Senate committee advances bill to create DPS unit targeting organized oilfield theft

Senate Bill 1320 would create a dedicated unit inside the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate and arrest people engaged in theft of petroleum products and related organized criminal enterprises, the bill author told the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Brian Sparks, told the committee the unit would be statewide but headquartered in the Permian Basin, provide specialized training for local law enforcement, maintain a centralized database of incidents, and submit biannual reports to legislative leaders and the governor. "To address this, Senate Bill 1320 creates a dedicated unit within DPS with the authority to investigate and arrest individuals engaged in theft of petroleum products," Sparks said.

Why it matters: witnesses and local officials described a shift from opportunistic, small-scale thefts…