The latest Department of Public Safety news from The Texas Tribune.
The family of Sandra Bland — the woman who died last year in a Waller County Jail cell — has reached a settlement with Texas officials in a wrongful death lawsuit, a lawyer for the family said Thursday. Full Story
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The main entrance to the Texas Capitol is open and bustling again, a few weeks after the state Department of Public Safety temporarily closed it citing security concerns. Full Story
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A former staffer for state Rep. Dawnna Dukes has claimed the Austin Democrat sought reimbursement from the state for travel payments she was not entitled to, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety improperly monitored how its employees use gas payment cards and should better ensure personal information from background checks is secure, state auditors said in a report released Thursday. Full Story
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State Rep. Dawnna Dukes has asked the Texas Department of Public Safety for an investigation, the agency confirmed late Friday. Exactly what it will focus on is not clear. Full Story
When asked about escalations with law enforcement, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said last week that officers need to respond professionally and added, "Anybody that’s been spit at ... you just take it." Full Story
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At our 1/19 conversation, Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, explained why the border isn't secure, who's responsible, and what can be done about it. Full Story
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At our 1/19 conversation, Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, explained why racial profiling is only a "perception" problem in Texas and how the agency is handling traffic stops these days. Full Story
At our 1/19 conversation, Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, talked about the Sandra Bland case and his decision to begin termination proceedings against Trooper Brian Encinia. Full Story
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Full video of our 1/19 conversation with Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Topics discussed: guns, Sandra Bland, race and policing, and border security. Full Story
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About 50 attorneys, prosecutors, defense attorneys and lab technicians on Friday discussed how past and future cases could be affected by a new standard in analyzing data involving "mixed DNA" evidence. Full Story
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Before Hurricane Rita hit the Texas coast 10 years ago, there was an evacuation marked by a traffic disaster. Officials say they're prepared to avoid a similar catastrophe on the roads. This is part of our "Road From Rita" series, a collaboration with the Beaumont Enterprise. Full Story
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A new standard, used by crime labs in Texas and nationwide when analyzing multiple sets of DNA taken from evidence, has prompted questions and a review of court cases dating back to 1999. Full Story
In the Roundup: A paid-to-prosecute arrangement revealed, an analysis of state trooper traffic stops and the next GOP presidential debate looms as Ted Cruz and Rick Perry execute two different campaigns. Full Story
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State troopers are writing far fewer traffic tickets now than five years ago, but an increasing share of them are being issued to Hispanic drivers, a Tribune analysis of state data shows. The Texas Department of Public Safety says it can't explain why that's happening. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sen. John Whitmire on Tuesday announced the creation of an interim jail safety study committee following concerns in the wake of the hanging death of Sandra Bland and the deaths of other jail inmates. Full Story
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A man arrested in Iowa who is suspected of setting fire to a car last week at the Texas Capitol is expected to appear before a judge on Friday. Full Story
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A man involved in "suspicious activity" near the Texas House speaker's office is also being sought for questioning about a car fire outside the Capitol, a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman said Monday. Full Story
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Alleging that Sandra Bland's "rights and privileges as a citizen of the United States" were violated, Bland’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday against the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County and several law enforcement officers. Full Story
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The Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman who was found hanged three days later in the Waller County Jail, was warned about his "unprofessional conduct" in 2014 while he was still a probationary trooper, according to his personnel file. Full Story
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