News

The DPS Officers Association has commissioned a survey of current pay scales for law enforcement agencies through out the state. This information can be reviewed in the following document and is essentially a DPS pay comparison relative to peer agencies.

	2010-2011 Base Pay Comparison
	Base Pay Comparison(PDF file)

Trooper James Scott Burns, 39, right, was fatally wounded just before 8 p.m. near Jefferson, Texas on 4/29/08. Authorities said that Trooper Burns had just stopped the suspect's vehicle when the driver got out armed with a shotgun, and started shooting as the Trooper sat in his vehicle.

"The witness who actually saw the suspect firing, said he was shooting from the hip with the shotgun," according to Marion County District Attorney Bill Gleason. Four shotgun blasts are believed to have been fired. "The officer didn't have time to do anything except stop," Gleason added. "He didn't have time to get out, grab a gun, unbuckle his seatbelt. Nothing," Gleason said.

According the DPS Authorities a citizen used the Trooper's car radio to call for help. Trooper Burns was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect in the fatal shooting, Brandon Wayne Robertson, 37, was found dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound near CR 1347 road and Morris Lake in Cass County, Texas. He was discovered around 5 p.m. Thursday, 5/1/08.

Robertson’s girlfriend and alleged accomplice, Jennifer Lynne Petrick, 36, was taken into custody at the scene. Criminal charges are pending against Petrick and she was expected to be booked into the Cass County Jail.

Authorities had tracked Robertson through information gained from telephone calls he made to a local 911 center, as well as through investigation and tips from citizens. Robertson killed himself as authorities closed in on his location.

Various local law enforcement agencies assisted DPS in the search for Robertson, including the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the Longview Police Department, as well as the District Attorneys from Bowie, Cass, Marion and Smith counties.

Trooper Burns joined DPS on March 1, 2003. Following graduation from the DPS Recruit School, he was stationed in Linden, Texas until that office was closed. He was subsequently transferred to Atlanta, Texas in 2004 and then Jefferson, Texas in 2006 where he was serving at the time of this death. Trooper Burns had served honorably with the Department of Public Safety for five years. He was married and the father of a five month old baby.

Before joining the DPS, Trooper Burns had worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He was born in Longview, Texas and attended college at Tyler Junior College, Texarkana College and Ouachita Baptist University.

DPS Academy Commencement - 2007 Classes C-07 and D-07 Are Sworn In
The Texas Highway Patrol is a proud fraternity of expertly trained professionals serving our state in the finest tradition. Troopers serve in various capacities, some of which you may not be aware. The DPS has its own SWAT units, drug interdiction teams, pilots, divers, and others involved in specialized rescue, as well as those jobs with which we are all familiar.

On March 28, 2008, a record 166 cadets were sworn in as DPS Troopers at the Shoreline Community Center in Austin. The solemn ceremony was attended by family and friends as well as state officials and the public at large. These men and women successfully completed an intensive 26-week course which began on September 30, 2007 and included 1187 hours of training. Not everyone who applies for a position as a Texas State Trooper will graduate from the DPS Academy. The entry standards and performance expectations are both high. On average, only 25 percent of those applying for the Academy are accepted and actually begin training. Attrition accounts for an additional 15 percent of enrollees lost to the physical or mental rigors of training and course work. Those who persevere continue their course of study receiving training in the latest law enforcement techniques and procedures. Focus and knowledge retention are reinforced by a Sunday through Friday on-campus schedule. The Austin-based DPS training complex boasts a 400-bed dormitory facility complete with full cafeteria. Only the firearms training and driving courses are held off site.

Speaking to the new Troopers, DPS Director Thomas A. Davis, Jr., emphasized the singular importance of maintaining unquestioned personal integrity in life and the pursuit of duty. Special Guest Speaker, Governor Rick Perry, addressed the cadets and their families and spoke of the important role that the DPS Troopers play in making Texas great. He thanked them for their sacrifice and commitment to their profession. Governor Perry armed them with the knowledge that they will inevitably be role models for those in their communities.

Following the commencement activities the new Troopers were dispatched to their new duty stations throughout Texas, but not without first visiting the offices of the DPS Officer's Association. Most of the graduating cadets, 165 in all, enrolled as members of the DPSOA, and stopped at the DPSOA store to pick up their new member packets. Whether in a large metropolitan area or a small rural district, these new Troopers will carry on the proud tradition of the Texas Department of Public Safety, and its Motto, "Courtesy, Service, Protection."