Independent audit finds Rosenberg Police complied with Texas racial‑profiling law; report recommends continued audits and training

An independent analysis of the Rosenberg Police Department’s 2024 traffic‑stop and motor‑vehicle contact data concluded the department met Texas legal requirements and identified patterns the analyst recommended monitoring.

Dr. Alex Del Carmen, the independent reviewer who has audited the department for more than two decades, presented highlights of the analysis to the council and said the department produced the data and reports required under the Sandra Bland Act. “The police department in the calendar year of 2024 received only 1 racial profiling complaint, which was not sustained,” Del Carmen told the council.

Why it matters: The Sandra Bland Act requires Texas law enforcement agencies to collect detailed contact data to enable review for racial profiling. The city’s compliance and independent audits are meant to detect and correct potential discrimination in stops and searches.

Key findings Del Carmen reported include: - Most vehicle contacts were with males and people recorded as Hispanic; officers typically reported they did not know a person’s race or ethnicity before a stop. - The most frequent reason for stops was moving-vehicle violations, and most stops occurred on city streets. - Most stops did not lead to searches; when searches were conducted officers cited probable cause and a majority of searches returned contraband (primarily drugs). Del Carmen said the department’s contraband-find rate exceeded a national average of roughly 30 percent. - The department reported two instances in 2024 of force used in motor-vehicle contacts that resulted in bodily injury; both arose from encounters in which officers said the subject posed a threat.

Del Carmen said the data signal higher contact and higher search-productivity rates for Black and Asian residents in the broader Houston/Baytown comparison area, while the percent of contacts for white, Hispanic and Alaska Native residents was lower than their share of households in the larger comparison region. He cautioned that Rosenberg’s significant transient population complicates direct comparisons to resident demographics.

Del Carmen recommended the city continue quarterly external audits, collect and analyze the next year of data, sustain officer training on constitutionally required conduct, and foster partnerships with local civil‑rights and advocacy groups. He praised the department’s responsiveness when issues are identified. “Is it perfect? No. But it’s doing a remarkable job in not only keeping the citizens protected, but also ensuring that they’re in full compliance with the Sandra Bland law,” he said.

Councilmembers asked about how officers record race and ethnicity. Del Carmen explained Texas law requires officers to record the officer’s determination of race or ethnicity at the time of contact and that state systems sometimes code Hispanic people as white, producing known misclassification issues. He said his audits sample records and, when necessary, review body‑worn video to assess whether coding appears accurate.

Chief Jonathan White told council the department has revised its racial‑profiling policy and provides annual training; the chief and Del Carmen said Rosenberg commissions the external audits required by state law and uses the findings for training and policy review.

The council did not take a formal vote on the report; councilmembers expressed appreciation for the audit and its recommendations.