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Large DPS security presence at the Alamo expected to grow

Texas state troopers patrol around the Alamo on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Eric Gay
/
AP
Texas state troopers patrol around the Alamo on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.

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The Texas Department of Public Safety already has a large presence at the Alamo complex on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, and it's expected to grow even larger in the months ahead.

Following passage of Senate Bill 1 last year, state troopers in December replaced the Alamo Rangers, a volunteer security organization that had watched over the Alamo for the past 50 years. The law transferred responsibility for security at the Alamo to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

DPS officials say dozens of personnel are now assigned to the site, often referred to as the "Shrine of Texas Liberty," with several more expected in the coming months.

"It is a tremendous honor to oversee the department's transition in taking over security operations for the Alamo, helping to preserve one of the greatest symbols in Texas history," said DPS Director Colonel Freeman F. Martin.

Personnel from the agency's Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigations Division, and Homeland Security Division are stationed at the Alamo complex to provide around-the-clock protection for buildings, visitors and employees.

The security presence also includes troopers on bicycles and a bomb-sniffing dog, with another K-9 unit expected to be added.

The Alamo is the state's top tourist attraction, drawing just under 2 million visitors a year.

The Alamo complex is also in the midst of a $550 million redevelopment that includes a new visitor center and museum with a 4D theater featuring simulated battle effects.

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Brian Kirkpatrick
Brian Kirkpatrick has been a journalist in Texas most of his life, covering San Antonio news since 1993, including the deadly October 1998 flooding, the arrival of the Toyota plant in 2003, and the base closure and realignments in 2005.