week that security cameras captured video of someone lighting an object and throwing it on the front porch. The fire caused extensive damage, although Perry said the mansion can be salvaged.

The Chronicle reported in Saturday editions that the infrared system hadn't been working for at least four weeks despite complaints by troopers.

DPS authorized the return of the system to the manufacturer for repairs, said Edward Johnson, executive director of the Texas Facilities Commission, which is overseeing the mansion renovation but has no control over security.

"If it were me that was in charge of security and I had my (alarm) system in the shop, I would have substituted that with armed guards at the gates or at all the corners," Johnson said.

Dickson, the lawyers for the troopers group, said the officers frequently deal with broken-down gear.

"Equipment failures are not uncommon at the DPS," he said. "We have troopers all over Texas who have been notifying their supervisors that their cameras don't work or this doesn't work or that doesn't work. And it's hell getting them replaced."


**Fire marshal: Video shows person setting fire at Texas Governor's Mansion

02:31 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Dallas Morning News


AUSTIN The state fire marshal confirmed Thursday that surveillance video shows a person igniting something and hurling it onto the front porch of the mansion moments before a four-alarm fire at the historic Texas Governor's Mansion.

State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said state and federal investigators were working to enhancing the video footage and the image of the individual's face. Officials said Thursday the video would not be made public at this time.

Mr. Maldonado said the black-and-white and color video surveillance collected from the scene shows one individual coming onto the mansion grounds, lighting an incendiary material and throwing it onto the front porch.

The fire progressed rapidly, he said.

Mr. Maldonado wouldn't say whether the individual in the video was male or a female, though the fire marshal repeatedly used the he pronoun. He said he didn't know whether there were multiple people involved in the blaze, because security cameras only captured one person. No suspects have been named.

There hasn't been an award offered for information about the fire, but Mr. Maldonado said investigators were still asking the public to help.

Somebody saw something, he said. At the time we find a better description [of the suspect] we will provide it to the public.

Gov. Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry were on a trade mission in Europe at the time of the fire and have been living in a rental home since October. The mansion's artwork and artifacts are in storage.

State arson investigators turned over the 152-year-old mansion to preservationists and engineers, saying they'd collected all the on-site evidence.

Structural engineers and architects said they were surprised and pleased by how much of the home's original fabric survived the Sunday blaze. They acknowledged they face a long and costly road to restore the mansion, which will need a new roof.

Officials said the fact that the mansion was undergoing extensive renovations at the time of the blaze was serendipitous: much of the building was saved because of protective safety coverings.

The surviving fabric is in amazingly good condition, said John Volz, the historical architect who was overseeing the mansion's renovation project. It performed amazingly well through the fire.

Structural engineers and preservationists said they are starting the mansion restoration project immediately first by stabilizing the building, then by drying it out, and finally, by weather-proofing it.

Gary Jaster, an engineer who has been inside the mansion twice since the fire, said workers will start with the first floor, securing the building's walls and ceilings so it's safe for entry, then cleaning out the mountains of debris. The ceiling is irreparable and unsound, he said, and cranes will need to be brought in quickly to remove it. A temporary roof will be required to protect the mansion from bad weather. He said crews will work two shifts a day, including weekends, to get the job done.

Despite the mansion's destroyed appearance, Mr. Jaster said, there were a lot of nice surprises, including walls, windows, floors and stairways that look to be in very good shape. He said the mansion's trademark white columns can be saved.

Historical restoration experts said it was way too early to estimate home much the repair would cost. But they said they have the funds in the original renovation fund about $8 million -- to get the clean-up started immediately.


**Perry faults DPS for 'lapses' leading up to Governor's Mansion fire

07:14 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 24, 2008


AUSTIN,Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday that he's disappointed in the "lapses" at the Department of Public Safety that allowed an arsonist to torch the historic Governor's Mansion earlier this month.

It was Mr. Perry's first public response to a DPS investigation that so far has found that security was inadequate the night of the fire.

"Obviously, we're disappointed that there was not the response from some of those who realized that there were some lapses there, and that the leadership had not accepted those," Mr. Perry said, apparently referring to unheeded requests that additional guards were needed at the mansion.

There was only one trooper on duty that night, and investigators said he was inadequately trained and ill-equipped.

A spokeswoman for the DPS had no comment.

Mr. Perry said he did not believe the problems were a result of insufficient funds.

WHOEVER DID THIS CRIME WAS NOT A BUS RIDER AND YET THE BUS STOP WAS MOVED BECAUSE THE BUS RIDERS WERE DEEMED TO BE SECURITY RISKS!

TX Dept. of Public Safety
THP Region VII Capitol

Angry Taxpayer
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.