Tag Archives: DPS

Judge orders DPS to release Uvalde public records

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Very good. A state district judge on Thursday ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to begin the process of releasing public records related to law enforcement’s response to the Uvalde school shooting, granting a request by The Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Judge orders DPS to release Uvalde public records

House General Investigations Committee votes to impeach Paxton

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, I say Wow. In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A brief Uvalde roundup one year after the massacre

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few links for you… A year after Uvalde’s school massacre, healing remains elusive. In the year since 19 children and two teachers were killed inside their classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the search for healing … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A brief Uvalde roundup one year after the massacre

Hazmat routes

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story made me think about a thing I basically never think about, and now I wish I didn’t have to think about it. Toxic inhalants, flammable gases and explosive chemicals are just some of what rolls along Dallas-Fort Worth … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uvalde families ask to be added to the public information lawsuit against DPS

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A direct response to the Uvalde County DA and her questionable claims. Some Uvalde families of victims who were killed or injured during the massacre at Robb Elementary School last year have asked a judge to add them as plaintiffs … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uvalde families ask to be added to the public information lawsuit against DPS

Uvalde DA joins DPS in resisting release of shooting info

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still waiting. Uvalde’s district attorney has joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in fighting the release of public records related to last year’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, arguing that all of the families who lost children … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One small gun loophole may get closed

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Take your wins where you can find them. Texas lawmakers are working to plug a gap in a 2009 law that was meant to keep people with a history of serious mental health issues from legally acquiring firearms. Bipartisan legislation … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One small gun loophole may get closed

So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their explanation. [DPS Director Steve] McCraw said DPS officials kept the news under wraps to avoid jeopardizing the agency’s investigation, including efforts to arrest the fraudsters who organized the scheme. The explanation came in response to questioning from state … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack

DPS victimized by credential stuffing attack

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the technical term for this. The Texas Department of Public Safety was duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to a Chinese organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans, DPS Director Steve McCraw told a Texas House … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Three stories on Uvalde and gun control

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First, a story about locks and why an obsession with locking school doors is not really going to improve safety. In the aftermath of school shootings like the one in Uvalde, what can get overlooked is basic: Schools need doors … Continue reading →

Posted in School days, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Three stories on Uvalde and gun control

Still more Uvalde bills from Sen. Gutierrez

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least one of these might have a chance to pass. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez wants the Texas Department of Public Safety to create robust mass shooting response training for all public safety entities after the chaotic response to the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Still more Uvalde bills from Sen. Gutierrez

Uvalde DA gets DPS report on school shooting

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still a long way from seeing it for ourselves. State police investigating the Uvalde school shooting have sent an initial report to prosecutors, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Texas Rangers, a division … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uvalde DA gets DPS report on school shooting

The medical response also failed at Uvalde

Posted on December 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is a very hard story to read, with graphic descriptions of injuries suffered by the shooting victims at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Click over very carefully, but whether you read or not know that the failures at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The medical response also failed at Uvalde

Ken Paxton’s hatred of LGBTQ+ people continues unabated

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Item #1: Texas attorney general’s office sought state data on transgender Texans. Employees at the Texas Department of Public Safety in June received a sweeping request from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office: to compile a list of individuals who … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Uvalde class action lawsuit over mass shooting officially filed

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. Survivors of the fatal mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit against multiple law enforcement agencies in Texas, according to court documents. The lawsuit, filed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uvalde class action lawsuit over mass shooting officially filed

Another lawsuit filed by Uvalde parents

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another one to watch. The mother of a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school shooting has filed a federal lawsuit against the gun-maker and seller, the city of Uvalde, its school district and several law enforcement officers. Sandra Torres’ daughter … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

DPS asks to be rewarded for its abject failure at Uvalde

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I like to think that I don’t get easily shocked, but this did it to me. The Texas Department of Public Safety wants $1.2 billion to turn its training center north of Austin into a full-time statewide law enforcement academy … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on DPS asks to be rewarded for its abject failure at Uvalde

If Greg Abbott demands an investigation, Greg Abbott will get an investigation

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is all still so dumb. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is launching an investigation into “alleged irregularities” during last week’s election after receiving a referral from the Texas Secretary of State’s office. Ogg sent a letter to Texas Department … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on If Greg Abbott demands an investigation, Greg Abbott will get an investigation

If all we ever do are defensive measures, we’ll never make any progress

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not saying we shouldn’t do these things, although some of them definitely should be questioned. I am saying we can’t just do things like these. The Texas Education Agency announced Thursday a plethora of proposals that would, among other … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on If all we ever do are defensive measures, we’ll never make any progress

Sen. Gutierrez vows to be a pest about Uvalde and gun control in the next session

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m rooting for him. As he watched a couple load ice chests into their car at a gas station, something didn’t sit right with Roland Gutierrez. The pair were likely on their way to the lake to enjoy the late … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We have different definitions of “failure”

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And by “we”, I mean DPS head Steve McCraw and everybody else. Weeks after Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said he would resign if his troopers had “any culpability” in the botched police response to the Uvalde … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We have different definitions of “failure”

Uvalde school district suspends its entire police force

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Um, wow. Uvalde school officials on Friday suspended all of the district police department’s activities following the firing of a recently hired district officer who was revealed to have been among the first state troopers to respond to the deadly … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uvalde school district suspends its entire police force

Fifth Circuit does its thing with appeal of voter purge case

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Get out the rubber stamp. A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas does not need to release details about a list of 11,737 registered voters whom the state has identified as potential noncitizens. The U.S. Court of Appeals for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Uvalde parents file lawsuit against multiple defendants

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this one. The first major lawsuit has been filed over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde by the families of three surviving students. “The horrors of May 24, 2022, were only possible because … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uvalde parents file lawsuit against multiple defendants

The one big question DPS still hasn’t answered about Uvalde

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib gets at something that I’ve mentioned a couple of times. Ever since the Uvalde elementary school shooting left 19 students and two teachers dead, blame for the delayed response has been thrust on local law enforcement. The school … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Five DPS agents being investigated for their Uvalde actions

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. It just can’t be the end. Five Texas Department of Public Safety officers who responded to the Uvalde school shooting in May will face an investigation into their actions at Robb Elementary, the agency said. The officers … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Five DPS agents being investigated for their Uvalde actions

Another lawsuit over Uvalde public information

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This all really is ridiculous. The Texas Tribune, along with a group of other news organizations, filed a lawsuit Monday against the city of Uvalde, the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District asking a judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another lawsuit over Uvalde public information

Harris County looks to sue over Comptroller’s BS “defunding” claim

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Tell it to the judge. Harris County Commissioners Court this week is expected to hire an outside law firm to take legal action against the state and Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement in violation … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The gaps in Texas’ background check law

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From Pro Publica: In the spring of 2009, Elliott Naishtat persuaded his colleagues in the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that he believed would require the state to report court-ordered mental health hospitalizations for Texans of all ages to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The gaps in Texas’ background check law

More on the Uvalde class action lawsuit

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A few more details, anyway. Charles Bonner served the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District with the multibillion-dollar claim Monday, requesting compensation for the victims. Bonner told The Texas Tribune he intended to serve Uvalde city leaders on Tuesday evening at … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the Uvalde class action lawsuit

Arredondo fired

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Took awhile, but there it is. The Uvalde school board agreed Wednesday to fire Pete Arredondo, the school district police chief broadly criticized for his response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in a vote that came shortly … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Constables’ and Comptroller’s ridiculous complaint

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is transparent bullshit. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar this week accused Harris County commissioners of defunding local constables and threatened to prevent the county from implementing its proposed 2023 budget if the county does not reverse course. In a letter … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Class action lawsuit for Uvalde parents being prepped

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are a lot of blanks to be filled in for this. You can be sure I’ll be watching for them. Some of the families affected by the Robb Elementary School mass shooting are now a part of a major … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A long look at the lack of accountability in Uvalde

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

CNN has a very long piece about how there are many investigations going on about the Uvalde massacre but seemingly little to hold anyone accountable for it. Uvalde residents, especially the parents of Robb Elementary children, are increasingly frustrated with … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A long look at the lack of accountability in Uvalde