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Public Safety Commission creates Homeland Security Division, names leadership to unite intelligence and preparedness
Summary
The commission approved formation of a Homeland Security Division created by Senate Bill 36 and appointed Gerald Brown as chief and Mike George as assistant chief of homeland security operations.
The Public Safety Commission approved creation of a Homeland Security Division that consolidates homeland security, intelligence and counterterrorism functions, and appointed leadership to run the new division.
Colonel Martin, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, described Senate Bill 36 as formalizing a division dedicated to statewide homeland security strategy, intelligence analysis, critical infrastructure protection and emergency preparedness. "This division was created to co‑locate and streamline homeland security and intelligence in Texas and put it under one umbrella," Col. Martin said.
Under the approved structure, Gerald Brown (recommended by department leadership) will serve as chief of the Homeland Security Division effective Sept. 1, 2025. Mike George will serve as assistant chief overseeing homeland security operations. The division will also include an existing assistant chief for intelligence and counterterrorism, Amy Hawk, who will continue in that role.
Col. Martin outlined the office's responsibilities: developing and coordinating the statewide homeland security strategic plan, conducting threat and hazard assessments required by federal grant guidance, coordinating large multi‑agency exercises, and improving information sharing with the private sector and critical‑infrastructure stakeholders. He told commissioners the division will combine the Office of Homeland Security and the Intelligence/Counterterrorism functions into a single division to improve coordination and deployment of analytic and exercise resources.
Commissioners moved and amended the motion to both establish the division and appoint the named leaders. The motion was approved by voice vote.
Why this matters: The new division centralizes functions that DPS said were previously dispersed across smaller offices. DPS leaders said the change is intended to increase capacity to track threats, coordinate statewide exercises and better serve private‑sector critical infrastructure partners.
The department said the Homeland Security Division will absorb the intelligence and counterterrorism analytic workload and expand outreach to partner agencies and industry; the change follows the legislature's direction in Senate Bill 36.
Provenance: First related transcript excerpt: "Senate bill 36 created a Homeland Security Division within the Department of Public Safety." Last related transcript excerpt: "Motion has been made, seconded, and amended, to approve the Homeland Security Division... Motion passes."
