“I-TEAM: SAPD officers DWI arrests”

Dillon Collier, reporter; Jason Gonzales, photojournalist/editor
Kens 5 - San Antonio  
February 24, 2014 

KENS 5 I-Team reporter Dillon Collier analyzed public records to show that San Antonio Police Department officers tend to benefit from making a higher than average number of DWI arrests while assigned to a special overtime program that targets impaired drivers. The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) patrols are assigned week by week, and the numbers show that many of the same high-volume arrest officers find themselves getting repeat STEP assignments, whereas low-volume arrest officers are less likely to get another opportunity. Civil liberties advocates say this potentially creates an incentive for officers to pull over vehicles without probable cause. This story forced SAPD leaders to defend the policies used for assigning officers to the overtime STEP shifts.

LINK to story online

Submitted by Greg Matthews.