Texas lawmaker say cities could lose state dollars if they reallocate police monies

After meeting with nine law enforcement and public safety advocates in late January, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted a strong warning to cities entertaining the idea of defunding police departments: “We will defund any city that tries to defund police.”

At a press conference following the roundtable meeting, the governor expounded on his commitment to prioritize police. “[Texas] will always be a law-and-order state, and we must lead the way for the rest of the nation when it comes to supporting our police,” reported Fox News. “The government’s number one responsibility is to keep its citizens safe, and we will not allow cities to recklessly defund the police and put innocent lives in danger.”

Reporters said the governor specifically pointed the finger at Austin because city leaders there voted to slash more than one-third of its police budget last August.

“We cannot, and we will not, allow cities like Austin to defund the police,” said Abbott.