Tx Schools Rarely Track Force Against Students
Texas school district police departments use tasers, pepper spray — even dogs and drawn handguns — to control crime on campus.
But few keep any data on these incidents, leaving parents and administrators with no way to track them.
And many district police departments even refuse to turn over their “use of force” guidelines, saying parting with their policies could create a security threat.
So far, the attorney general’s office has ruled in their favor, though advocacy groups are suing for access.
“The information is almost impossible to get,” said Deborah Fowler, legal director with the non-profit Texas Appleseed, which has ...
Comments (1)
Gritsforbreakfast
Abbott's relying on a different standard than what's in the law. He allows force policies to be withheld because their release could "interfere with law enforcement," but that's not an exception in the Public Information Act, which only authorizes withholding information if it would "interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime."
Use of force has to do with how an arrest is conducted. By the time of arrest, crime has already been "detected." Force has nothing to do with "investigation" unless torture is being employed. And there's no sound argument it's a function of "prosecution." Those are the only allowable reasons to to withhold information. The courts should overturn the AG ruling.