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Residents press council on aggressive driving and question police chief's congressional testimony
Summary
Two residents told the Allen City Council on March 25 that reckless driving and public-safety reporting need more effective responses from the police department, and one speaker urged the council to address testimony given by Police Chief Steve Dye to Congress.
Two residents criticized the city's response to traffic safety and policing at the March 25 Allen City Council meeting, urging clearer reporting avenues and an official response to recent public statements by the police chief.
"This driver put my daughter and my life at risk using his car as a weapon and this is not okay ever," said Laura Russell, an Allen resident, recounting a recent incident she said left her and her child frightened. Russell told council she had tried to report reckless driving through the police department's official channels and said she felt the reporting process was "less than favorable." She asked the council and the police department to make reporting easier and more approachable for citizens.
Council members and staff said department representatives were present to follow up. The mayor noted an assistant chief was in the audience and asked staff to speak with Russell after her remarks. Council members also referenced a department program called Drive to Thrive and said enforcement activity had increased recently; materials and speakers at the meeting said citations were up about 44%.
Later in the public comment period, Jack Brothers criticized Allen Police Chief Steve Dye for testimony he gave before Congress in support of Senate Bill 3, which Brothers said urged seizures and arrests related to THC products without prior product testing. "I request an apology from chief Dye for his misstatements and misrepresentations of the city," Brothers said, adding he believed the chief's statements misrepresented facts on THC and overstated public-safety claims.
Brothers told council that he and other residents now question the chief's public statements and called on the mayor and council to address the matter. Council did not take formal action at the meeting on Brothers' request; members said city police leadership would be available to discuss enforcement programs and constituent concerns.
No formal council directive was recorded during the meeting beyond staff offers to follow up with the residents who spoke.
