Politics & Policy
January 18, 2024
The DOJ Report on the Uvalde Shooting Reiterates Widespread Failures
U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland said the response to the massacre cost lives.
Police
News & Politics
December 4, 2023
The Bogeyman: How a Pattern of False Confessions Was Traced Back to One Austin Cop
Thanks to hundreds of DNA exonerations, experts now know false confessions are common. That wasn’t the case in the nineties in Texas.
Medicine
December 4, 2023
In Galveston, a New First Response to Mental Health Crises
Echoing a statewide trend, the team aims to prevent the tragedies that often result when armed police answer calls involving psychological emergencies.
Politics & Policy
November 20, 2023
An Armed Man Terrified an Austin Community. He Was Arrested by the NYPD.
A suspicious man brandished a shotgun in an Austin park—then in New York. The responses of the two police departments were markedly different.
Politics & Policy
April 12, 2023
San Antonio’s ‘Justice Charter’ Vote Is Another Fight Between State Power and Home Rule
In a post-Roe Texas, cities such as San Antonio have tried to protect reproductive health care—but a state government big on preemption has other plans.
The Stand Up Desk
January 12, 2023
Three Decades Later, It’s Still Unclear What Killed Tommy Earl Haynes
The career criminal was found dead after a two-day manhunt in East Texas. A writer recalls reporting on the circumstances of Haynes’s death.
Politics & Policy
May 18, 2022
A Texas Cop’s Indictment Made Him a Right-wing Darling. Will It Get Him Elected?
Justin Berry was running a sleepy state House race against Ellen Troxclair before his policing at George Floyd protests came to the fore.
Politics & Policy
May 2, 2021
Austinites Ban Public Homeless Camps, While San Antonio Voters Protect the Police’s Ability to Collectively Bargain
Plus, Lubbock becomes Texas's largest "sanctuary city for the unborn."
Politics & Policy
January 12, 2021
The Serious Stuff, the Loud Stuff, the Money Stuff: A Preview of the 87th Texas Lege
Lawmakers will have their hands full with a budget deficit and the pandemic. Here's what else to watch for this session.
Politics & Policy
August 11, 2020
What Sheryl Sculley Learned While Battling San Antonio’s Police and Fire Unions
The former city manager talks about a dead rat in a gift basket, a poop sandwich, and her timely new memoir, ‘Greedy Bastards.’
News & Politics
February 20, 2019
Houston Police Chief Says He’ll End No-Knock Warrants After Botched Raid
The announcement comes amid growing questions about the legitimacy of the investigation that led to the deadly raid.
News & Politics
February 1, 2019
A No-Knock Raid in Houston Led to Deaths and Police Injuries. Should Police Rethink the Practice?
The police tactic is controversial but common—particularly in Texas.
News & Politics
December 5, 2018
What We Know About the Indictment of Amber Guyger
The Dallas police officer who shot and killed Botham Shen Jean in his own apartment, indicted for murder, now awaits trial. Here's a quick primer on where things stand.
The National Podcast of Texas
May 23, 2018
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo Speaks About His Controversial ‘Gun Rights’ Stance
On our latest podcast, Andy Langer talks to Houston’s top cop about the gun debate and his first eighteen months on the job.
The Daily Post
December 18, 2017
The Dallas Police Department is the Latest to Allow Officers to Grow Beards
The new policy is a bit of a chin-scratcher.
The Daily Post
November 11, 2017
Women in Law Enforcement Help Build Trust Within a Community
Sally Hernandez, Kim Ogg, and Catrina Shead speak about the importance of working together to protect a city's most vulnerable residents.
Sports
October 13, 2017
Houston Police Chief Challenges NYPD Commissioner to Bet On Astros–Yankees Game
Astros, don’t make Art Acevedo wear a Yankees jersey.
Politics & Policy
May 21, 2017
The Empathy of David Brown
When a gunman opened fire during a protest in Dallas last summer, killing five people, it was the city’s police chief who knew the words a rattled country needed to hear. In fact, he knew them all too well.
Critters
April 27, 2017
Pearland Police Captured Dashcam Footage of a Daring Duckling Rescue
”Sergeant Carroll was alerted by the mother duck” to the situation.
Sports
January 19, 2017
Ricky Williams Got Stopped By Police In Tyler While Going For A Walk
Police were called while Williams was taking a walk in the East Texas woods.
Politics & Policy
July 27, 2016
What Does A Culture That Values “Blue Lives” Look Like?
Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick have a lot to say about protecting police lives—but the biggest threats to officers aren’t toting guns.
The Daily Post
February 10, 2016
Austin Police Shot An Unarmed Black Teenager While He Was Naked
The details continue to come out, the story looks bad on the surface.
The Daily Post
January 8, 2016
Brian Encinia Charged With Perjury In Sandra Bland’s Case
Brian T. Encinia, the police officer who arrested Sandra Bland, has been charged with perjury—and that’s likely to be the extent of the criminal justice system’s involvement in the case.
The Daily Post
December 15, 2015
Stories Of Police Sexually Assaulting Women Are Depressingly Common In Texas
Last week, former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was convicted on 18 charges, ranging from rape in the first degree to forced oral sodomy, after being accused of sexually assaulting 13 women. The case ended up making national headlines, and the details of how Holtzclaw raped so many women–and
The Daily Post
November 11, 2015
Who Can Get Away With Jaywalking?
After an incident last week saw several young black people on Sixth Street punched by police, the question of who’s allowed to misbehave in Austin’s bar district is especially relevant.
The Daily Post
November 2, 2015
Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg Is Appealing The Ruling On Charles Kleinert’s Federal Immunity
One of the more tragic cases in Texas in recent memory continues its journey through the legal system.
The Daily Post
October 15, 2015
Round Rock High School Video Sparks A Familiar Debate
Video footage of a teenage boy placed in a chokehold by school resource officers adds a new layer to an ongoing debate.
The Daily Post
September 28, 2015
A North Texas Teacher Was Reprimanded By Superiors For Telling Police About Suspected Abuse
The law requires teachers to report abuse allegations, but recordings from a meeting between MariBeth Thomas and Prosper ISD administrators reveal that the district preferred to keep things in-house.
The Daily Post
September 22, 2015
Why Would It Matter If Deputy Goforth Was Having An Affair?
The personal life of the slain sheriff’s deputy is no one’s business, but it could be important to his alleged killer's defense.
Business
September 17, 2015
Whataburger Employee Refused To Serve Police Officers, Adding To Its PR Woes
Whataburger landed itself in another pickle—but not the kind on its tasty burgers.
The Daily Post
August 12, 2015
The Arlington Police Department Takes A Different Approach After Christian Taylor’s Death
Transparency and action after an officer-involved shooting could indicate a fundamental shift.
The Daily Post
August 10, 2015
What We Know About Christian Taylor, The Unarmed Black Texas Teenager Killed By Police
An Angelo State football player was shot and killed by police in Arlington over the weekend, and questions remain.
The Daily Post
July 24, 2015
On ‘Contempt Of Cop,’ Jailhouse Suicide, And Sandra Bland
The last few days of the life of Sandra Bland tell us things about ourselves, and the culture we’ve built, that we’d rather not know.
The Daily Post
July 21, 2015
Here’s The Latest On The Sandra Bland Investigation
The purported suicide of Sandra Bland in Waller County jail has taken some new turns.
The Daily Post
July 16, 2015
Family And Friends Question The Story Of How Sandra Bland Died In Police Custody
Officials in Waller County say that the woman’s death was a suicide. Her friends and family don’t believe it. And there are 64 other deaths in Texas this year make it harder to trust the official story.
Critters
July 15, 2015
A Tyler Man Is Suing the City After He Was Arrested for Swearing When He Picked Up His Missing Bird
A colorful man with a colorful bird had a hard time in the Tyler police station.
The Daily Post
June 9, 2015
What Is There to Say About This Austin Police Video?
A mounted police officer grabs the camera of a man filming a tense incident on Sixth Street, and a fellow officer steps in to shoot a stream of pepper spray into the man’s face. But how many videos of police behaving badly can we handle?
The Daily Post
June 7, 2015
What Happened in McKinney
The viral story of a pool party in McKinney became the latest flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about police and race in America.
The Daily Post
May 18, 2015
On #WacoThugs, Biker Gangs, and White-on-White Crime
After a Sunday afternoon in a Waco strip mall ended with nine people shot to death in broad daylight, people are questioning how differently the police and media react to this sort of violence when the perpetrators are white.
The Daily Post
May 12, 2015
One in Twenty DPS Officers Is Female and Other Staggering Texas Law Enforcement Statistics
Solid reporting from the University of Texas School of Journalism investigates the gender and racial makeup of law enforcement in Texas.
Music
April 15, 2015
Police Officer Lets a Rock-Paper-Scissors Game Determine Whether an Underage Drinking Suspect Will Get in Trouble
Burleson County law enforcement apparently prefers officers use a different standard than rock-paper-scissors when determining infractions.
The Daily Post
April 13, 2015
Firefighter Hazing, Police Abuse, and Officer Indictments in Texas
Lots of bad news—often caught on camera.
The Daily Post
December 4, 2014
How Much of a Difference Would Police Body Cameras Really Make?
It's better to have video evidence than not, but those who present police body cameras as a solution to our national predicament involving police relations need to look at cases from Jasper, Texas, to New York City to see that the problem is more complicated than that.
The Daily Post
December 1, 2014
The Court of Criminal Appeals Ruled That Police Can’t Take Blood From DWI Suspects Without a Warrant
That could have implications for "no refusal weekend" policies across the state.
True Crime
October 21, 2014
A Shooting on Spring Grove Avenue
Olivia Lord told Dallas police officers that her boyfriend put a gun to his head after a drunken argument. Detective Dwayne Thompson couldn’t see how the evidence—or motive—made any sense. How did Michael Burnside die on May 9, 2010?
Critters
October 20, 2014
Horrible Video Shows a Cleburne Police Officer Calling To, Then Shooting, a Tail-Wagging Dog
Police violence toward humans is very much a topic in the news right now, so why does a video of an officer shooting a dog trigger a different sort of outrage?
The Daily Post
August 14, 2014
A Houston Teenager Put a Face on the #IfTheyGunnedMeDown Hashtag
As the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, has escalated, a Houston teen and others turned to social media to wonder how traditional media might depict them if they were shot by police.
The Daily Post
June 11, 2014
In a Rare Move, a Conroe Police Officer Was Convicted of Manslaughter
Police shootings rarely result in indictments, and even more rarely see the officers involved convicted of felonies, which makes this incident in Conroe an outlier.
The Daily Post
May 13, 2014
A Grand Jury Indicted A Retired Austin Police Detective For Killing An Unarmed Black Man In The Line Of Duty
The story of Larry Eugene Jackson, Jr., the Austin man who was killed by police after being suspected of attempted fraud, is moving further along in the justice system.
The Daily Post
March 26, 2014
Houston Wants Cycling To Be Safer
Undercover stings and an official Bicycle Management Plan are the start of what the city has in order.