Art. 2.132. LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY ON RACIAL PROFILING. (a) In this article:
(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the state, or of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state, that employs peace officers who make motor vehicle stops in the routine performance of the officers' official duties.
(2) "Motor vehicle stop" means an occasion in which a peace officer stops a motor vehicle for an alleged violation of a law or ordinance.
(3) "Race or ethnicity" means of a particular descent, including Caucasian, African, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or Middle Eastern descent.
(b) Each law enforcement agency in this state shall adopt a detailed written policy on racial profiling. The policy must:
(1) clearly define acts constituting racial profiling;
(2) strictly prohibit peace officers employed by the agency from engaging in racial profiling;
(3) implement a process by which an individual may file a complaint with the agency if the individual believes that a peace officer employed by the agency has engaged in racial profiling with respect to the individual;
(4) provide public education relating to the agency's complaint process;
(5) require appropriate corrective action to be taken against a peace officer employed by the agency who, after an investigation, is shown to have engaged in racial profiling in violation of the agency's policy adopted under this article;
(6) require collection of information relating to motor vehicle stops in which a citation is issued and to arrests made as a result of those stops, including information relating to:
(A) the race or ethnicity of the individual detained;
(B) whether a search was conducted and, if so, whether the individual detained consented to the search; and
(C) whether the peace officer knew the race or ethnicity of the individual detained before detaining that individual; and
(7) require the chief administrator of the agency, regardless of whether the administrator is elected, employed, or appointed, to submit an annual report of the information collected under Subdivision (6) to:
(A) the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement; and
(B) the governing body of each county or municipality served by the agency, if the agency is an agency of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state.
(c) The data collected as a result of the reporting requirements of this article shall not constitute prima facie evidence of racial profiling.
(d) On adoption of a policy under Subsection (b), a law enforcement agency shall examine the feasibility of installing video camera and transmitter-activated equipment in each agency law enforcement motor vehicle regularly used to make motor vehicle stops and transmitter-activated equipment in each agency law enforcement motorcycle regularly used to make motor vehicle stops. If a law enforcement agency installs video or audio equipment as provided by this subsection, the policy adopted by the agency under Subsection (b) must include standards for reviewing video and audio documentation.
(e) A report required under Subsection (b)(7) may not include identifying information about a peace officer who makes a motor vehicle stop or about an individual who is stopped or arrested by a peace officer. This subsection does not affect the collection of information as required by a policy under Subsection (b)(6).
(f) On the commencement of an investigation by a law enforcement agency of a complaint described by Subsection (b)(3) in which a video or audio recording of the occurrence on which the complaint is based was made, the agency shall promptly provide a copy of the recording to the peace officer who is the subject of the complaint on written request by the officer.
(g) On a finding by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement that the chief administrator of a law enforcement agency intentionally failed to submit a report required under Subsection (b)(7), the commission shall begin disciplinary procedures against the chief administrator.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 947, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1172 (H.B. 3389), Sec. 25, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 93 (S.B. 686), Sec. 2.05, eff. May 18, 2013.
Article: Previous 2.123 2.124 2.125 2.126 2.127 2.13 2.131 2.132 2.133 2.134 2.135 2.136 2.137 2.138 2.1385 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016