Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) directed law enforcement in his state to boost security at religious spaces following an uptick in nationally publicized violent attacks on churches.

Abbott said the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to increase safety and security at churches, synagogues and other faith-based organizations in Texas.

“Places of worship are sacred,” Abbott said in a statement. “We will marshal all resources necessary to safeguard our places of faith. To accomplish that objective, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to bolster security efforts to protect places of worship.”

The public safety operation will include Texas Highway Patrol troopers, Criminal Investigations Division special agents and Texas Rangers supported by the DPS Homeland Security Division “to identify threats and prevent life-threatening attacks before they happen.”

The governor encouraged the public to use the iWatch Texas Community Reporting System to call out suspicious activity around schools, religious spaces or communities “that may indicate criminal, terroristic, or school safety-related threats.” The reporting system can be accessed via website, through the app on iPhone or Android or by phone.

The order from the Texas governor comes after four people were killed and eight others were injured in shooting on Sunday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Mich., about 60 miles northwest of Detroit. 

The suspect drove through the front doors of the church and then began shooting before setting fire to the building. Police said the building was “actively on fire” into the late morning.

Late last month, two children were killed and nearly two dozen were injured as a shooter opened fire at a Minnesota Catholic school through a window as children sat in pews praying in their first morning mass of the school year.