EDIE ZUVANICH Special to the Press
HUTTO – There were no complaints of racial profiling filed against the Hutto Police Department or any of its officers in 2022, which means the department is in full compliance with the Texas Racial Profiling Law.
“In response to (Texas Code of Criminal Procedures Article 3.05), we have policies in place in our department that prohibit officers from engaging in racial profiling or stopping or detaining or searching any individual based upon their race, their background, their sexual orientation, religion or anything,” Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough told City Council during their March 23 meeting.
The report focuses on traffic stops and their outcomes, including arrests. HPD made 7,442 traffic stops last year. Officers performed 244 searches at traffic stops, and 82 arrests were made.
“When it comes to racial profiling, one of the concerns that lead to this law being passed back in 2001 was because around the country people felt that they were being pulled over due to their race,” Yarbrough said.
HPD records show that of 7,442 stops made, only 48 were made with the officer knowing the driver’s race before they were stopped.
In all, 53% of traffic stops were of white drivers, 26% were Hispanic drivers and 17% involved Black drivers. American Indians and Alaska Natives made up 1%, Pacific Islanders and Asians accounted for 3%.
In Hutto, women may be safer drivers, 38.38% of those pulled over were female and 61.62% were male.
The percentages were reversed by ethnicity when it came to stops that resulted in searches. Vehicles driven by white drivers were searched during 2.78% of their stops, Hispanics saw 3.65% of stops resulting in searches, and Blacks were at 4.01%.
While HPD gives out almost twice as many written warnings as actual citations during traffic stops, Hispanic drivers faced an elevated chance of receiving a citation with 44.8% receiving a ticket, versus 33.2% of white drivers and 33.8% of Black drivers getting ticketed.
Only one arrest in 2022 involved physical force leading to bodily injury to a suspect, according to Yarbrough. That person was white.
“That situation was a short pursuit where an individual was believed to be intoxicated. He got out of the vehicle, ran, fought the officers and he ended up going to jail,” Yarbrough said.
“If you look at us and what we do in this city it’s different. We’re not trying to generate revenue by stopping traffic,” the chief said. “Our goal is hopefully to get people to comply voluntarily to the law so we can have a safer environment conducive to the peace we deserve in this city.”
