Armored boats added to DPS arsenal

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Texas Department of Public Safety is unveiling a powerful new tool to fight drug dealers and human smugglers.

A new fleet of patrol boats is poised to join the battle along the Rio Grande and international lakes.

"This is what you call the bad boat. And indeed it is," said Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

McCraw and other DPS officials were on hand at Decker Lake in east Travis County on Thursday to show off the first of six “shallow water interceptors”. Each vessel costs approximately $580,000 fully equipped. The funding comes from the Texas Legislature and federal grants.

The 34-foot long boats feature armored glass and armored hulls, along with 900-horsepower engines. The vessels sport 4 machine gun turrets and state of the art night vision cameras.

"It is fully capable of taking whatever threats they'll encounter. And there will be a full spectrum of threats, because we will be using this as an interdiction tool. The cartels continue to exploit, move ton quantities of drugs or humans across that river and those waterways. We need to be able to interdict those," said McCraw.

DPS will name each of the six vessels in honor of a fallen trooper. The one unveiled Thursday salutes Jerry Don Davis, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in Lubbock County on Oct. 5, 1980, after stopping a subject for a traffic violation. Davis had been a trooper less than 20 months and was stationed at Slaton.

Davis’ mother Joyce and other family members took a ceremonial ride around Decker Lake aboard the “J.D. Davis.”

"J.D.'s mother was completely thrilled about it. She just chokes up every time she starts to talk about it at all," said Michael Davis, cousin of the slain trooper. “This is a great honor for him. And I know he's looking down. He's proud."

McCraw said Texans should owe a deep sense of gratitude to the families of fallen officers.

"It's humbling to be around people that would care so much about their fellow citizens that they would gladly give their life, recognizing that families sacrifice when they're on the job and they pay the ultimate sacrifice with their lives."

The newly formed Highway Patrol Tactical Marine Unit will eventually number 40 DPS officers. The team will work in coordination with local and federal law enforcement agencies and provide assistance as needed.

The six boats will be deployed along the border in early 2012.