To: The Honorable Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas
Regarding: Reallocating Private Security Regulation from TX DPS to TDLR

PETITION OBJECTIVE
We, the undersigned citizens, licensed security professionals, and business owners of Texas, respectfully petition Governor Greg Abbott to support and direct the transfer of the Private Security Program from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

REASONS FOR THE TRANSFER

1. Focus on Core Public Safety Duties: DPS resources are heavily demanded for critical law enforcement operations, state border defense, and emergency responses. Shifting administrative occupational licensing to TDLR allows DPS troopers and analysts to focus fully on specialized law enforcement duties.
2. 
   Mitigation of Regulatory Conflict of Interest: Private security providers often operate in the same off-duty and specialized security spaces as state law enforcement personnel. Having the private sector directly regulated by an agency whose active agents compete for the same market opportunities creates an inherent conflict of interest. Shifting oversight to an independent body ensures an objective regulatory environment.
3. 
   Efficiency in Business Licensing: TDLR is specifically structured to handle massive volumes of professional credentials, renewals, and corporate compliance efficiently. Moving the Texas Online Private Security (TOPS) functions to TDLR will streamline application processing times and reduce licensing delays for nearly 200,000 security workers.
4. 
   Alignment of Occupational Regulation: Private security is a specialized service industry consisting of investigators, lock technicians, and protection personnel. It aligns directly with the occupational licensing framework managed by TDLR rather than the law-enforcement focus of DPS.

ACTION REQUESTED
We urge Governor Abbott to recommend this regulatory realignment as a legislative priority for the Texas Legislature, paving the way for a more streamlined, industry-focused licensing system that removes the  conflict of interest and that benefits both small businesses and the safety of Texas citizens.