Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday accused the City of Dallas of driving AT&T out of downtown because of public safety and homelessness issues, claims the company itself has not made, and said the state will investigate whether the city has violated Texas law by failing to fully fund and staff its police department.

At a campaign event in Fort Worth on Tuesday, the governor cited the city's failure to fully fund and staff the police department and "contain a homeless problem" following AT&T's announcement on Monday that it's officially moving its global headquarters from Downtown Dallas to Plano in the next three years.

Abbott made the allegations during a news conference at the Fort Worth Police Officers Association headquarters as he accepted their endorsement in his bid for a fourth term.  

"Dallas is bearing the brunt or burden of their failure to have a fully staffed law enforcement, their failure to contain a homeless problem," Abbott said. "Local leaders, it is their responsibility to ensure that homeless people are not endangering their citizens. It is the responsibility of local leaders to fully fund their local law enforcement. Because Dallas did not do that, AT&T is now moving out of Downtown Dallas."

"Business leaders have praised our successes in our urban core, which include expanded police presence and our remarkable success relocating people experiencing homelessness. But ultimately, this was a decision that came down to AT&T's desire for a new horizontal location with significant acreage for development. AT&T's transition will be gradual, and the company will remain part of our city's fabric in the years ahead," Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said in a statement.

AT&T's headquarters had been in Dallas since 2008. Despite the move, the company said it still believes the DFW metroplex is the right place to continue to thrive.

"But if you go back to the law that I signed," Abbott said, "we will defund any city that defunds the police."

Under that law, if the governor's Public Safety Office determines a city has defunded its police department, the city will be subject to tax rate limitations, lose access to certain tax revenues, and be subject to other budgetary requirements and limitations.  

"We're going to be looking into what the city of Dallas has or has not done with regard to funding the police," said Abbott. "See if they're in violation of that state law that I signed." 

Dallas police respond 

"Our officers are delivering results across Dallas. Downtown is benefiting from dedicated patrols and proactive work, while every neighborhood remains a priority," Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux said in a statement.

The department also issued a statement, which reads in part:

"The Dallas Police Department's eight patrol divisions are at the forefront of our efforts to make Dallas the safest big city. In the downtown area, the Central Business District (CBD) and Central Patrol Divisions work tirelessly to enhance public safety and collaboratively address quality of life concerns from the residents and business partners that make downtown the heart of Dallas.
The Central Business District is bordered by Stemmons Freeway, Interstate 30, Woodall Rogers Freeway, and the Interstate 345 Expressway, and in 2025 a dedicated patrol division was created to focus on the unique concerns in a large city's urban core. Being in the heart of downtown, it was a priority to have a consistent and visible presence – using our Mounted Unit, bike officers and foot patrols, officer presence contributes greatly to the year-over-year reduction in crime downtown.
In 2025, CBD officers made 106 family violence arrests and arrested 90 fugitives wanted on felony warrants. During Operation Skyline Shield, which targeted offenders with warrants, probation violations, and known sex offenders, CBD arrested 21 felony suspects. Additionally, CBD has achieved the fastest response times, with an average of two minutes for Priority 1 emergency calls – something that would not have been possible without creating a dedicated division for the area.
The Downtown Task Force is dedicated to proactive police work, which included several operations involving multiple specialized Dallas PD units and outside law enforcement partners. In November and December 2025, the Task Force recovered more than 20 guns, 646 grams of marijuana, 32 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, 60 grams of methamphetamine, 9 grams of PCP, and smaller amounts of MDMA, alprazolam and fentanyl. The Downtown Task Force made over 45 felony arrests in the same period, including 19 suspects who had more than 30 felony warrants."

Dallas police funding and budget

According to the City of Dallas, nearly 65% of the City's General Fund budget supports public safety-related activities, including police, fire, court services, and emergency services.  

In September 2025, the Dallas City Council approved a record $5.2 billion city budget with $63 million in additional funds for the Dallas Police Department for hiring 350 recruits, raising starting pay to over $81,000. Their goal is to end the fiscal year with 3,424 officers. It would be the highest number since 2016, the city said.

Voters passed Proposition U in late 2024, requiring the city to maintain at least 4,000 officers. The department currently has over 3,200 officers, according to the city.

CBS News Texas has reached out to the Dallas mayor and city manager for comment. AT&T declined to comment.