The Public Safety Commission, which oversees the DPS, tapped Martin for the role Nov. 20. He will become director Dec. 1, according to a news release.
“I can think of no one better in this moment to lead this department than Freeman Martin,” PSC chair Steven Mach said in a statement. “His knowledge of this department, how it operates, what it needs and what its people need is unmatched. ... I am confident he will guide this department into the future with the steadfast leadership that the people of this agency—and Texans, deserve.”
What you need to know
Martin’s appointment comes less than three months after McCraw announced his retirement from the DPS Aug. 23. McCraw led the agency for 15 years and has recently been in the spotlight for the DPS’ response to the 2022 Uvalde school shooting and the ongoing immigration crackdown at the Texas-Mexico border.
McCraw will officially retire Nov. 30, according to the DPS. Martin’s first day as director will be Dec. 1, and he will be sworn in during a special ceremony Dec. 2 in Austin.
Martin joined the DPS in 1990, starting as a highway patrol trooper in Chambers County, east of Houston. He later became a narcotics service officer before joining the Texas Rangers. Martin was named regional commander of the department’s Central Texas region in 2014 and appointed deputy director—McCraw’s second-in-command—in 2018.
He will be the first Texas Ranger to lead the department, according to the DPS.
Martin coordinated the agency’s role in Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security initiative, Operation Lone Star, and led the response to “numerous high-profile crises” such as Hurricane Harvey and the 2017 mass shooting in Sutherland Springs, according to the DPS. He also launched a Texas Anti-Gang Center in San Antonio.
A native Texan, Martin hails from New Deal, a town outside Lubbock.
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The DPS patrols Texas highways and the state Capitol; stations troops at the border; issues driver's licenses and other state identification; collaborates with local and federal law enforcement and more.
Martin will oversee over 11,000 employees and manage a biennial budget that often exceeds $2 billion, according to the PSC.
“The opportunity to lead this organization that I love is the honor of a lifetime,” Martin said in a statement. “I am deeply honored and grateful to the Public Safety Commission and the Governor for entrusting me with the leadership of this agency. I’m committed to carrying out our mission of protecting and serving the people of Texas.”
