EL PASO Texas (Border Report) – El Paso’s congresswoman says she supports efforts to have the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers suspend high-speed chases of vehicles suspected of being involved in migrant smuggling.
El Paso County on Monday discussed drafting such a resolution based on staff research documenting numerous crashes in urban areas – some of them fatal and initiated for routine traffic violations.
Report: Texas DPS pursuit policy fails to prioritize safety
“It’s important for everyone to understand how dangerous high-speed chases are in urban areas. That’s why most law enforcement agencies prohibit (such chases),” U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, the Texas Department of Public Safety is using high-speed chases on a regular basis. That puts everyday El Pasoans at a very high risk.”
Escobar said residents have contacted her office to complaint about unreimbursed property damage allegedly caused during a DPS chase and some who allege their civil rights were violated or that they were arrested without due cause by the state police.