Tag Archives: Steve McCraw

DPS can keep Uvalde info secret for now

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully not for much longer. A state district judge ruled Wednesday that the Department of Public Safety does not have to turn over records related to the Uvalde school shooting sought by state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who had sued the … Continue reading →

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News orgs sue DPS over Uvalde info

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Same annoying story, part whatever. Getting public records about this tragedy shouldn’t be this hard to do. More than a dozen news organizations filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Public Safety on Monday, accusing the agency of unlawfully … Continue reading →

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Uvalde school superintendent recommends firing Arredondo

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect he’ll get his wish. Uvalde school officials will decide the fate of district police Chief Pete Arredondo during a special meeting Saturday after Superintendent Hal Harrell recommended the police chief’s firing. The meeting falls almost two months after … Continue reading →

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Now DPS is checking on its officers that were at the Uvalde mass shooting?

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have one simple question about this. The Texas Department of Public Safety is reviewing how 91 state troopers and Rangers responded to the Robb Elementary School shooting to determine if any violated policies or laws. The agency’s announcement Monday … Continue reading →

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House committee report on the Uvalde massacre

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The special State House committee that was tasked with investigating the response to the Uvalde mass shooting released its report yesterday. The report identified numerous failures, in law enforcement and in the school and in other systems, though it’s clear … Continue reading →

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Uvalde video to be released

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is the right thing to do. The Texas House committee investigating the Uvalde school shooting plans to release video footage of the incident on Sunday, Rep. Dustin Burrows said. Burrows, a Lubbock Republican and the committee’s chairman, said Tuesday … Continue reading →

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Are we going to get law enforcement video from Uvalde or not?

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Still waiting. A bureaucratic spat over whether to release video from inside Robb Elementary School during the May 24 mass shooting grew increasingly complex on Monday after a key Texas state legislator suggested that there was now finally an agreement … Continue reading →

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Uvalde mayor disputes report that police missed opportunity to shoot gunman

Posted on July 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still arguing over the basic facts of this tragedy. Uvalde’s mayor on Friday denied a recent report that said a city police officer had an opportunity to shoot the 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers inside … Continue reading →

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Uvalde updates

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, so time for a news dump. Uvalde shooting victims aren’t getting compensated from state fund as intended, officials say. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that families of the Uvalde shooting victims … Continue reading →

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Uvalde versus DPS

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s not happy. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin on Tuesday accused state authorities of selectively releasing information about last month’s school shooting to scapegoat local law enforcement and intentionally leaving out details about the state’s response to the massacre. New details … Continue reading →

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DPS pins the blame on Arredondo

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Look out for that bus! Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told a state Senate committee Tuesday that the law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting was an “abject failure” and police could have stopped the shooter at … Continue reading →

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What were Uvalde police actually doing at Robb Elementary?

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll say it again: The more we learn about the law enforcement response to the Uvalde massacre, the worse it looks. Surveillance footage shows that police never tried to open a door to two classrooms at Robb Elementary School in … Continue reading →

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What was DPS doing during the Uvalde massacre?

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not much, it would seem. As many as 13 troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety waited in a hallway at one point during a gunman’s rampage that killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in … Continue reading →

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If committees are all we’re going to get, then let’s get something from the committees

Posted on June 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not too much to ask, I hope. Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on Friday announced the creation of a legislative committee to investigate the Uvalde shooting. “The fact we still do not have an accurate picture of what exactly happened … Continue reading →

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State Capitol closed again

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At least through Inauguration Day, which is to say Wednesday. The Texas Department of Public Safety abruptly announced the closure of the state Capitol Friday evening after uncovering new intelligence that intensified security concerns and prompted the agency to ramp … Continue reading →

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DPS’ intel gathering

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Should be interesting. And necessary. State and federal officials in Texas have started monitoring racist and incendiary rhetoric online, such as that alleged to have been used by the suspect in the El Paso mass shooting, in the hopes of … Continue reading →

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Of course some voters were removed by that bogus SOS advisory

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

No one should be surprised by this. Fourteen Texas voters caught up in the secretary of state’s botched review of the voter rolls for supposed noncitizens had their registrations canceled but have since been reinstated, state officials told a federal … Continue reading →

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Still a “no” on Whitley

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As it should be. Senate Democrats still pledge to block the confirmation of embattled Secretary of State David Whitley, even as a top Texas law enforcement official is taking blame for major errors in a list of suspected non-citizen voters. … Continue reading →

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McCraw falls on his sword

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

He’s a good company man, I’ll give him that much. After being rebuked by Gov. Greg Abbott for the state’s botched review of the voter rolls, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety took “full responsibility” Tuesday for … Continue reading →

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Blaming DPS

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Meet your new scapegoat for the SOS non-citizen voter advisory fiasco. Amid the fallout surrounding his administration’s botched review of the voter rolls, Gov. Greg Abbott has picked a side. Who’s to blame for the state’s mistaken challenge to the … Continue reading →

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Senate committee advances Whitley nomination

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll take Pointless Wastes of Time for $200, Alex. A Texas Senate committee voted Thursday to advance the nomination of Texas Secretary of State David Whitley — the most forward motion he’s made in weeks in a stalled nomination that … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Driver Responsibility Program

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A national civil rights organization on Wednesday sued Gov. Greg Abbott and four top officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety, arguing that the state’s Driver Responsibility Program traps many of Texas’ most vulnerable … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears immigrant harboring lawsuit appeal

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This time it’s the state that’s appealing a lower court ruling. A federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments Wednesday about whether a key portion of Texas’ omnibus border security bill is legal. Lawyers for the state of … Continue reading →

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More on the Sandra Bland settlement

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Garnet Coleman is working to implement the reforms mandated by the Sandra Bland lawsuit settlement. House Democrats sparred with state law enforcement officials over questions of racial profiling Tuesday at a sometimes contentious hearing. It was the latest … Continue reading →

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MALDEF sues over provision of border bill

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Worth watching. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, filed suit Sunday against Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and the Texas Public Safety Commission, which oversees the DPS. The group alleges … Continue reading →

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DPS, investigate thyself

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? Set to take over statewide corruption investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety must decide whether it will investigate itself. In April, DPS Director Steve McCraw demanded that the Travis County District Attorney’s Public Integrity … Continue reading →

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“Poopgate” is a big load of…

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you know. Documents released Monday by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s provided no new evidence that officers found one jar of urine and 18 containers of feces at the Capitol before a July 12 debate on a controversial … Continue reading →

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