The winner of this fall's sheriff's race will inherit a post under siege, scrutinized by criminal justice watchdogs and as the department attempts to recover from the murder of a deputy that exposed a sordid sex scandal.

Read the rest of this article at Houston Chronicle.

Vigilant Solutions, one of the country’s largest brokers of vehicle surveillance technology, is offering a hell of a deal to law enforcement agencies in Texas: a whole suite of automated license plate reader (ALPR) equipment and access to the company’s massive databases and analytical tools—and it won’t cost the agency a dime.

Read the rest of this article at EFF.

Policy Background:

In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed SB 158, which establishes a statewide grant program through which Texas law enforcement agencies may apply for funding to equip their frontline officers with body worn cameras.

Policy Background:

In 2001, the Texas Legislature passed SB 1074, requiring law enforcement agencies to annually report on the race of people who are stopped and searched in their jurisdictions.

While many Harris County residents are in mourning for the nation as a whole, some criminal justice experts say there's reason to be optimistic about a political office closer to home — specifically, Sheriff-Elect Ed Gonzalez.

Read the rest of this article at HoustonPress.

Policy Background:

Every Texas jurisdiction has its own process for driver complaints after perceived roadside mistreatment. As such, it is impossible to produce a statewide curriculum for young drivers that outlines their right to complain about mistreatment.

Policy Background:

During a traffic stop, law enforcement may seize a person’s money, vehicle, or other possessions if they feel those items have either been used in a crime, are intended to be used in a crime, or were the proceeds of a crime. The State then files a civil forfeiture action against those items and must only prove by a “preponderance of the evidence” that the possessions were contraband.

Our Constitution Matters, and Not Just on the 4^th of July

BY KATHY MITCHELL AND KELLI KLEIN--It might come as a surprise, but our nation’s birth came about in part because we resisted asset forfeiture. British troops intent on punishing smugglers or tax evaders would take assets from the early colonists without the kind of protections granted by our Bill of Rights.

Today the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJC) releases the first in a series of new studies that attempt to shed light on the use of civil asset forfeiture in Texas.  Our first study, conducted in Travis County, Texas, reinforces investigations being conducted around the country.

Read the rest of this press release here.

AUSTIN (AP) — As national unrest swells over police officers not indicted in high-profile shootings, a Texas House panel on Thursday heard testimony on bills seeking to calm public concerns of bias.

Read the rest of this article at KXAN.