The latest Department of Public Safety news from The Texas Tribune.
After Texas legalized hemp and threw marijuana prosecution into chaos last year, prosecutors filed far fewer criminal charges, police departments paid for private testing and public crime labs were struggling to catch up. Full Story
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The document says that the envelope had Nevárez's official House seal and held “four small clear baggies” containing a substance found to include cocaine. Full Story
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The governor's decision to force homeless people from under state overpasses drew the ire of city leaders and homelessness experts, who criticized Abbott's "fear-based approach." Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety received a request for the information earlier this month but has taken no action. Full Story
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The DPS officers' association sued the agency over a new policy to measure a trooper's physical readiness for the job not only by fitness tests, but by waist size. Thursday, the Public Safety Commission decided the policy is scientifically sound. Full Story
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The governor's executive orders after shootings in El Paso and West Texas are meant to address gun violence without gun control. But a Department of Public Safety network he tapped says it needs more resources — and is remaining mum on how it operates. Full Story
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Community members can report a potential threat to iWatchTexas via an app, online or over the phone. The resource launched last year, shortly after the shooting at Santa Fe High School. Full Story
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In hopes to provide quicker service, over 90 of DPS' 229 offices — including every mega center and "severely crowded" office — will become fully staffed, while another 100 will receive smaller personnel boosts. Full Story
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More than 600,000 Texans will immediately be eligible to have their driver's licenses reinstated after the program's Sept. 1 repeal. The system was widely criticized for adding additional annual fees on top of the price of tickets, but all pending surcharges will soon be waived. Full Story
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After May's 40 homicides, Gov. Greg Abbott deployed state troopers to Dallas. Despite some drops in violent crimes, city officials say they've done more harm than good. Meanwhile, there's still no consensus on what's driving the increase as victims' families are left to grapple with grief. Full Story
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A debate over gun control was reignited after a gunman killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso. Here's a rundown of Texas' gun laws. Full Story
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Police say the suspect is a white male in his 20s from the Dallas area who was arrested without incident. Police are investigating whether it was a hate crime. Full Story
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A memo obtained by The Texas Tribune instructs DPS officers to cite and release suspects in misdemeanor marijuana cases "as appropriate." Officials said the goal is to continue enforcement even though some prosecutors aren't taking new pot cases. Full Story
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John Jones was arrested Tuesday in Travis County. He is accused of raping a woman at a party July 20. Full Story
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The city had 40 homicides last month, the highest monthly total since the 1990s. Full Story
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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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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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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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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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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