Schertz Police report zero racial-profiling complaints in 2024; stops increased 23%

Schertz Police Chief Jim Lawrie presented the department’s 2024 racial-profiling report at a Feb. 18 council workshop, reporting zero racial-profiling complaints for the calendar year and outlining data-collection and training practices.

Lawrie distinguished racial profiling from criminal profiling in his opening remarks: “Racial profiling is definitely illegal,” he said, while “criminal profiling is legal” when an officer is looking for a suspect with specific characteristics. He summarized the department’s compliance with Texas reporting statutes and said Schertz collects data on all traffic contacts but reports self-initiated motor-vehicle contact data to the state as required by Texas law.

Key figures Lawrie cited: officers made 4,775 traffic stops in 2024, up from 3,863 in the prior year (a 23% increase). The department reported zero complaints alleging racial profiling for 2024. Lawrie said supervisors perform monthly audits (a minimum of five audits per supervisor per month) of body-worn- and in-car-video, and that officers receive continuing training on the topic (he described a training range of 16 to 40 hours depending on career stage).

Lawrie said officers did not know the driver’s race prior to the stop in 98.7% of self-initiated stops—a statistic he said aligns with statewide patterns. He presented enforcement and “hit-rate” data showing searches that resulted in contraband findings (the chief said national hit rates average about 20 percent and that the department’s findings varied by category).

On seizures, Lawrie said officers found drugs 94 times, alcohol 18 times, stolen property five times and weapons once; he noted that many drug discoveries involved marijuana and that officers exercise discretion about filing charges, which partly explains a smaller number of arrests relative to seizures. Lawrie also described a planned rollout of a data-driven approach to traffic enforcement (DDACs) intended to focus enforcement where crime and accident mapping indicate problems.

Council members asked about how race is determined for reporting (Lawrie said officers make a best-guess visual determination and that state reporting rules do not allow officers to ask for race on a driver’s license) and about the amount of training provided. Councilmember Westbrook asked about biracial individuals; Lawrie explained classification is based on totality of observable indicators and that audits check classifications for consistency.

The workshop produced no formal action; the presentation concluded with council thanking the chief for the report.