TCOLE advisory committee forms three subcommittees to standardize motor‑vehicle stop data

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) advisory committee on motor‑vehicle stop data voted on January 8 to form three subcommittees tasked with standardizing how agencies across Texas collect and report traffic‑stop information.

Chief Nathan Anderson of Rockport, the committee chair, opened the meeting by saying the group's goal is to "come up with a more uniform way to collect this data," citing wide inconsistencies in how departments record stops. Executive Director Greg Stevens told members a primary objective is to ensure data are "usable for analysis" and to inform both training and legislative testimony.

Members identified several recurring problems: inconsistent definitions of what counts as a motor‑vehicle stop, limitations in vendor ticket‑writing systems, and the portal's inability to record multiple contraband types found during a single search. Stevens illustrated the definitional gap by reading the current, broad statutory phrasing that treats a motor‑vehicle stop as "an occasion when an officer stops motor vehicle because of an alleged violation of a law or ordinance," and said agencies differ on whether stops tied to response calls are counted.

TCOLE information staff explained that the current data portal enforces required fields and validation logic intended to prevent missing data, but that it can be reprogrammed. Jessica Capara, chief information officer for TQL, said the system "can be programmed to open additional options conditionally based on selections" and recommended the committee provide concrete stop/search scenarios to guide validations and user flows.

The committee approved creation of three subcommittees: (1) stop data (time, location, outcome), (2) searches and contraband/consent, and (3) miscellaneous items including race, ethnicity, and gender. A motion to create a focused contraband subcommittee passed earlier in the meeting; a subsequent motion to create the three subcommittees likewise passed on voice votes with no opposition recorded.

Staff emphasized timeline constraints tied to ticket‑writer vendors: TCOLE asked the committee to deliver work products in time for a June presentation to commissioners so vendor systems can be reprogrammed for collection beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and reporting starting Jan. 1, 2028. Colin Grissom, deputy chief over licensing and education, said the committee's definitions could be incorporated into TCOLE training and curricula once agreed upon.

During public comment, Luis Soberon of the research nonprofit Texas 2036 urged stronger validation checks, noting examples of logically improbable submissions and recommending techniques that would flag outliers or impossible combinations for correction before publication.

The committee set future full meetings (to be held at the TCOLE training room with Zoom available) for Feb. 4, March 11, April 8 and May 6 at 1:30 p.m., and adjourned after volunteers chose subcommittee memberships. Staff will collect volunteer lists, schedule subcommittee meetings and provide agenda support ahead of the next full meeting.