Freeman F. Martin, Colonel
Director, Texas Department of Public Safety
Freeman F. Martin became the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on December 1, 2024 – the first Texas Ranger to ascend to the position. He now leads the agency of over 11,000 commissioned and non-commissioned personnel charged with ensuring the safety and security of Texas.
Prior to being appointed Director, Martin served as the Senior Deputy Director over Homeland Security at DPS, where he played a crucial role in planning, directing, managing and overseeing a wide range of activities and operations including executive protection, violent crime prevention operations, intelligence, counterterrorism, homeland security and the border.
Martin’s career with DPS spans over three decades, beginning in 1990 as a Trooper in the Texas Highway Patrol Division. His career includes roles as a Sergeant in the Narcotics Service and Texas Ranger Sergeant in Houston before promoting through the ranks in the Texas Ranger Division. In 2014, he was named Regional Commander (now known as Regional Director) for the Central Texas Region. In 2018, he was appointed Deputy Director of Homeland Security.
Martin is a native of New Deal. He has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command.
Walt Goodson, Lt. Colonel
Deputy Director Law Enforcement Services
Walt Goodson is a thirty-one-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), where he currently serves as the Lieutenant Colonel of Law Enforcement Services. In this role, he provides executive oversight of ten DPS divisions, including the Crime Laboratory, Crime Records, Driver License, Finance, Information Technology, Infrastructure Operations, Media and Communications, Government Relations, Training Operations, and Regulatory Services Divisions.
Goodson began his career with DPS as a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper and has since held numerous leadership positions across the Department. His assignments have included service as a member of the DPS SWAT Team, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain in the Criminal Investigations Division, Captain over the Law Enforcement Promotions System, Major of the DPS Training Academy, Assistant Chief of the Infrastructure Operations Division, and Chief of the Training Operations Division. Before joining DPS, he served as a Correctional Officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Goodson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Science in Quality Systems Management from the New England College of Business. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, the DPS Command College, and the Governor’s Executive Development Program.
A past president and life member of both the American Polygraph Association and the Texas Association of Law Enforcement Polygraph Investigators, Goodson remains an active member of several professional law enforcement organizations.
Jason Taylor, Lt. Colonel
Deputy Director Law Enforcement Operations
Jason C. Taylor began his career with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in 1998. He was assigned to the Anahuac and New Caney offices as a State Trooper before promoting into the Criminal Investigations Division. He served as a Sergeant/Investigator in the Special Crimes Service in Garland and with the Criminal Intelligence Service in Houston.
LT Colonel Taylor was then accepted into the Texas Ranger Division in 2008, where his first assignment was with Company “F” – Waco and later with Company “A” – Houston. In 2011, he promoted to Ranger Lieutenant, Captain in 2014 and was subsequently assigned to oversee the Public Integrity Unit (PIU) at Austin headquarters before promoting to Ranger Major in 2016, in Houston. In 2018, he promoted to Regional Director of DPS operations in Southeast Texas, and in October 2022, he was appointed to Chief of the Texas Ranger Division. Most recently, he was appointed to his current position as LT Colonel, Law Enforcement Operations in February 2024.
LT Colonel Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He volunteers for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, where he serves on the Emergency Response Team. He is a four-time recipient of the Houston 100 Club Officer of the Year Award and has received other awards and commendations, including a DPS Regional Commander’s Award and a Ranger Company Commander’s Award.