Generally speaking, police are not allowed to conduct a search of your property without getting a warrant. Cars can be somewhat of an exception to this rule, however. This is because cars are mobile and the process of obtaining a warrant may take longer than an officer is able to detain a suspect. Some also say that because cars are typically out on public streets, drivers and passengers have a reduced expectation of privacy. So,…
Read More »
We blogged back in October about a proposed nuisance abatement bill being considered by the city that would allow Dallas police to mark your home or business to warn others about habitual criminal activity that takes place there. The bill was proposed as part of a push to help better combat crime in problem areas in Dallas. That bill recently passed. Here is a draft that has been released of what these nuisance abatement placards…
Read More »
It’s not uncommon for crime to spike during the holiday season. Here are four of the most common types of crimes that occur around the holidays and some advice for what to do if you are arrested for any of them. Shoplifting and pickpocketing. As shoppers descend on stores for sales and holiday gifts, these two theft crimes often spike. Burglary of vehicles often spikes for similar reasons as shoplifting and pickpocketing. People often leave…
Read More »
Waco police recently caught several suspects alleged to have organized a powdered baby formula theft ring in Texas cities. The ring is suspected to have stolen thousands of dollars worth of formula from stores across the state. Police in Arlington, Sachse and Coppell assisted Waco police in investigating the ring, which is accused of stealing between $25,000 and $30,000 worth of formula, including $7,000 in Waco alone. Several warrants have been issued and more are…
Read More »
Do 17-year-old offenders belong in adult prison? Would there be benefits to raising the age of responsibility to 18 instead? The Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, alongside several other groups including the ACLU of Texas and Texans Care for Children, are pushing to have the age of responsibility raised in the 2019 legislative session. In 2013, there were 12 states left in the country that had not raised the age of responsibility. In 2017, Texas is…
Read More »
Are Dallas police able to mark your home or business to warn others that habitual crime takes place there? A newly proposed ordinance would allow it. The ordinance is part of a set of changes the Dallas Police Department is pushing to help better combat crime in problem areas. The process is called nuisance abatement, and would work something like this: If five abatable crimes – thinks like trespassing, prostitution, gambling, drug transactions, arson or…
Read More »
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) recently released a free app for riders called Say Something. Named after the phrase “If you see something, say something,” the app allows riders to instantly report crimes in progress on the DART system. According to DART police, over 1,700 people have downloaded the app since its launch and several crimes have been reported. The organization would not say if any arrests have resulted from the app. Besides simply reporting…
Read More »
Can the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act singlehandedly reduce both crime AND incarceration rates in the United States? The bill was introduced in the House in early October by Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California, following its introduction in the Senate by Senators Cory Booker and Richard Blumenthal. The bill would send federal funds to states that reduce crime and incarceration together. Since the passage of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, commonly known…
Read More »
Since 2010, Texas has exonerated over 200 people for crimes they did not commit, based on evidence of innocence. Wrongful convictions, unfortunately, are a fact of life in Texas. Texas, according to the Innocence Project, is the state with the highest number of prisoners found to be innocent following DNA testing. The Innocence Project is an organization that works to exonerate people who are wrongfully convicted of crimes. In 2015, 149 people were cleared of…
Read More »
Who should have access to footage filmed by police body cameras? Are the police allowed to withhold this footage? Recently, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton if police were allowed to withhold certain footage, not only from the public, but from civilian supervisors. The question hinges on whether this footage would interfere with the detection, investigation or prosecution of a crime if viewed. These civilian supervisors could include a city…
Read More »
