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Race,TrafficStops,&EnsuringPublicSafetyforaChangingTexas:AReviewofWhitevs.HispanicDisparitiesinTexasDPSTrafficStops,2009-2014

April2016

Race,TrafficStops,andEnsuringPublicSafetyforaChangingTexas|2

Race,TrafficStops,&EnsuringPublicSafetyforaChangingTexas:AReviewofWhitevs.HispanicDisparitiesinTexasDPSTrafficStops,2009-2014

TableofContents

Page3—Acknowledgements

Page4—Introduction—DisparatePublicSafetyforTexasDrivers

Page5—Methodology

Page7—Background—PublicConcernsAboutDPSTrafficStops

Page9—DPSTrafficStopResultsandFindings

CitationRates

WarningRates

RatioofCitationstoWarnings

Page15—PolicyRecommendations

Transparency,Accountability,andOversight

Anti-RacialProfilingTraining

CollectingandRecordingAccurateInformation

Page21—Conclusion—ProvidingPublicSafetybyProvidingPublicRespectandAccountability

Page22—AppendixA—Formulas

Page23—AppendixB—CountiesinTHPRegions

Page25—AppendixC—SelectedBibliographyofMediaReportingonDPSIssues:Summer2014-Present

BorderNetworkforHumanRights|3

Acknowledgements

TheBorderNetworkforHumanRightswouldliketoacknowledgeandthankthehelpandsupportofthemanypeopleandofficescriticaltomakingthisreportcometofruition.

Foremost,wewouldliketothanktheofficeofStateSenatorJoseRodriguez,particularlySitoNegron,whofirstprovidedusthedataonDPStrafficstopsandaskedusforhelpanalyzingandunderstandingit.Mr.Negron,aswellasLuisFigueroaalsoprovidedimportantfeedbackonthereport’scontents,everythingfromhelpingusfigureouthowtobesttailorthisdocumentforastatewideaudiencetocatchingspellingerrors.Theirassistanceandimpetuswasinvaluablethroughoutthisprocess,andisgreatlyappreciated.

Furthermore,wewouldliketorecognizetheassistanceofUTEPSociologistChristinaMoralesandherstudentEricBeltran,whohelpedourstaffunderstandthedatawereceivedandfigureoutthebestquantitativemethodsforthisproject.ThisassistancehelpedturntherawDPSdataintouseful,comprehensibleresults.Moreover,Dr.Moralesprovidedimportantassistancewritingupthemethodologyinamannerthatconveystheworkwedidwhilestillbeingintelligibletothegeneralpublic.Manythanks,again,tobothDr.MoralesandMr.Beltran.

Wewouldalsoliketothankotherallieswhohelpedreviewthisdocument.TheOfficesofStateRepresentativesCesarBlanco,JoeMoody,andGarnetColemanallprovidedusefulinformationaboutDPSpractices,aswellasvaluablecommentsonthisdocument.UTEPprofessorsJosiahHeymanandJeremySlackalsogaveusefulsuggestionsandfeedbackonthedocumentwhentheywereaskedtoreviewdraftcopies.Finally,wewanttothankRITACoordinatorAdrianaCadena,EddieCanalesoftheSouthTexasHumanRightsCenter,andJohn-MichaelTorresandMarthaSanchezofLUPEforcallingattentiontoproblemsLatinocommunitiesinTexaswerehavingininteractionswithDPSandforhelpingspurthiseffortaswellassupportitalongtheway.Wevalueandarethankfulforhavingthisbroadpoolofallieswhohavesupportedthisresearch.

Finally,wewouldliketoacknowledgetheBNHRstaffwhotooktheleadonthisproject.PolicyDirectorRobertHeymanoversawthisresearchandworkeddiligentlyintheproductionofthisfinalreport.Hecouldnothavedonethiswithouttheworkofourthen-PolicyInternYarimaValenzuelawhoactuallycrunchedthedatathroughExcelandSPSS,andwhowrotethefirstdraftofthisdocument.RITACoordinatorAdrianaCadenaandCommunicationsDirectorGabrielaCastanedaalsohelpedformatthefinalversionofthisreportandputtogetherthepressconferenceforitsinitialpublicpresentation.Finally,weacknowledgetheentiretyofourBNHRcommunity,whosesteadfastinterestinensuringthatgovernmentagencies,particularlylawenforcementagencies,operatewithaccountabilitytothepeopleundergirdsthisdocument.

Thanksagaintoallofthesecontributors.

FernandoGarcia,ExecutiveDirector,BorderNetworkforHumanRights


Introduction—DisparatePublicSafetyforTexasDriversOverthepastyear,DPShasincreaseditspresenceinsmallTexascountiesneartheU.S.-Mexicoborderinthenameof“bordersecurity”.However,theincreasedpresencehasfailedtoactuallyimprovesecurityattheborder,asshownbymediaanalysisaswellasindependentexaminationbyexpertcriminologists.Instead,the‘bordersurge’of2014and2015hasbroughtDPSpracticesthathaveattimesfeltlike communities were being harassed, andwhich resulted in disparate outcomes for Texandrivers throughout the state. Indeed, 2015 saw a slow-but-steady stream of news articlesuncoveringproblemsinDPS’spracticesthroughoutTexas.Theseinclude,butarenotlimitedto,disproportionately increased citation rates for Hispanics in traffic stops, disproportionateincreases incar searchesofBlacks,and the latest,misidentificationofHispanicsasWhites inticketwrite-ups.Thisreportstemsfromoneofthesearticles.OnSeptember4,2015theTexasTribunereleasedanarticletitled,“TroopersTicketingFewerOverall,butMoreHispanics”whichhighlightedthedifference in Hispanic citations and White citations. With the assistance of State Sen. JoseRodriguez’soffice,BNHRobtainedtherawdataunderlyingthisarticleandundertookourownanalysisofthisdata.This reportdescribes the results fromouranalysisof the rawDPSdata.We look into253ofTexas’ 254 counties to examine changes in the distribution of traffic citations and warningsfrom2009to2014.Thesefindings,conductedbyBNHRstaffwiththehelpofUTEPSociologistChristinaMoralesandstudentEricBeltran,haveshownsometroublingresults.Whenquestionedabouttheirtrafficstoppracticesinthepast,DPShasstatedthatWhitesarestillbeingcitedmorethanHispanics,andthatHispanicsandWhitesaresimplybecomingmoreequalintermsofcitationsandwarningsgiven.However,ourdatashowsthatHispaniccitationratesare increasingdramaticallywhileWhitecitationratesaredecreasing.Thesametrend isalso seen inwarning rates and in ratioof citations towarnings (rate ratio). This is not just amatterof the twopopulations gradually coming toparity; it is adrastic shift that suggests aracializationofDPS traffic stops.Overall, compared to thepast,Hispanics are ticketedmore,pulledovermore,andmorelikelytoreceiveacitationthanawarning,apatternshownbyallthreemeasuresthatishardtodismissasafluke.Thisdocumentcontainsthreeparts:1)astatementofourmethodology ingoingthroughtheDPStrafficstopdata,2)localconcernsaboutDPSactivitythatspurredourinitialinterest,3)ourresultsandanalysisofthefindingsfromourstatisticalwork,and4)policysuggestionsonhowtobuildabetterDPSgoingforward.Wehopethisinformslawmakersandthepublic,andleadstobetterpublicsafetyandlawenforcementforallTexans.


MethodologyThis report is a descriptive and inferential analysis of a DPS Excel spreadsheet obtained bySenator Rodriguez’s office on all traffic stops throughout Texas, broken down by county,conducted from2009 through2015.However,2015datawas incomplete,andwas thereforeexcluded from theanalysis, leavinga studyperiodof 2009-2014. The initial spreadsheetwasdividedintotrafficcitationsandtrafficwarnings,andincludedbreakdownsofthesetrafficstopoutcomesbycounty,race/ethnicity,andsex.Whilethebelowoffersdescriptivestatementsofthe formulas we used in processing this data and calculating our findings, you can find fullformalmathematical statements of these formulas, along with othermathematical notes inAppendixA.Toprovideadditionalperspectivesonthisdata,wealsocodedeachcountybyboth itsTexasHighwayPatrolRegions (THP),andbybroadergeographical regions.Thereare6THPRegionsusedtodefineTexas:DallasRegion,HoustonRegion,McAllenRegion,ElPasoRegion,LubbockRegion, and San Antonio Region. The data was also separated into geographical regions asfollows:BorderCounties,NearBorderCounties,and InteriorCounties.PleaseseeAppendixBforthebreakdownofcountiesacrossboththesegeographiccategoriesandtheTHPregions.Bydividingthecountiesintodifferentregionsweareabletoseeifthereareanydisparitieswithinandbetween THPor geographic regions, such as differences between communities near theTexas-MexicoborderandthoseintheTexasinterior.In order to reduce year-to-year stochastic noise in the data (which made the data appearrandomandwithoutacleardistribution),andmake iteasier tocalculateandunderstand,alltraffic stop data was divided into three-year averages, 2009-2011 and 2012-2014, eachaggregatedbycounty.Apercentagechangewascalculatedbetweentheseaveragesinordertoseeiftherehasbeenan increase or decrease in citations andwarnings in these three-year periods.Given BNHR’sinitial interest inborderenforcementbyDPS, thesethree-yearaverageswerecalculatedonlyfortheHispanicandNon-HispanicWhite(White)categories.However,thedatawouldallowforfuture research to look at other populations. The data was moved into a new spreadsheetwherepopulationineachcountywasaddedandchangeinpopulationwastakenintoaccountin the initial rawnumbers.Givenour findingsandthe findingsofotherstudies, thepotentialexiststodoadditionalcomparisonsfortheotherracial/ethnicgroupsinthedata.Thefinaldatasetordersthedatabycounty.CountybycountypopulationdatawasobtainedfromtheAmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS)throughtheU.S.CensusBureauwebsite,andwasalsocalculatedasamulti-yearaverage.Becauseofalackof2014ACSdata,weused2009-2011and2012-2013populationaveragesforeachcounty’sHispanic,White,andtotalpopulations.Wethencalculatedcounty-levelratesofcitationsandwarningsusingtheACSpopulationdatafortheaveragedyears,andnormalizingforacounty/racial-ethnicpopulationof100,000.Thiswasdonebydividingthe2009-2011citationaveragewiththeACS2009-2011populationand


multiplyingtheresultby100,000.ThiswascompletedforHispanicsandNon-HispanicWhites,forbothstudyperiods,forbothtrafficwarningsandcitations.Fromthese rateswecalculated, foreachcounty, thechange in traffic citationsandwarningsindividually from 2009-2011 to 2012-2014 by dividing the older rate (2009-2011) over thenewerrate(2012-2013),multiplyingby100toconverttoapercentage,andsubtracting100tomeasure change from the initial period. In reading these results, zero means no change,positivenumbersaregrowthoverthistimeperiod,andnegativenumbersareareductionoverthisperiod.Again,thiswasdoneforbothtrafficwarningsandcitationsforbothHispanicsandWhites.Thisgaveusapercentchangeincitationsandwarningsthataccountsforcounty-levelpopulation changes. Again population change was calculated with ACS population for eachcountyandcorrespondingthreeyearperiods.Thismeasureofchangebetweenthetwoperiodsgivesusalookatchangesinwhogetspulledoverfortrafficstopsandpotentialdisparitiesinhowstopsareinitiated.We also calculated the ‘rate-ratio’—the ratio of the rate of citations issued to the rate ofwarnings. Using this ratio to compare between racial/ethnic groups, between geographicregions,andovertimeallowsalookatpotentialdisparitiesinhowtrafficstopsareconductedandconcluded.Usingthealreadyobtainedcitationandwarningsrates,weranasimpledivisionoftherateofcitationsdividedbytherateofwarningstocalculatetherateratio.Arateratioof1 indicates anequal rateof citations towarnings,whilenumbers greater than1meanmorecitationsthanwarningsareissuedtoapopulation,andarateratiobelow1indicatestheissueofmorewarningsthancitations.Finally, paired sample T-testswere conducted in order to support and verify the descriptivestatisticalfindingsdrawnfromtheabovecalculations.T-testsareusedtotestthepossibilityoftwopopulationvariables,suchascitationrates,beingsignificantlydifferentfromeachother.Ifa test indicates significance, using a standard of a probability of the difference between thesample population variables appearing 5 percent of the time or less if the true populationvariables are equal (p<=.05), then the difference between samples is very likely not due tochance. Instead, there is an apparent difference between the two sample populations—andwhichmaysuggesttheroleofoutsidefactorsinaccountingforthisdifference.Statewide T-testswere conducted to compare citations rates,warning rates, and rate ratiosbothbetweenthetwostudyperiodsandbetweenHispanicsandWhites.WealsoperformedT-teststolookfordifferencesbetweencitationsrates,warningrates,andrateratiosbetweenthedifferentTHPoperatingregionsofTexas.Moving forward,we are looking to use chi-squared tests to further statistically examine thedistributionsofchangestocitationsandwarningrates,andtorateratiosforthe253countiesstudied.Wealsoanticipateusingregressionanalysistoattempttoidentifypotentialcorrelatesandcausesofthestatisticaldisparitieswefindbelow.


Background—PublicConcernsAboutDPSTrafficStops

As we state in the introduction, our initial interest in looking at DPS traffic stops was inresponsetoconcernsbeingraisedaroundTexas’nascentbordersecurityeffortsandtheimpactthatDPS’approachwashavingonbordercommunitiesinSouthTexas.

StarrCountyJudge1EloyVerain2015repeatedlyraisedconcernsthatresidentsofhiscounty,oneofboththepoorestandmostHispanicinthenation,wereunnecessarilybeingsubjectedtoexcessivelyhighlevelsofDPStrafficenforcement.

AtaJuly2015panel,JudgeVeratestifiedtohisownexperienceswithDPStrafficstops,

IhaveaFordpickupthathasagrillonthefrontandIhavebeenstoppedsixtimesbecausetheguardblockspartofthelicenseplate.Isaidthatisthewayitcamefromthedealership.Ididn’tdoanythingtoit.Isaidwheredoyouwantmetoputit?Youknowitisthiskindofharassmentthatwegothrough.InStarrCounty,unfortunately,alotofourpeopleareveryhumble,onlowincomesandtheyareafraidtogoout.Anythingthatiswrongoranythingthatislackingandtheyaregoinggetacitation.So,ithasplayedhavoconoureconomy.Peoplewillnot go out, they stay home. They might go out once a week to our stores.Everyone suffers. (Rio Grande Guardian, July 14th 2015,https://riograndeguardian.com/vera-fears-border-security-bill-will-bring-more-harassment-for-starr-county-residents/)

In amedia appearance severalmonths later, Judge Vera reiterated the persistence of thesecommunityconcerns,

One of the things I get hit with, every time I go to HEB, Walmart,wherever I go,byour constituents is… thenumberof troopers thatare inourcommunity.Itseemslikeyoucan’ttravelaquarterofamilewithoutcomingtooneortwounitsparkedonthesideoftheroadortravelingU.S.83.TheotherthingIgethitwithisthenumberofstopsthattheymake.(RioGrandeGuardian,Oct. 2nd, 2015, https://riograndeguardian.com/dps-were-going-to-triple-the-number-of-troopers-in-starr-county/).

Theseconcernswereechoedbyothersinthearea,withbusinessgroupsliketheTexasBorderCoalitionraisingparticularconcernsabouteconomicimpacts,

TohaveDPStrooperssitting intheirtruckshalfablockawayfromeachotherdoesnotmakesense.TalktoJudgeVera.Peopledonotwanttoleavetheirtowns.Theydonotwantto leavetheirhomes. It iscausinga loss ineconomicactivity. (Rio Grande Guardian, Nov. 5th, 2015,

1CountyJudgeisthehighestelectedofficeinaTexasCountyandheadsacounty’sCommissioner’sCourt—thecounty’slegislativebody.2SeearticlehereforCapt.Sibley’sdiscussionofthecitation-to-warningratio:http://riograndeguardian.com/dps-


https://riograndeguardian.com/texas-border-coalition-welcomes-straus-decision-on-dps/).

And human rights organizers raised concerns that such fears were further stoked by theappearanceofcollaborationbetweenDPSandtheBorderPatrol,

When the border surge was concentrated in Hidalgo County, LUPEreceived six reports in a span of onemonth from communitymembers beingstopped for traffic violationsbyDPSofficers,who communitymembers reportasked about citizenship or immigration status, called Border Patrol, orthreatenedtocallBorderPatrol…TheeffectofallofthisisamajorchangeinthelivesofmanyStarrCountyandwesternValleyresidents.Ourmembers inStarrCountyhavesaidthe‘surge’haschangedtheirlives.Youdon’tgoout,theytellus,exceptwhenyouhaveto,togotoworkortobuygroceries.Anythingnon-essential–thethingsthatmakelifemoreenjoyableandboostthelocaleconomy–theydecidenottodothem,optingtostayhomeratherthanrisktrafficfinesorimmigration checks. (Rio Grande Guardian, Oct. 2nd, 2015,https://riograndeguardian.com/dps-were-going-to-triple-the-number-of-troopers-in-starr-county/).

These were and are serious concerns coming from many sectors of South Texas bordercommunities.Whiletrafficstopsinaggregatemayprovidesomepublicbenefitagainstunsafedriving, they seemmuchmoreharmful thanhelpfulwhen theymakecommunities so fearfultheyareafraidtolivetheirlives.Moreover,thesewereconcernsneveradequatelyaddressedbyDPS.Evennow,wellafter this increasedDPSpresencehasbeenput inplaceandDPShasmade some effort to modulate their approach, residents still have concerns about thefrequencyoftrafficstopsandimpactsonlocaleconomies,suggestingthatthereismorefine-tuningthatcanbedone.

Spurredbythesefears,uponreceivingthisDPSdata,wedecidedtoexaminewhetherwecouldquantifytheincreaseintrafficstopsthatwashavingonSouthTexasbordercommunities,andget a sense of the potential impacts should Texas decide to further expand DPS’ borderoperations.

Aswewillexplore,however, inthefollowingsection,thefindingsofourquantitativeanalysisshowdisparateimpactsofDPStrafficstopsnottobeaborder-exclusiveconcern,butratherastatewideissue.


DPSTrafficStopResultsandFindingsCitationRatesAcross the state, traffic citation rates (as measured by citations per 100,000 persons of anethnicity) have risen significantly for Hispanics, 22.3 percent between 2009-2011 and 2012-2014,whileWhitecitationratesdroppedsignificantlyby, -24percent.Furtherstatistical testsshowedthatthisisastatisticallysignificantgapbetweenHispanicsandWhitesacrossTexas.This disparity is particularly stark in several key counties around the state. In Starr County,whereoneofthepoorestcommunitiesinthecountryhasseenanincreasedDPSpresencesincethesummerof2014,trafficcitationratesforHispanicshaverisenby127percentcomparedtoa40percentdropincitationratesforWhitesbetweentheseperiods.Otherbordercountiesseesimilarpatterns.Hispaniccitationsareup51percent inElPasoCounty,up9percent inCameronCounty,andup87percent inWebbCounty,ascomparedto39,28,and30percentdropsinWhitecitationsineachoftheserespectivecounties.

Atthemostextreme,trafficcitationsforHispanicsareup164percentinZapataCounty,up176percentinKinneyCounty,andup211percentinMaverickCounty.Whitecitationrateshave

-50 0 50 100 150 200 250

ElPaso

Cameron

Webb

Hidalgo

Starr

Zapata

Maverick

Galveston

Taylor

Bexar

FortBend

Lubbock

Dallas

Midland

HispanicandWhiteCitaXonChangeinSelectUrbanandBorderCounXes

HispanicChange(%)

WhiteChange(%)

NetDifference(Hisp-White)


dropped ineachofthesecounties.Even inHidalgoCounty,whereHispaniccitationsdroppednearly10percent,Whitecitationsfellfaster,dropping35percentinthatsamespan.Noristhisjustaborderphenomenon.InmajorTexasinteriorcounties(populationsover100k)Hispanictrafficcitationratesareupover50percentinallofGalveston,Bexar,FortBend,andLubbock counties, up over 60 percent in Taylor County, and up over 70 percent in ComalCounty.Inevenmoreextremecases,HispaniccitationshavemorethandoubledinDallasandMidlandcounties,up116and132percentrespectively.Statewide,between2009and2014,Hispaniccitationratesmorethandoubledin46counties,morethantripledin13,andmorethanquadrupledin6.Alltold,Hispanictrafficcitationratesincreasedin177Texascountiesandthereareonly29counties(of253withdata)wherethechanges incitationrates forWhitesexceedthoseof theirHispaniccounterparts.Moreover,even in the 75 counties where Hispanic traffic citation rates dropped, falling just over 15percent,Whitecitationratesstillfellfurther,dropping34percentbetween2009and2014.Interestingly,additional statistical tests showednogeographicvariability in thedatawhethercomparingbordertointeriorcountiesoratthelevelofTHP’soperationalregions.ThissuggeststhatthedisparitiesappearinginthetrafficstopdataarearesultofDPSpracticesstatewideandnotonlyanincreasedfocusonbordersecurity.These disparities are particularly notable because our method of using rates already takespopulationchangeintoaccount.OurresultscannotbeexplainedawaybypointingatHispanicgrowth in Texas asDPShasdonebefore, such as theydidwith the Texas Tribune story thatspurred this report (http://www.texastribune.org/2015/09/04/dps-citations-down-except-hispanic-drivers/).Likewisethereisnoreasontosuspectracializedchangesindrivingbehaviorsin Texas. That these disparities appear statewide is disturbing as it suggests DPS may havesystemic issueshowtheagencyhandlestrafficstops, ratherthanthisbeingsymptomsof the‘bordersurge’.Instead, in the absence of one of the above explanations, this very much appears to be aproblematicresult,intentionalorinadvertent,ofstatewideDPSpractices.Thisfurthersuggeststhatweneed to takeaclose lookat theagency to identifyanypotential changes inpolicies,personnel, operating procedures, agency charges, and other variables to identify what mayhavechangedatDPStoaccountforthechangedresultsoftheirtrafficstops.Inthemeantime,thisdata showsclearpatterns thatundercutDPS’ability to serve thepublicwhen itsactionsaffectTexanssodifferently,basedapparentlyonlyontheirethnicbackground.WarningRatesAcrossthestate,aswithcitationrates,warningsrates(warningsper100kpersonsofanethnicbackground) have risen significantly for Hispanics, by an average of nearly 41 percentbetween 2009-2011 and 2012-2014, while White warnings rates decreased more than 21percentduringthisspan.Statisticaltestsconfirmthedifferencetobestatisticallysignificant.


Likewith the changes in citation rates, these are figures that already account for populationchangeacrossTexas.Assuch,thissuggeststhat,again,DPS’initiationoftrafficstopscannotbeexplainedbytherelativegrowthofHispanicpopulationscomparedtoWhites.Lookingatbordercounties,weseesomeofthesamepatternswithwarningsthatwedidwithcitations. For instance, in Starr County, warnings rates for Hispanics increased by 429.2percentwhileWhitewarningsratesonlyincreasedby36.4percentduringthestudyperiod.InCameron County, Hispanic warning rates are up 8.6 percent while Whites rates down 29.4percent. InWebb County, Hispanicwarning rates are up 39.2 percentwhileWhite rates aredown 44 percent. In El Paso County even though Hispanic warning rates decreased by 4.4percent,Whitewarningratesdroppedby46.2percent.Allofthissuggestsdisparatepracticestoward Hispanic and White drivers in border areas that result in Hispanic drivers beingincreasinglylikelytobepulledoverbyDPSinthecourseoftheiroperations.

InmajorcountiesintheTexasinterior(populationsover100k)thereareevengreaterincreasesin warning rates for Hispanics. In Travis, Taylor, and Kaufman counties there is an over 50percentincreaseinHispanicwarningsrates.TarrantandBrazoscountieshaveover60percentincreases,whileSmithandLubbockcountieshaveover70percentincreases.Themostextremecases have Dallas County with a 145.7 percent increase and Bexar County with a 148.4percentincreaseinHispanicwarningrates,wellmorethandoubletheratesfrom2009-2011.

-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

ElPaso

Starr

Cameron

Webb

Hidalgo

Travis

Taylor

Kaufman

Midland

Brazos

Smith

Lubbock

Dallas

Bexar

HispanicandWhiteWarningChangeinSelectUrbanandBorderCounXes

HispanicChange(%)

WhiteChange(%)

NetDifference(Hisp-White)


Together,warningrateshaveincreasedforHispanicsin159Texascounties,comparedtoonly39TexascountieswithariseinWhitewarningsrates.Moreover,thereareonly38counties(of 253 with data) where the changes in warnings rates forWhites exceed those of theirHispanic counterparts.Additional statistical tests show thatwhen comparing across the THPOperating Regions there is a consistent drop inWhite citation rates andwarning rates, andincreasesinHispaniccitationratesandwarningrates,whichisstatisticallysignificantforeachsub-regionofthestate.ThisgapinthetreatmentofHispanicandWhitedriversisalsopresentwhetherwearelookingjustatbordercounties,orattheTexasinterior.This data follows what the citation rates exposed in suggesting that Hispanics are beingdisparatelyaffectedbyDPStrafficstops.Theyshowanincreaseintrafficstopsandanincreaseinwarnings that cannot be explainedby population growth.Nor, again, is there evidence tosuggest a racialized change in driving behaviors that would drive this shift in traffic stops.Moreover, wemust take this together with the fact that further tests show these drops inWhitewarningandcitationratesandrisesinHispanicwarningandcitationratesasaconsistentpattern across THPOperating Regions. This is not just a border issue, it is an issue in everyregion of the state. Altogether, like with the citations, this strongly suggests that thesestatisticaldisparitiesaretheeffectofDPS’spractices,policies,andpersonnelthatwouldappeartodisproportionately impactHispanicpopulations in trafficstops.Again, thissuggestsaneedfor both an independent-external and a legislative review of DPS to analyze the agency toidentifythecausesoftheseunacceptabledisparities.RatiosofCitationstoWarningsInadditiontothesechangesintrafficcitationandwarningratesforHispanics,furtheranalysisof this data continues to back up fears of racial disparities in DPS’ traffic policing. Per thesuggestion of DPS Captain Hank Sibley2, we have also looked at the ratios of traffic stopsresultingincitationscomparedtothoseresultinginwarnings,i.e.the‘warningstotickets’ratiooraswerefertoit,the‘rateratio’,calculatedasdescribedaboveinthemethodology.FollowingCaptainSibley’ssuggestionprovedwiseasthese findingsagainsuggestDPStrafficstopbehavior treatsHispanicsmoreharshly thanWhitesacrossTexas,with the interestingexceptionofTHPoperationalregionsneartheborder.Itispossible,butunknowablefromthisdatasetwhether this is the resultofcultural sensitivity trainingprovided toTHPpersonnel intheborder regions,orothervariations inpersonnel,policy,andpractice,which impactwhenDPSpullsdriversoverandhowDPStreatsthosedriversduringtrafficstops.Looking at these ratios statewide,we see a persistent disparity in the treatment ofHispanicdriverscomparedtotheirWhitepeers.Hispanicswere26percentmorelikelytogetawarningthanacitationbetween2009through2011whiletheirWhitecounterpartswerealmosttwiceaslikelytogetawarningasacitation.ThisgapinthetreatmentofHispanicandWhitedrivers

2SeearticlehereforCapt.Sibley’sdiscussionofthecitation-to-warningratio:http://riograndeguardian.com/dps-were-going-to-triple-the-number-of-troopers-in-starr-county/


didnotchangewhenlookingatthe2012-2014data,withHispanics23percentmorelikelytoget a warning than a citation, while their White peers were still twice as likely to get awarning over a citation. Indeed, as this shows, the gap increased slightly. This suggestspotentialproblemsnotonlyinhowDPSispullingoverdriverstomaketrafficstopsbutalsoinhowtheyaretreatingdriversonceastophasbeenmade.Muchaswiththecounty levelcitationrate figures,anumberofcountiesagainstandout fortheir disparities in the2012-2014data.At thehighend, amongmajor counties,Hispanics inEllisCountyreceivedcitations8.6timesasoftenaswarnings,comparedtoWhitesreceiving

them only 20 percent more frequently. Hispanics in Collin, Dallas, Galveston, and Greggcountieswereallatleasttwiceaslikelytoreceivecitationsaswarnings(comparedtocitationtowarningratiosof1.0,1.1,0.7,and0.5forWhitedrivers).Hispanicsweremorelikelytogetcitations than warnings in 24 of the state’s 39 largest counties, and more likely to getcitations than their White counterparts in 38 of these 39 counties, with El Paso the onlyexception. A similar pattern holds when looking at Texas-Mexico border counties, with thelikelihoodofaHispanicgettingatrafficcitationexceedingaWhite’sin11ofthe16counties.Statewide,Hispanicswere2ormore timesmore likely togeta ticket thanawarning in16countiesbetween2012through2014,comparedtojusttwocountieswherethiswastrueforWhites.Furthermore,Whitesweremorelikelytogetawarningthanaticketin231counties

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

ElPaso

Hidalgo

Webb

Starr

Maverick

Cameron

Ellis

Collin

Dallas

Galveston

Gregg

Travis

Harris

Bexar

Tarrant

Smith

HispanicandWhiteCitaXon-to-WarningRaXosinSelectUrbanandBorderCounXes

HispanicRaso

WhiteRaso

Values>1meanmoreTicketsthanWarningsValues<1meanmoreWarningsthanTickets


during this period, versus only 144 for Hispanics, andmore likely to get awarning than aHispanicdriverin243ofthe253countiesweexamined.Moreover,additionalstatisticaltestingshowsthatthisgapintreatmentbetweenHispanicandWhite drivers was statistically significant statewide in both the 2009-2011 and 2012-2014periods.Thismeansthatweseeapersistent,significantgapinthetreatmentoftrafficstopsbasedonethnicityinawaythatappearstotargetHispanicsforharsherenforcement.However, there were some interesting findings in the regional analysis as this statisticallysignificantgapbetweenWhitesandHispanicsintheratioofCitationstoWarningsappearedfor the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Lubbock THP regions, but not the El Paso orMcAllenTHPregions.Thisregionaldifferencestandsoutanddemandsfurtherexaminationasit suggests that border communitiesmay receivemoreequitable treatment fromDPS in thisregardthantheinterior.Whatisneededthenisbothanunderstandingofwhatorganizationalfactors, such as personnel, policies, or practices vary between the border and interior THPregions insuchawayasmightexplainthisgap,and ideasofhowtousethosedifferencestoduplicatethesepositiveoutcomesacrossTexas.SummaryInall,weseeaclearandsignificantpatternofdisparityaroundDPStrafficstopsduringthestudy period. Even after normalizing for population change, traffic stop rates across Texas,resulting inbothwarningsandcitations, are falling forWhites,and rising forHispanics.Thisdifferenceisstatisticallysignificant,andhappeningwithbroadgeographicuniformityacrossthestate.Moreover, we see a persistent and significant gap in the treatment of Whites andHispanicsintrafficstops,whereWhitedriversaremuchmorelikelytoreceiveawarningthantheir Hispanic counterparts. Again, this happens with broad geographic uniformity acrossTexas,withthesoleexceptionofTHPoperationalareasalongtheU.S.-MexicoBorder.

Insomeways,asagroupofborderresidents,itisarelieftoseethatDPStrafficenforcementisnotparticularlytargetedatbordercounties.Thatreliefisundercut,however,bytherealizationthatthis isbecauseproblematicracialdisparities inDPStrafficstopsarehappeningstatewideinstead.Thisisn’taborderproblem,aswehadfeared,it’saTexasproblem.

Still,wefirmlybelievethatbybringingcommunities,legislators,andDPStogetherwecanworkto address the concerns raised here and in other reporting, and put in place policies andpracticestomakeabetter,saferTexasforallTexans.

There is reason to think thatwe canwork together.DPS for instancehasmoved tohave anoutside review of its traffic stop data to look for potential racial profiling, and communityfeelingabouttheDPSpresenceinSouthTexashasgonefrombeingafraidtoleavetheirhomes,tomerelyaggrievedbythehighnumberoftrafficcitation.Whilewestillfindthatproblematic,itisanotableimprovement,andonethatcamefrommodulationsbyDPSitselfinresponsetocommunityconcerns.Wewanttoworkwiththiskindofgoodwill tomakeDPSenforcementevenbetter,andwelayoutsomeofourideasfordoingsointhefollowingsection.


PolicyRecommendationsBorderNetwork for Human Rights does notmean to tarnish the reputation of themen andwomenoftheTexasDepartmentofPublicSafety.Weworktorevealdisparitiesinourstateandhelp those who are marginalized and targeted. However, the facts presented through ourstatistical analysis cannot be ignored and waved away. There are actual communities andpeopleharassedduetothewayDPSpracticestrafficstopsintheircommunities.To this end we present policy suggestions to improve DPS going forward along three mainplatforms: 1) Building Transparency, Accountability, and Oversight at DPS; 2) ReinforcingPoliciesandPracticesagainstRacialProfiling;and3)ImprovingDataCollectionandReporting.ItisnotenoughtonotetheproblemswithDPS,weneedtoalsomoveforwardwithsolutions.Transparency,Accountability,andOversightFirstandforemost,DPSmustimplementpoliciesthatallowformoretransparencyregardingitspoliciesandpracticesthatultimatelyaffectthecommunity.Inthepast,DPShasignoredracialprofilingallegations insteadofattemptingtocommunicatewiththecommunityandfix issuesthatarise.TheyblamethemisclassificationofHispanicstooutdatedin-carcomputersystems.When confronted on the increase of Hispanic citations they claim that officers are just nowdoingabetterjobatwritingcitations.The lackof transparencyhas led communities andorganizations like theBorderNetwork forHumanRightstoquestiontheactions,andattimeseventhemotivesofDPS.Thatwesee, inDPS’ own data growing disparities in the treatment of White and Hispanic drivers simplyheightenstheseconcerns.ThesenumbersshouldnotbeignoredandDPSmustbeaccountable.Ultimately, this lack of transparency, accountability, oversight, and community engagementweakens DPS as a law enforcement agency. Effective law enforcement rests on strongrelationshipsof trust betweenagencies and communities they serve.Whenpeople trust lawenforcement,theyreportcrimesagainstthemselvesandtheirproperty,ortowhichtheybearwitness.Whenthereisnotthattrust,crimegoesunreportedandtheonlywinnersarecriminalsthemselves. All of this need is heightened during a time of agency growth, when we mustredoubleoureffortstoensurethatadditionalresourcesandexpandedprofilesdonotcomeatthe expense of basic public obligations. It behooves DPS to change this, and to commit totransparency, accountability, oversight, and community engagement to foster a positiverelationshipwiththepublic.

1) TransparencyDPS needs to assure that community concerns are heard thoroughly and acted uponseriously, whether to clarify misunderstandings or to make whatever change isnecessarytoaddressrealproblems.However,DPS’currentapproachesall toooftentakeastrategyof resistance.DPShashadspokespeoplerepeatedlyfightwithmediaabouttheirreporting,repeatedlyissued


statements rejecting the possibility of problematic practices, sent letters to statelegislatorstodiscreditmediareportsthathadnotyetevenbecomepublic,andDirectorMcCrawwhenpresentedwithevidencethatcontradictspastDPSstatementshaseventoldreporters“...thebottomlineis,Idon'ttrustanythingyousay.”3This approach to managing criticism from the media, the legislature, and the publiccannot last. It fundamentally underminesDPS’ ability to build public trust andwith itunderminestheirabilitytoaddresscriminalactivity.Theagencymustbeabletocurbitsimpulsestofall intoadefensivecrouch,andinsteadfigureouthowtoworkwithsuchfeedbacktobuilditselfintoanevenbetterorganization.Beyond a new public relations strategy, DPS needs to build better mechanisms forhearing and acting upon community complaints. It needs to find means to strike abalance between protecting employee confidentiality and providing the public theinformation itneeds to judgewhether theagency is conductingproblematicbehaviorsuchas racialprofiling.Certainly,weseenoharm inDPS turninganonymizeddataonracialprofilingcomplaintstoacademicexpertsandthemedia.Andifsuchdatacannotbe produced at present, it behooves the agency to figure out how to produce futuredatathatcanbeusedtoverifytheagency’sintegrity.WefurthersuggestthatDPSandtheTexasLegislatureexplorethepossibilityofcreatinganOmbudsmanwithintheagency—independentstaffspecificallychargedwithtakinginpubliccommentandensuringthatitgetsheardandacteduponinafairandthoroughmanner.Weneedtoensurethatcitizensaretreatedwithrespectanddignity,andthisisanexcellentmeans,usedinawidevarietyofotherprivateandpublicsectorsettings,ofachievingthatgoal.2) AccountabilityDPSneedstodoabetterjobcollectingandreportingdataaboutwhatitaimstodoasanagency, andwhat it is actuallydoing inpractice. Thismeansworking internally, aswellaswiththelegislatureandpublictobuildstandardsthattheagencywillstandbyandmeasureitselfagainst.Up to this pointDPShas showna lackof clear standards andmetrics formuchof itsactivity.Thishasallowedtheagencytorepeatedlychangethecriteriaitarguesitshouldbe judged by at the first sign of problems or shortcomings, and to avoid any realreckoningsorchanges.WhatDPSmustdoisdevelopkeygoalsandmetricsforittobejudgedby,includingnotonlymetricsofcriminalactivity,butalsoofcommunityinteractionssuchasmeasuring

3ForDirectorMcCraw’scomment,seearticlehere:http://kxan.com/investigative-story/dps-director-wont-release-racial-profiling-investigations/


potential problems with racial profiling or use of force. It, with oversight from theLegislature, must then commit itself to meeting those standards, to conducting realreviewsofpolicy,practices,andpersonnelwhenitfallsshort,andtomakingwhateverchangesarenecessarytoreachthosegoalsinthefuture.3)OversightOversight of DPS’ activities and the results on communities needs to be bettermaintained in two ways: improved external oversight and auditing, and more activeoversightbytheTexasLegislature.On external oversight and auditing, we urge DPS to follow the model laid out byConnecticut4whereCentralConnecticutStateUniversityusedmoneyfromtheNationalHighwayTrafficAdministration toexamine traffic stopsundertakenby stateand localpolice.Researchersworkedincollaborationwithlawenforcementandcommunitiestodeveloptheiranalyticapproaches,andwhichturnedupredflagsaboutthepracticesofoveradozenagenciesinthatstate.DPSshouldlookintopotentialopportunitiestoreplicatethesepracticeshereinTexas,and should embrace a proactive approach to examining the open questions that thisreport and others have raised about the agency. Showing such a commitment toopening theagencyup toexternal reviewwouldbeawonderfulway todemonstratetheircommitmenttofairnessandashowofgoodfaithtoTexans.Similarly, DPS should get more attention from, and be more attentive to, the TexasLegislature.WhilewerecognizetheimportanceofkeepingTexanssafe,itiscriticalthatwedoso inwaysthatreinforceAmericanvaluesofequalprotectionanddueprocess.To this end, we urge the Legislature tomonitor DPS’ protection of the civil rights ofTexans, and to use these metrics in making decisions about agency strategies andresources. Similarly, DPS needs to provide legislators relevant information in a timelymannersotheycanmakeinformedandeven-handedevaluationsoftheagency.We should note that this is an area where DPS has made some steps in positivedirections, such as instituting new procedures to audit data collected about therace/ethnicityofdriverspulledoverfortrafficstops.Theseactionsareencouragingandshouldbeexpandeduponmovingforward.4)CommunityEngagementPaths of communication must be formed between DPS, the public, and communityorganizationstoensurethatthereisnomiscommunicationsofDPSpractices,andthatthe community has clear and effective means of expressing problems and concerns.

4FormoreinformationonConnecticut’sstudyofracialdisparitiesintrafficstopssee:Pazniokas,Mark.2015.“Connecticut’sDeepDataDiveonRacialProfiling.”CTMirror,April7.AccessedApril4,2016.http://ctmirror.org/2015/04/07/connecticuts-deep-data-dive-on-racial-profiling/


Creating clear lines of communication will ensure that the public is informed whenchanges in DPS practices might affect their communities, will ensure that DPS hearsfromthecommunityofissuespeoplehavewiththeirtreatmentbytheagency,andwillallowDPSandTexascommunitiestoworktogethertosolveproblems.

For example, communities should know the type of training that officers go through,suchasculturalsensitivitytraining.Bymakingthesetrainingspublicthecommunitycanprovidefeedbackthatcannotonlyimprovethequalityoflifeforcommunitymembers,it can also improve thequality of policing. Similarly,we suggest thatDPS introduce aseriesof community forumswhereTexans canpresent their concernsandhave themheard and addressed by agency personnel. Developing these sorts of engagement iscriticalandDPSneedstotakeasproactiveanapproachaspossibleindoingso.

ReinforcingPoliciesandPracticesAgainstRacialProfilingThesetrafficdisparitiesarenotisolatedcases;theyareastatewideproblem.However,thereisnot a statewide solution. As explained in the last section, in THP regions for El Paso andMcAllen,HispanicsandWhitesdonothaveasignificantgapinratioofCitationstoWarnings.Thisleadsustobelievethatlawenforcementisactingdifferentlyintheborderregion.Itisoursuspicion,althoughthisneeds independentverification,thatthisdifferencecanbeattributedto additional cultural sensitivity and language training requirements for DPS personneloperating in the border regions. We suspect such training makes these personnel betterequippedtocommunicateandinteractwithlargeHispanicpopulations.Hispanicsmakeup38percentofTexas’populationandaredistributed throughout thestate,not only in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. Texas law enforcement from thebordertothe interiorshouldhavethesameculturaland languagetrainingasdepartments intheborder areas.WhileDPS is pouring hundreds ofmillions of dollars into patrolling bordercounties, the agency needs to ensure its personnel are adequately trained to have fair andunbiasedinteractionswithallTexans.DPSofficers throughout thestateshouldbeannuallycertified inappropriate trainingsuchasethics,humanrights,constitutionalrights,andanti-racialprofilingmeasures,andsuchtrainingshouldbe incorporated into the continuingeducation curriculumprovided topersonnel.DPSshould particularly ensure it provides cultural and social sensitivity to officers in Hispaniccommunities, whether or not they are border communities. However, DPS fundamentallyneedstoensurethatittrainsitspersonneltointeractwithdiverseTexascommunities,notwithanyparticularracial/ethnicgroups.Communitiesmustnotbeafraidto interactwith lawenforcementofficers.Officersshouldbeawarethattherearepeopleouttherewhofearbeingjudgedbasedonthewaytheyspeakorhave certainphysical characteristics. Theymight feel vulnerableandafraid,but it shouldnotlead to suspicion.Only by ensuring this canwe build the relationships of trust between lawenforcementandcommunitythatarethebasisforeffectivelyfightingcrime.


AlthoughnoteverycountyhasalargeHispanicpopulation,DPSshouldstillprovideanti-racialprofiling training. As seen in another report by Senator Coleman’s office, Blacks are beingsearchedmoreduringtrafficstopsthananyotherpeople.WecannotignorethesereportsandwemustcalltoattentionthepracticesinDPSthatareleadingtotheseinjustices.ImprovingDataCollectionandReportingIn a September 2015 article, the Texas Tribune reported that DPS has been increasinglyticketingmoreHispanics thanWhitesover the years.A fewmonths later an investigationbyKXANrevealedthatofficershadsystematicallymisclassifiedHispanicsasWhitesmeaningthatcitation rates for Hispanics are more likely even higher than both what the Texas Tribunereportedandwhatwearereportinginthisdocument.ItisalarmingtothinkthatofficersmaybepurposefullyreportingHispanicsandBlacksasWhite.Itisequallydisturbingtothinkthataprofessional organization like DPS cannot put the systems in place to accurately collectinformationaboutitsactivities.TheformergivestheimpressionthatDPShassomethingtohideandrefusestotakeresponsibility,whilethelattersuggestspotentiallyseriousincompetence.However,thesolutionisnotavoidingdocumentationofraceandethnicity.Peopleareaskedfortheirraceandethnicitytoensurethathiddenracialproblemsdonotoccur.SincethesereportshavebeenreleasedDPSinitiallymovedtohaveofficersbeginaskingdriversforraceandethnicityinformation.ThiswasamovetomeettheirrequirementsunderexistingracialprofilinglawCR2.131,wheretheofficermustinclude“theperson’sraceorethnicity,asstated by the person or, if the person does not state the person’s race or ethnicity, asdeterminedbytheofficertothebestoftheofficer’sability”.Ratherthanmakeamistake,onethatwasmadeseveralhundredthousandtimesapparently,officerswillhavetotakemoretimeaskingandexplainingthecategorizes.However,bytheendofDecember2015DPSwasalreadybacking off of this new policy. DPS needs to move quickly to implement a thorough andeffectivesolutiontothisproblemthatensurestheyarecollectingallnecessarydataatthesametimetheyworktoprovidethebestpossiblesafetytothepublic.Tothatend,wewouldliketoechoandpromotethesuggestionsmadebyEdwardT.RinconinhisDallasMorningNews op-ed, ‘HowDPS can improve its systemof recording race/ethnicityduring traffic stops’ (published January 27, 2016), which gives helpful information andsuggestionsonbestpracticesfordocumentingraceandethnicity.Forinstance,Rinconadviseshavinganupdatedandconsistentrace/ethnicitycategories,trainingtroopersonproperuseofthesecategorizes,andhavingthedriverconfirmtheassignedcategorywhensigningtheticket.DPS should also improve their in-car computer systems and systems of recording race andethnicity,where,asstatedinKXAN’sreporting,existingsystemshavelimitationsandtroopersare trained to make their own judgment and report the race and ethnicity of each driver.Troopers should not be working with equipment that allows them to inaccurately report adriver’sraceandethnicity.Lettingthiscomputerflawcontinueforyearsisanirresponsibleandcarelessactinthefaceofjustice.ThismustbecorrectedpromptlytoinsurethatthedataDPScollectsandreleasesareaccurateandtrustworthy.


Thereisparticularlybroadsupportforfixingthisparticulardatacollectionproblem,astheheadof theDepartmentofPublicSafetyOfficers’Association,Sgt.GaryChandler said toKXAN5,“Ijust felt embarrassed…But then I thought, ‘Wow, we can fix that.” This is a very welcomestatement on this important issue, and a good sign that by bringing DPS officers, agencyofficials,communities,andlegislatorstogether,wecanindeedcraftreal,meaningfulsolutionstothisandotherconcernsthatwillimprovethepublicsafetyofTexans.SummaryWebelievegiventhedataanalyzedinthisreportandconcernsrepeatedlyraisedinthemediathere is reason to be concerned about DPS’ conduct of traffic stops. However, as we saidearlier in this document, we believe that by bringing communities, lawmakers, and DPStogether towork ingood faithonpotential solutionswecanmake thenecessarychanges topolicyandpracticetoensurethatweareprovidingallTexanswithrealpublicsafety.InthisdocumentwehavelaidoutthreebroadareaswherewewouldwanttoworktoimproveDPS: 1) Data Collection in Traffic Stops, 2) Reinforcing Anti-Racial Profiling Training, and 3)EnsuringthatDPSOperates inaMannerthat isTransparent,Accountable,andEngagesTexasCommunities. Above,wehave laidout theprinciples and first steps for eachof these threeareaswefeelshouldundergirdeffortstoimproveDPS’performanceintrafficstops.WeconcludeourrecommendationsthenwithaninvitationtoallTexanstoworktomakesurethatgovernmentagencieslikeDPSprovidethehighestpossiblequalityofservice,withacallforDPStorecognizethepublicasapartnerinensuringsafeTexascommunities,andthehopethatour legislatorscanhavethepoliticalcouragetoensurethattheconcernsraisedinthisreportareaddressedratherthanignored.

5ForSgt.Chandler’scommentsseearticlehere:http://kxan.com/investigative-story/law-enforcement-associations-react-to-misrepresentation-of-race-during-traffic-stops/


Conclusion—ProvidingPublicSafetybyProvidingPublicRespectandAccountabilityThediscrepanciesbetweenHispanicsandWhitesdetailedinthisreportshouldnotbethereifDPSwere actually treating Texans the same as they carried out their duties. The questionthenbecomesamatterofexplainingwhythisdisparityisoccurring,andworkingtoeliminateit.Inthemeantime,thefindingsofthisreport,particularlyontopofthewaveofquestionsDPShasfacedoverthepast18monthsregardingitspractices,shouldcomeasaseriousconcerntoanyonewhovaluesfreedomandjusticeinoursociety.Itisworryingtoseeourstate’sforemostlawenforcementagencycarryingoutitsdutiesinsuchadisparateanddiscriminatoryfashion.ItisevenmoreconcerningtoseetheresistanceDPShasputuptoaddressingtheseissues.CommunitiesonthegroundfearandmistrustDPS’presenceandDPS’owndata,totheextentwecantrustthedataDPSreports,documentstheinequitableenforcementthathasledtothisfear. Thispatterns in thisdata suggestaneed forDPS to look closelyat itself in response tothesecommunityconcerns,andembrace thestepsneeded to stop racialdisparities in trafficstopsandrebuildthepublic’strustintheagencyasaguarantorofjusticeandfaithfulstewardofTexans’taxdollars.Westressagainthatthefundamentalsolutionstotheproblemsraisedherearefour-fold.DPSneedstorededicate itseffortstoensuringthat it is transparent,that it isaccountable,that itsubjects itself to oversight, and that it works to engage with the communities where itoperates.Addressing these things, particularly following the suggestionsmade in this report,willleadtoaDPSthatbetterworksonbehalfofallTexans,thatupholdsfundamentalAmericanvalues of equal protection and due process, and thatmaximizes its effectiveness at fightingcrime.We feel the recommendationspresented in this reportpointbothDPS leadershipandstate lawmakers in a constructive direction, and we urge them forward in addressing theseproblems.AbetterDPS ispossible.AbetterTexas ispossible. It iswithinourreach,and it is imperativethatweputtheworkintorealizingit.Welookforwardtothiseffort.


AppendixA—MathematicalNotes

PercentageChangeinPopulation:

(2012-2014averagepopulation/2009-2011averagepopulation)*100-100

CitationRateper100,000persons:

(2009-2011(or2012-2014)averagecitations/2009-2011averagepopulation)*100000

WarningRateper100,000persons:

(2009-2011(or2012-2014)averagewarnings/2009-2011averagepopulation)*100000

PercentageChangeinWarnings:

(2012-2014WarningRate/2009-2011WarningRate)*100-100

PercentageChangeinCitations:

(2012-2014CitationRate/2009-2011CitationRate)*100-100

Citation-to-WarningRateRatio:

(2012-2014citationrates/2012-2014warningrates)

Hispanic-WhiteNetDifference:

XND=XH-XW(X isavariablesuchasCitationChangeorRateRatio;ResultsgreaterthanZeroreflectgreaterincreasesforHispanicsordecreasesforWhites)

HypothesisTestingforT-TestsofDifferenceofMeansbetweenWhitesandHispanics:

Ho:μW=μH(AverageforWhitesEqualsAverageforHispanics)

H1:μW≠μH(AverageforWhitesdoesnotEqualAverageforHispanics)


AppendixB—CountiesinTHPRegions

Region1:DallasDallasCounty,TexasNavarroCounty,TexasKaufmanCounty,TexasHuntCounty,TexasCollinCounty,TexasEllisCounty,TexasRockwallCounty,TexasCampCounty,TexasCherokeeCounty,TexasSmithCounty,TexasGreggCounty,TexasHarrisonCounty,TexasVanZandtCounty,TexasWoodCounty,TexasPanolaCounty,TexasUpshurCounty,TexasHendersonCounty,TexasAndersonCounty,TexasRainsCounty,TexasMarionCounty,TexasRuskCounty,TexasLamarCounty,TexasCookeCounty,TexasFranklinCounty,TexasRedRiverCounty,TexasHopkinsCounty,TexasCassCounty,TexasTitusCounty,TexasGraysonCounty,TexasMorrisCounty,TexasBowieCounty,TexasFanninCounty,TexasDeltaCounty,TexasSomervellCounty,TexasTarrantCounty,TexasHoodCounty,TexasErathCounty,TexasJohnsonCounty,TexasParkerCounty,TexasPaloPintoCounty,TexasWiseCounty,TexasDentonCounty,TexasRegion2:HoustonChambersCounty,TexasGalvestonCounty,TexasHarrisCounty,TexasBrazoriaCounty,TexasSabineCounty,TexasJasperCounty,Texas

NacogdochesCounty,TexasJeffersonCounty,TexasTylerCounty,TexasOrangeCounty,TexasHardinCounty,TexasNewtonCounty,TexasShelbyCounty,TexasSanJacintoCounty,TexasAngelinaCounty,TexasSanAugustineCounty,TexasTrinityCounty,TexasPolkCounty,TexasHoustonCounty,TexasMatagordaCounty,TexasWhartonCounty,TexasMontgomeryCounty,TexasAustinCounty,TexasLibertyCounty,TexasFortBendCounty,TexasColoradoCounty,TexasWallerCounty,TexasWalkerCounty,TexasLeonCounty,TexasBrazosCounty,TexasGrimesCounty,TexasRobertsonCounty,TexasBurlesonCounty,TexasMadisonCounty,TexasWashingtonCounty,TexasRegion3:McAllenWillacyCounty,TexasHidalgoCounty,TexasCameronCounty,TexasJimHoggCounty,TexasRealCounty,TexasUvaldeCounty,TexasEdwardsCounty,TexasLaSalleCounty,TexasZavalaCounty,TexasStarrCounty,TexasKinneyCounty,TexasZapataCounty,TexasValVerdeCounty,TexasWebbCounty,TexasMaverickCounty,TexasDimmitCounty,TexasMcMullenCounty,TexasBeeCounty,TexasAransasCounty,TexasNuecesCounty,Texas

JimWellsCounty,TexasSanPatricioCounty,TexasKlebergCounty,TexasLiveOakCounty,TexasDuvalCounty,TexasRefugioCounty,TexasBrooksCounty,TexasKenedyCounty,TexasRegion4:ElPasoPecosCounty,TexasReevesCounty,TexasTerrellCounty,TexasMasonCounty,TexasGlasscockCounty,TexasIrionCounty,TexasSterlingCounty,TexasCraneCounty,TexasMcCullochCounty,TexasMenardCounty,TexasKimbleCounty,TexasUptonCounty,TexasWinklerCounty,TexasEctorCounty,TexasMartinCounty,TexasAndrewsCounty,TexasDawsonCounty,TexasSchleicherCounty,TexasReaganCounty,TexasCrockettCounty,TexasMidlandCounty,TexasConchoCounty,TexasGainesCounty,TexasSuttonCounty,TexasTomGreenCounty,TexasHowardCounty,TexasCokeCounty,TexasWardCounty,TexasBordenCounty,TexasPresidioCounty,TexasHudspethCounty,TexasCulbersonCounty,TexasElPasoCounty,TexasBrewsterCounty,TexasJeffDavisCounty,TexasRegion5:LubbockFoardCounty,TexasHardemanCounty,TexasMontagueCounty,TexasBaileyCounty,TexasKingCounty,Texas


ClayCounty,TexasWilbargerCounty,TexasJackCounty,TexasWichitaCounty,TexasYoungCounty,TexasArcherCounty,TexasLubbockCounty,TexasHockleyCounty,TexasLynnCounty,TexasGarzaCounty,TexasLambCounty,TexasFloydCounty,TexasBaylorCounty,TexasTerryCounty,TexasHaleCounty,TexasCochranCounty,TexasYoakumCounty,TexasCottleCounty,TexasDickensCounty,TexasCrosbyCounty,TexasMotleyCounty,TexasThrockmortonCounty,TexasArmstrongCounty,TexasDonleyCounty,TexasCastroCounty,TexasLipscombCounty,TexasMooreCounty,TexasPotterCounty,TexasGrayCounty,TexasRobertsCounty,TexasChildressCounty,TexasRandallCounty,TexasHutchinsonCounty,TexasSwisherCounty,TexasWheelerCounty,TexasParmerCounty,TexasOldhamCounty,TexasOchiltreeCounty,TexasHansfordCounty,TexasHallCounty,TexasHartleyCounty,TexasShermanCounty,TexasBriscoeCounty,TexasCarsonCounty,TexasDeafSmithCounty,TexasDallamCounty,TexasCollingsworthCounty,TexasHemphillCounty,TexasJonesCounty,TexasFisherCounty,TexasStephensCounty,TexasEastlandCounty,TexasColemanCounty,Texas

TaylorCounty,TexasStonewallCounty,TexasBrownCounty,TexasKentCounty,TexasShackelfordCounty,TexasCallahanCounty,TexasHaskellCounty,TexasComancheCounty,TexasMitchellCounty,TexasNolanCounty,TexasRunnelsCounty,TexasScurryCounty,TexasKnoxCounty,TexasRegion6:SanAntonioGuadalupeCounty,TexasGonzalesCounty,TexasCalhounCounty,TexasVictoriaCounty,TexasKarnesCounty,TexasFrioCounty,TexasLavacaCounty,TexasDeWittCounty,TexasJacksonCounty,TexasGoliadCounty,TexasBexarCounty,TexasKerrCounty,TexasBanderaCounty,TexasGillespieCounty,TexasComalCounty,TexasAtascosaCounty,TexasKendallCounty,TexasWilsonCounty,TexasMedinaCounty,TexasBurnetCounty,TexasBastropCounty,TexasLlanoCounty,TexasCaldwellCounty,TexasFayetteCounty,TexasTravisCounty,TexasLeeCounty,TexasMilamCounty,TexasHaysCounty,TexasBlancoCounty,TexasWilliamsonCounty,TexasHillCounty,TexasBosqueCounty,TexasCoryellCounty,TexasLampasasCounty,TexasBellCounty,TexasMillsCounty,TexasFallsCounty,TexasFreestoneCounty,TexasMcLennanCounty,Texas

HamiltonCounty,TexasLimestoneCounty,TexasSanSabaCounty,Texas


AppendixC—SelectedBibliographyofMediaReportingonDPSIssues:Summer2014-PresentAguilar,Julian.2014.“PatrickWantsEmergencySpendingforBorderSecurity.”TheTexasTribune,June17.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/17/lawmakers-ask-special-session-border-security/.

Aguilar,Julian.2014.“DPSAddressesNewBorderOperation.”TheTexasTribune,June19.AccessedFebruary.http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/19/states-leadership-instructs-dps-increase-patrols-b/.

Antonacci,Karen.2014.“Amidimmigrationinflux,surgeofpolice,deputiesworkingovertimehourstospotopportunisticcriminals.”TheMonitor,June22.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/amid-immigration-influx-surge-of-police-deputies-working-overtime-hours/article_788970aa-fa62-11e3-9559-0017a43b2370.html.

Benning,Tom.2016.“DPSOnceAgainChangesItsApproachtoRecordingPulled-OverDrivers’Race.”DallasMorningNews,January19.AccessedApril5,2016.http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2016/01/dps-once-again-changes-its-approach-to-recording-pulled-over-drivers-race.html/

Burnett,John.2015.“InTexas,ComplaintsOfTooManyTroopersWithTooLittleToDo.”WeekendEdition,September5.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.npr.org/2015/09/05/437768153/in-texas-complaints-of-too-many-troopers-with-too-little-to-do

“CleareranalysisofDPStrafficstopsneeded.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,November27,2015.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/clearer-analysis-of-dps-traffic-stops-needed/npWGk/.

Collier,Kiah,andJeremySchwartz.2015.“DPSBoostsDrugSeizureValuesasitSeeksMoreBorderMoney.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,February26.AccessedApril22,2016.http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/dps-boosts-drug-seizure-values-as-it-seeks-more-bo/nkKbc/

Collister,Brian.2016.“DPSDirectorWon’tReleaseRacialProfilingInvestigations.”KXAN,April4,2016.AccessedApril5,2016.http://kxan.com/investigative-story/dps-director-wont-release-racial-profiling-investigations/

Collister,Brian,andJoeEllis.2015.“TexastroopersticketingHispanicdriversaswhite.”KXAN,November6.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://kxan.com/investigative-story/texas-troopers-ticketing-hispanics-motorists-as-white/.

Collister,Brian,andJoeEllis.2015.“DPSSeeksOutsideReviewofTrafficStopData.”KXAN,December17.AccessedApril22,2016.http://kxan.com/investigative-story/dps-seeks-outside-review-of-traffic-stop-data/

Collister,Brian,andJoeEllis.2015.“DPSTrooperstoStopAskingDrivers’Race.”KXAN,December30.AccessedApril5,2016.http://kxan.com/investigative-story/dps-troopers-to-stop-asking-drivers-race/

Conrad,Bill.2014.“LawmakersturnattentiontoMexicanborder.”StarLocalMedia,June20.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://starlocalmedia.com/allenamerican/news/lawmakers-turn-attention-to-mexican-border/article_f2ce33bc-f8b6-11e3-853e-0019bb2963f4.html.


Davis,Aaron.2015.“Study:DPSmorelikelytosearchblacks,HispanicsinPotter,Randallcounties.”AmarilloGlobe-News,December9.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://amarillo.com/news/latest-news/2015-12-09/study-dps-more-likely-search-blacks-hispanics-potter-randall-counties.

Dexheimer,Eric,andJeremySchwartz.2015.“DPSStatisticsShowingNoRacialBiasinStopsareWrong,ExpertSays.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,November22.AccessedApril22,2016.http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/dps-statistics-showing-no-racial-bias-in-stops-are/npSts/

Dexheimer,Eric,ChristianMcDonald,andJeremySchwartz.2015.“DPSSearchesHispanicsMore,FindsLess,StatesmanAnalysisShows.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,December5.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/crime-law/dps-searches-hispanics-more-finds-less-statesman-a/npcwz/

Dexheimer,Eric,ChristianMcDonald,andJeremySchwartz.2015.“DPSContributiontoBorderOperationDrugSeizureswasModest.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,May4.AccessedApril22,2016.http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/state-regional/dps-contribution-to-border-operation-drug-seizures/nk8kh/

“DPScan’tcount,ordoesn’twantto.”FortWorthStar-Telegram,November12,2015.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article44545188.html.

“DPS’goalontheborder:Protectandserve.”FortWorthStar-Telegram,June19,2014.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article3862522.html.

“Editorial:BorderBoredom.”HoustonChronicle,September11,2015.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Border-boredom-6499545.php?t=a90c20cf51&cmpid=email-premium

“EDITORIAL:Bordersecurity-Gov.Abbottwantstoadd500DPStrooperstoRGV.”TheMonitor,March29,2015.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/editorial-border-security---gov-abbott-wants-to-add/article_0778842a-d4e4-11e4-9c5a-5b0e3f7eadd0.html.

“Editorial:IsDPSPolicingTexasTroopersforBias?”DallasMorningNews,December8,2015.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20151208-editorial-is-dps-policing-texas-troopers-for-bias.ece

Ellis,Joe,andBrianCollister.2015.“LawEnforcementAssociationsReacttoOfficersRecordingWrongRaceDuringTrafficStops.”KXAN,November9.AccessedApril22,2016.http://kxan.com/investigative-story/law-enforcement-associations-react-to-misrepresentation-of-race-during-traffic-stops/

Fanning,Rhonda.2015.“WhyAreTexasOfficersMisidentifyingRaceDuringTrafficStops?”TexasPublicRadio,November6.AccessedApril4,2016.http://tpr.org/post/why-are-texas-officers-misidentifying-race-during-traffic-stops#stream/0

Fischler,Jacob.2014.“Dewhurst:DPSsurgeinRGVworked,but‘notworththecontroversy’.”TheMonitor,April30.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/dewhurst-dps-surge-in-rgv-worked-but-not-worth-the/article_ca8e19a8-d0e8-11e3-8f8a-001a4bcf6878.html.

Fischler,Jacob.2014.“TexastofundDPSsurgeamidincreasingimmigrantsacrossRioGrande.”TheMonitor,June18.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/texas-to-fund-dps-surge-amid-increasing-immigrants-across-rio/article_387865c4-f75c-11e3-aa95-0017a43b2370.html.


Fischler,Jacob.2014.“WomandetainedonimmigrationchargesafterDPStrafficstop,familysays.”TheMonitor,August18.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/woman-detained-on-immigration-charges-after-dps-traffic-stop-family/article_d118cd9e-2742-11e4-a4ea-001a4bcf6878.html.

Garvin,Keith.2015.“DPStrooperstostartaskingethnicityduringtrafficstops.”Click2Houston,November19.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.click2houston.com/news/dps-troopers-to-start-asking-ethnicity-during-traffic-stops_20151125214437270.

Hasan,Syeda.2015.“TexasLawmakersInvestigateRacialDisparitiesInTrafficStops.”HoustonPublicMedia,November18.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2015/11/18/127983/texas-lawmakers-investigate-racial-disparities-in-traffic-stops/.

Nelsen,Aaron.2016.“BorderSurgeFuelsSenseofSafetyforMany,butalsoReducesIncomeforSmall-TownPolice.”SanAntonioExpress-News,March26.AccessedApril22,2016.http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Border-surge-fuels-sense-of-safety-for-many-but-7098451.php

Rangel,Enrique.2015.“RacialIssuesgetTexasLawmakers’Attention.”LubbockAvalanche-Journal,November28.AccessedApril22,2016.http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2015-11-28/racial-issues-get-texas-lawmakers-attention#.VxqQZnDqjRR

Rauf,DavidSaleh.2014.“DewhurstborderplanhelpupbyStrauss.”HoustonChronicle,May21.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Dewhurst-border-plan-held-up-by-Straus-5496820.php.

Rincón,EdwardT.2015.“EdwardT.Rincón:HowDPScanimproveitssystemofrecordingrace/ethnicityduringtrafficstops.”TheDallasMorningNews,January27.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20160127-edward-t.-rincon-how-dps-can-improve-its-system-of-recording-raceethnicity-during-traffic-stops.ece.

Rosenthal,BrianM.2015.“DisorderattheBorder.”HoustonChronicle,September6.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Disorder-at-the-border-6488634.php?t=2acdd2b242438d9cbb&cmpid=twitter-premium#photo-8549089

Rosenthal,BrianM.2015.“WhatTexas'bordersurgemeans:Trafficstops.”HoustonChronicle,September8.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/A-close-up-lesson-on-police-work-along-the-6490668.php?t=aae9b64315438d9cbb&cmpid=twitter-premium.

Rosenthal,BrianM.andMarkCollette.2015.“ImageofViolentTexasBorderisFalse,StatisticsShow.”HoustonChronicle,May22.AccessedApril4,2016.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Image-of-violent-Texas-border-is-false-6282006.php

Schladen,Marty.2015.“InRioGrandeValley,officialsquestionthereasonforDPSstops.”ElPasoTimes,March28.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.elpasotimes.com/story/archives/2015/03/28/rio-grande-valley-officials-question-reason-dps-stops/73899258/.

Schwartz,Jeremy,andEricDexheimer.2015.“DPSgoestoLegislaturetoprotestmediacoverage.”AustinAmerican-Statesman,May7.AccessedApril4,2016.


http://investigations.blog.statesman.com/2015/05/07/dps-goes-to-legislature-to-protest-media-coverage/.

Sides,Emily.2015.“ActivistsprotestDPStroopersinRGV.”TheMonitor,September25.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/activists-protest-dps-troopers-in-rgv/article_8f5a8280-63eb-11e5-b9c8-e70cbbefabf8.html.

Sides,Emily.2015.“DPSrespondstoactivist’sallegations.”TheMonitor,October2.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/dps-responds-to-activist-s-allegations/article_6b5b0644-689a-11e5-94c5-fb58af107dc8.html.

Taylor,Steve.2015.“VeraFearsBorderSecurityBillWillBringMoreHarassmentforStarrCountyResidents.”RioGrandeGuardian,July14.AccessedApril22,2016.https://riograndeguardian.com/vera-fears-border-security-bill-will-bring-more-harassment-for-starr-county-residents/

Taylor,Steve.2015.“DPS:We’regoingtotriplethenumberoftroopersinStarrCounty.”RioGrandeGuardian,October2.AccessedApril4,2016.http://riograndeguardian.com/dps-were-going-to-triple-the-number-of-troopers-in-starr-county/

Taylor,Steve.2015.“TexasBorderCoalitionwelcomesStrausdecisiononDPS.”RioGrandeGuardian,November5.AccessedApril4,2016.http://riograndeguardian.com/texas-border-coalition-welcomes-straus-decision-on-dps/

Ura,Alexa,andTerriLangford.2015.“TroopersTicketingFewerOverall,butMoreHispanics.”TheTexasTribune,September4.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://www.texastribune.org/2015/09/04/dps-citations-down-except-hispanic-drivers/.

Ward,Mike.2014.“Patrickjoinscallforemergencyfundingtosecureborder.”HoustonChronicle,June17.AccessedFebruary9,2016.http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2014/06/patrick-joins-call-for-emergency-funding-to-secure-border/.

Wicks,Lauren.2015.“Hispanic,BlackDriversinTexasMoreOftenSearched.”KFOX-TV,December6.AccessedApril4,2016.http://kfoxtv.com/news/local/hispanic-black-drivers-in-texas-more-often-searched-01-20-2016#.VmXDoXvfeHh.

PhotoCreditsFrontCover:2015.“TexasDPS,Waco.”PoliceCars&OtherInterestingThings,November4.AccessedApril18,2016.https://tmblr.co/Z5qOsv1xUDcwn

BackCoverTop:CenTexPhoto.2011.“TexasDPSHighwayPatrolFordCrownVictoriaCode3.”September5.AccessedApril18,2016.https://www.flickr.com/photos/centexphoto/6119046382

BackCoverBottom:Brian,Chris.2016.Stillfrom“TexasStateTroopersDPSTrafficStopandVehiclesShowcase.”January16.AccessedApril18,2016.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmRGfXpXa2Y


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TheBorderNetwork forHumanRights, founded in 1998, is oneof the leading human rightsadvocacyandborderpolicyreformorganizationslocatedattheU.S./MexicoBorder.BNHRhasover7,000membersinWestTexasandSouthernNewMexico.

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Race, Traffic Stops, & Ensuring Public Safety for a ...bnhr.org › wp-content › uploads › 2016 › 04 › DPS-Report.pdfDPS traffic stop data, 2) local concerns about DPS activity