Thursday, May 27, 2021

Fascism Unsheathed: Let's be very clear about what just happened at the #txlege

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For many years, your correspondent has sought to work in a bipartisan fashion at the Texas Legislature on criminal-justice reform, and I...
17 comments:
Friday, May 21, 2021

On the Myth of Prison Closures Generating Cost Savings: How TDCJ can ↓ prisoners by 20% and still see costs rise nine figures per biennium

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From the earliest days your correspondent first showed up at the Texas Legislature, I've been grumpy about how they score "fiscal ...
13 comments:
Monday, May 17, 2021

Might "anti-defund" legislation demilitarize and redefine 21st century policing? On the predictable if unintended consequences of micromanaging city budget decisions

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Grits has been thinking about "defund the police" legislation ( HB 1900 ) at the Texas Legislature, which seeks to punish Austin...
6 comments:
Monday, May 10, 2021

Austin PD failed to define 'resistance' that justifies use of force, made up 'unique' category of force vs. suspects who're 'fixing to' resist

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In 2008, Austin PD changed its "use of force" policy to  a "response to resistance" policy, enacting a "Dynamic Res...
4 comments:
Sunday, May 09, 2021

A #cjreform update for 'The Devil's Dictionary'

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" The Devil's Dictionary " by Ambrose Bierce remains one of my all-time favorite satirical works. But it's become increasi...
3 comments:
Friday, May 07, 2021

Five Observations and a Prediction: Why police budget hikes could become a thing of the past in Texas if HB 1900 becomes law

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In no particular order, here are five observations and a prediction about a week filled with losses for the Texas criminal-justice reform mo...
Thursday, May 06, 2021

Academy relaunch premature until Austin PD eschews hazing culture

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The Austin City Council today will consider relaunching its police academy after it was shuttered amidst allegations of cadet hazing and a ...
Monday, May 03, 2021

The #TexasGeorgeFloydAct: What component bills are still moving in the #txlege homestretch?

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Over the weekend, your correspondent put together an update on the status of all the various bills that make up the Texas George Floyd Act ...
2 comments:
Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Unions fighting police reforms up at #txlege on Thursday

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Three bills scheduled for votes on Thursday on the floor of the Texas House are all stand-alone parts of the Texas George Floyd Act: HBs 829...
6 comments:
Friday, April 23, 2021

Assessing status of police-reform bills as #txlege reaches inflection point

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The Texas Tribune published a story in the wake of the Derek Chauvin verdict interviewing families of police brutality victims pushing for ...
2 comments:
Wednesday, April 21, 2021

With chances for TCOLE Sunset legislation withering, bill heard to expand agency's authority to kick bad cops out of the profession

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Your correspondent is beginning to despair that the 87th Texas Legislature may come and go without meaningful reform a the Texas Commission ...
2 comments:
Monday, April 19, 2021

Deeply rooted problems at Austin's police academy justified one-year recruitment delay

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So much misinformation has been cast about so frequently regarding the City of Austin's budget and supposedly "defunding the police...
5 comments:

Sheriff's deputy resigned amidst child molestation charges, murdered three people this weekend, but still technically eligible to work in Texas law enforcement

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In many other states, former Travis County Sheriff's Deputy Stephen Broderick would have lost his peace officer's license last year....
4 comments:
Saturday, April 17, 2021

#txlege bill eliminating Class-C arrests for traffic offenses moving forward with bipartisan support

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The death of Daunte Wright traffic enforcement by police back in the spotlight, raising the profile of the issue just as HB 830 (Thompson) ...
8 comments:
Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Austin PD won't disavow 'paramilitary' culture in its academy; Dallas cops caught using unauthorized facial recognition tech; police reform in Houston hits a dead end; and other stories

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Here are a few odds and ends that merit Grits readers' attention while mine is focused elsewhere. Consultant: Austin PD still embraces ...
2 comments:
Monday, April 12, 2021

A dirty, uncomfortable feeling: TCOLE Sunset bill lame, inadequate, and kicks can down the road on the biggest police accountability issues

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After staff at the Texas Sunset Commission issued a scathing assessment of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the legislation enactin...
2 comments: