Lt. Chris Andrews presented the Devine Police Department’s 2017 racial profiling report to City Council members at the Feb. 20th Council meeting.
Law enforcement agencies are required to submit racial profiling reports to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) annually.
In Tier 1 or Partial Exemption reports, agencies state that the vehicles used to perform traffic stops are equipped with video and audio equipment. Videos must be maintained for 90 days after the stop or until the disposition of a complaint, if one is received.
Tier 2, or Full reports, is required for agencies that don’t use vehicles with video or audio equipment during traffic stops.
Devine could file Tier 1 reports, but typically chooses to file Tier 2.
“Tier 2 is full disclosure and that’s usually what we go with,” Andrews said. “Even chiefs prior to [Kandy Benavides], we’ve always gone full disclosure because there’s no reason not to tell everybody exactly what we’ve done.”
According to the report, Devine PD made 2,543 stops in 2017.
“This is a 129 percent increase over last year, so I think my guys are really hot and heavy at it overall,” Andrews said.
Of the stops conducted, 1,533 were on men, and 1,010 were on women. Race or ethnicity was unknown prior to all stops.
One thousand, four hundred and ninety stops were on people Hispanic descent, followed by 1,010 on caucasians, 23 on those of African descent, 15 on those of Middle Eastern descent, four of Asian descent, and one of Native American descent.
Moving traffic violations accounted for 1,538 stops, followed by 998 vehicle traffic violations and seven law violations.
Searches were conducted in 251 stops. Reasons for stops included 120 for probable cause, 105 with consent, 15 incident to arrest, seven for inventory, and four for contraband.
Contraband was discovered in 181 of the searches. Drugs were found in 141 of the searches, alcohol in 35, and weapons in three. There were also two discoveries listed as “other.”
Arrests resulted in 245 of the stops. Reasons for the arrests included 137 penal code violations, 87 traffic law violations, 19 outstanding warrants, and two city ordinance violations.
Stops were made on city streets 2,377 times, on US highways 159 times, on county roads five times, and on private property/other twice.
Written warnings or citations were issued in 2,539 stops.
A David Espinosa-Cory Thompson motion to accept the report passed 4-0, with Steve Lopez and Kathy Wilkins voting yea.
Councilman David Valdez was absent.
By Marly Davis
Staff Writer