Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued 8 executive orders Thursday in an effort to prevent further mass shootings in the state, said his office.
The orders were issued only days after the latest deadly shooting in West Texas when seven people lost their lives and several weeks after a mass shooting in El Paso left 22 people dead. On Sunday, new laws went into effect in the state that loosen gun restrictions.
One of the measures signed by the governor requires that the Texas Department of Public Safety improve the process of reporting information to the Texas Suspicious Activity Reporting Network within 30 days.
The Lone Star State governor also directed the Department of Public Safety to “develop clear guidance, based on the appropriate legal standard,” regarding the fashion in which law enforcement submit reports, likewise within 30 days, CNN reports.
Among the other orders is one that requires that the public is informed on how the reports to the network are used to identify potential mass shooters or terrorist threats. Governor Abbott also signed an order to increase the number of law enforcement officials at fusion centers to better monitor online activity for potential threats. Public safety officials are likewise to work with mental health professionals and schools to create threat assessment teams for their areas.
However, the orders were not received well by former Texas Representative Beto O’Rourke, who said that none of the eight measures mentions guns.
They are a “starting point in the process to keep Texas communities safe,” said Abbott’s office, adding that legislative action is needed.
“Texas must achieve several objectives to better protect our communities and our residents from mass shootings. One of those objectives is to marshal law enforcement resources to stop violent criminals before they commit mass murders. But more must be done,” the governor said. “I will continue to work expeditiously with the legislature on laws to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, while safeguarding the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Texans.”
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