MIDLAND Texas Governor Greg Abbott made the first of several stops in the Permian Basin this week as he hosted a border roundtable discussion with local law enforcement at the Midland County Horseshoe Arena Thursday.
During the discussion, Abbott talked with law enforcement officers from around the area about the ongoing crisis at the southern border and its reverberating impact in local communities throughout Texas.
Joining the governor was Texas Department of Safety Director Steven McCraw, Midland County Judge Terry Johnson as well as law enforcement representatives from Upton, Midland, Ector, Tom Green, Dawson, Martin, Howard and Andrews Counties.
Ector County Sherriff Mike Griffis was also present at the roundtable discussion.
After the roundtable discussion, the Texas governor answered a few questions from the media.
Abbott talked about the vital role that local law enforcement plays in dealing with any border crisis.
“The local law enforcement in counties, including the border counties themselves, they’re on the front lines of having to deal with waves of people coming into the country and the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “Texas partners with local law enforcers and officials in those counties. … We wanted to meet here in Midland to understand the challenges … and to make sure that they know that they’re using the same strategies that are being used on the border in order to keep their communities safe.”
Griffis shared his thoughts on the roundtable discussion afterwards.
The sheriff mentioned that he asked the governor about putting more funding in the prison system.
“The governor says there is plans to put more money in the prison system because it’s an unfunded mandate,” Griffis said. “We arrest these people, they get prosecuted, which incidentally, I think there needs to be a new overhaul, a new minimum on sentences. …. Just imagine, if we put these people in prison (and) we kept them there … just think of your home owner’s insurance going down because there’s less crime. It just makes so much sense. It just drives me crazy.”
Griffis talked about his thoughts on the overhaul on minimum sentences.
“Just here in Ector County, there are so many people that need to be in jail or prison,” Griffis said. “We send them to prison but they’re back in their communities, committing crimes again. It’s an unfunded mandate because they should be in prison.”
Abbott has also been in the Permian Basin fundraising and meeting with various groups. A dinner was held for Abbott Thursday night in Midland. He is on the campaign trail raising funds with the GOP primary just months away in March.
Abbott will deliver remarks at the Midland Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly’s Reagan Lunch at noon on Friday at the Bush Convention Center Ballroom.
The governor will also be in attendance at the tailgate and flip the coin before the Permian-Midland Legacy football game later that day at Grande Communications Stadium.
