Gov. Greg Abbott deploys DPS to combat Dallas violent crime spike
The city had 40 homicides last month, the highest monthly total since the 1990s. Full Story
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![The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) graduates a class of 74 new state troopers at the Texas Capitol.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers hope an additional $200 million will decrease dreaded wait times at driver's license centers
The money will be used to hire more employees, give a raise to current staffers and open two new driver’s license offices in Angleton and Denton. The Department of Public Safety's management of the offices has drawn criticism, but lawmakers stopped short of moving those duties to another agency. Full Story
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![A line begins to form outside the DPS office in Northwest Austin shortly before it opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
New cellphone video shows what Sandra Bland saw during arrest by Texas trooper
The family of Sandra Bland — who died in a Waller County jail cell — is calling for a reopening of the criminal investigation into Bland's arrest and death after seeing footage for the first time. Full Story
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![Memorial for Sandra Bland in Prairie View, the town where she was arrested. Bland was later found dead in her jail cell. The street has been re-named in her honor.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Texas lawmakers want to fix wait times at driver's license offices. Will they agree on a solution?
The Texas House wants to pump $200 million into the state's driver's license program — and possibly move it to a new agency — to alleviate what have become all-day waits for some Texans at Department of Public Safety offices. Full Story
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![A line begins to form outside the DPS office in Northwest Austin shortly before it opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Audit questions how DPS verifies eligibility when issuing Texas driver's licenses
The audit says the Texas Department of Public Safety lacks the controls to ensure necessary documents are collected and retained. Full Story
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Texas panel rejects proposal to close 87 driver's license offices. For now.
The Sunset Advisory Commission voted not to adopt the Department of Public Safety's recommendations to close dozens of offices across the state, but recommended a third-party study to determine which agency should issue licenses. Full Story
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![State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, during a Texas Sunset Advisory Commission meeting on August 29, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
After Harvey, questions remain about whether registry helped people with disabilities
Texas has a system in place to identify people with disabilities who will need extra help during a natural disaster. But it's unclear how many people actually received help through the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry, or STEAR, during Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
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![An evacuee from Meyerland — a neighborhood in southwest Houston hit hard by Harvey — arrives at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.Â]()
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
DPS reverses decision to lay off more than 100 older officers
The Texas Department of Public Safety has reversed a controversial decision to lay off more than 100 older troopers employed under an agency program that allowed them to retire and then be rehired in order to collect retirement benefits and a salary. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety recruit graduation class on April 7th, 2011 in Austin, Texas]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Texas Rangers arrest four amid investigation of abuse at state-run juvenile lockups
Four former and current Texas Juvenile Justice Department employees were arrested Thursday as part of a Texas Rangers investigation into alleged misconduct at state-run youth lockups. Another suspect remains at large. Full Story
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Criticism builds for Texas DPS decision to lay off 117 older officers
The Texas Department of Public Safety is feeling the heat over a budget-related decision to lay off 117 officers serving in a retire/rehire program. Full Story
![Texas Department of Public Safety recruit graduation class on April 7th, 2011 in Austin, Texas]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
DPS agrees to reverse new policy of charging for crime lab testing
Gov. Greg Abbott asked the Texas Department of Public Safety Friday to retract its plans to begin charging local agencies for forensic testing. Full Story
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![A technician at the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab in Austin.]()
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Lawmakers failed to end troubled Driver Responsibility Program
Mandy Mann thought she had paid her dues for a 2009 traffic stop. But six years later, the Waco mom was stopped and arrested — for failing to comply with the state's troubled Driver Responsibility Program. Full Story
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![It took Mandy Mann, of Waco, more than six years to resolve penalties with the flawed Driver Responsibility Program.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Hey, Texplainer: Do I still have to get my car inspected every year?
A bill to end annual vehicle inspections died during the regular legislative session — but might come back during next month’s special session. Full Story
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![Traffic on Lamar Boulevard in downtown Austin on June 22, 2017.]()
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After criticism, DPS restores extended hours at busiest driver's license offices
The Texas Department of Public Safety surprised customers last week when the agency trimmed office hours to save money. Full Story
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![A Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License Office.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Texas Lawmakers say Driver Responsibility Program repeal unlikely this session
A measure to repeal the widely unpopular program made it out of the House but died before hitting the Senate floor. Full Story
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Even under Trump, state budget writers deliver big on border security funding
Texas budget writers plan to spend another $800 million for border security over the next two years, matching what lawmakers allocated in 2015. Full Story
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![Bundles of marijuana seized by Border Patrol and DPS agents near Roma, TX, on Mar. 8, 2016.]()
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Texas Senate advances bill to crowdfund rape kit testing
Legislation that would crowdfund money from Texans to deal with a state backlog of thousands of untested rape kits has moved closer to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story
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![State Rep. Victoria Neave, D-Dallas, authored a House bill that would allow crowdfunding for rape kit testing in Texas.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Bill to enforce reporting of police shootings stumbles, then passes
After failing by one vote on the House floor Wednesday night, a bill to penalize law enforcement agencies that don't report police shootings to the state was reconsidered and passed. Full Story
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![State Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, on the House floor on May 6, 2017.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Senate approves bill to require seat belts on school buses
Senate Bill 693 cleared the chamber in a 25-6 vote following strong pushback from one Republican who argued seat belts make buses less safe. Full Story
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![Eanes ISD school bus mechanic Chase Roberts washes the dirt off the advertising on buses in West Lake Hills, Texas, on Feb. 14, 2012.]()
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Stolen after Super Bowl in Houston, Tom Brady's jersey recovered in Mexico
After being stolen from the Patriots' locker room at NRG Stadium in Houston last month after the Super Bowl, quarterback Tom Brady's jersey was traced to Mexico, according to officials involved in the investigation. Full Story
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![New England Patriots' James White (R) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas, U.S., February 5, 2017.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Adrees Latif