Produced by the Texas Department of Public Safety, this film demonstrates the ways in which the agency strives to live up to its motto, "Courtesy Service Protection." Tracing its history back to the Texas Rangers, the DPS's responsibilities have grown and evolved from its original task of making the frontier safe to making the streets safe. The modern DPS officer must be skilled in a wide variety of duties, including accident investigation, truck inspection, and driver exam administration. To ensure the officers can execute their tasks and offer the public a high standard of service, all must complete a rigorous training program, also outlined in the film.
Established by the Texas Legislature on August 10, 1935, the Texas Department of Public Safety was created by the consolidation of the Texas Highway Motor Patrol with the Texas Rangers. Since that time, its duties have grown to include such activities as the state licensing of drivers, vehicle inspection, narcotics enforcement, and the State Civil Defense Office, (now the Division of Emergency Management,) which aids local governments during times of natural disaster or social upheaval. While its duties have evolved over time, the mission of the DPS has remained constant - to provide public safety services to those people in the state of Texas by enforcing laws, administering regulatory programs, managing records, educating the public, and managing emergencies, both directly and through interaction with other agencies.
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