Texas’ racial profiling laws are meant to root out policing that targets people of color. The laws have been on the books for 20 years and require law enforcement agencies to gather their traffic stop data annually, comparatively analyze it and submit the details to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE. But a KXAN investigation has uncovered TCOLE failed to mandate and collect that information and opted not to use its enforcement authority hundreds of times in recent years when police agencies failed to report.
Part 1: Breaking the Law
Texas is not following its own law on racial profiling; police are not analyzing who they pull over.
Part 2: Zero Enforcement
A state lawmaker vows reform of Texas’ police oversight agency after our racial profiling investigation.
Part 3: Proving Profiling
An analysis of racial profiling allegations made against police shows very few complaints substantiated.
Part 4: State Takes Action
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement makes steps to begin enforcing the racial profiling law.
Part 5: Against a Deadline
Hours before a midnight deadline, 104 police leaders risked losing their peace officer licenses.
Part 6: Following the Law
Months after KXAN’s initial report, all Texas police agencies are finally following a racial profiling law.
Watch the Complete Investigation Below
Texas does little to pinpoint racial profiling, even in its capital city.
Hundreds of police agencies fail to report racial profiling data.
State leaders promise to fix TCOLE after our investigation.
Records show proving racial profiling is nearly impossible.
Texas makes major changes following racial profiling investigation.
Police administrators face violations of a racial profiling law.
All Texas police agencies submit racial profiling data for the first time.
