Law enforcement departments are frequently criticized for doing too little in disciplining officers. But Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has taken a different approach, bolstering the Internal Affairs office and firing numerous deputies and detention officers who have broken laws or violated regulations. [Read more…]
Texas Police to Carry “Safer” Tasers
Taser International, the company responsible for outfitting the nations cops with Tasers, has released its latest model, the X2, said to be a safer version of the older products. Fort Worth has recently made arrangements to outfit their officers with the X2 and Houston has purchased them as well. [Read more…]
Great Texas Warrant Roundup Seeks Out Misdemeanor Offenders En Masse
Law enforcement officers all across the state are out seeking criminals on the lam. They are knocking on doors and arresting people who have failed to turn themselves in, sometimes for more than a year or two. But these offenders are not the dangerous sort you would expect to get this sort of attention, many of them are only wanted for failure to pay a traffic ticket. [Read more…]
Lawmakers Change Police Photo Lineup Procedures
Early last month we blogged about pending legislation regarding the photo lineup procedures practiced by law enforcement departments across the state. That legislation passed and now Texas police departments have to revamp the way they’ve done lineups for years, all in an effort to reduce the number of innocent people being identified by witnesses. [Read more…]
Houston Police Pull Over Blacks At Higher Rate
Data released this week from the Houston Police Department shows that they are pulling over blacks at a higher rate than any other racial group. But the department, and others, caution that this isn’t necessarily evidence of profiling. [Read more…]
Houston’s “Hot Spot” Policing Has Limited Success
When crime is on the uptick in one neighborhood, Houston Police send a mass of officers to that area in what’s called “hot spot” policing. But a new study shows the benefits of this tactic are limited and may result in the Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) losing some of its 70 officers. [Read more…]
Texas Crime Commission Recommends Sobriety Checkpoints
An organization of law enforcement officials has made their legislative wish-list. The North Texas Crime Commission got together last week to discuss recommendations in the world of law enforcement and crime control. Among their wishes—a return to sobriety check points. [Read more…]
Austin Sees Spike in Police Force Cases
Use of force reports were up to 1,703 cases in 2009 from 1,152 cases in 2008 in Austin. But this doesn’t mean the cops are using more force. On the contrary, organizations are applauding what led to the increased numbers—increased reporting on the heels of federal recommendations. [Read more…]
Texas Cops Use Surveillance to Thwart Car Burglaries
Surveillance cameras and tracking devices are helping Dallas police catch culprits stealing goods from cars. According to the Dallas Morning News, car burglaries account for about 30% of the city’s crime and police rarely catch the burglars. With help from one Assistant Chief’s personal finances, the local police are whittling away at the problem. [Read more…]
Dallas Cops Track Previous Arrestees with “Hook Books”
Finding and following people known for past criminal behavior is a pretty basic way to prevent future crimes and to potentially solve current open cases as well. Dallas police are using this thought process in targeting recent arrestees and past frequent offenders with the use of virtual “hook books.” [Read more…]
