Reprint from the Progress Times - October 5, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

DPS keeps eyes on Palmview roads

 

Sixty arrests in August for drunk driving and three fatalities related to drunk driving in a three week period have the Department of Public Safety (DPS) focused squarely on Palmview roads.

“Drivers who drive while intoxicated are a tremendous problem for the Highway Patrol officers who man the roads and highways of the Rio Grande Valley,” said James Davidson, sergeant in charge of the DPS’ Palmview area station, whose responsibility is to take care of public safety on roads from Sharyland Road west to the Starr County line and from the river in the south to FM 1016 in McCook.

The legal definition for drunk driving is 0.08 blood alcohol or the lack of normal use of mental and physical abilities, which often steps from mixed use of drugs and alcohol.

Davidson, who has a staff of 10 officers who work out of the Palmview office, said most pursuits by the DPS involve drunk drivers who do not want to go to jail. The Palmview station alone has an average of two per month.

"What many of them may not realize is that running from the officers who are trying to stop them is a state jail felony which can be punished by not more than two years in jail or less than 180 days in jail plus a fine not to exceed $10,000. It would be better to stop and take the ticket and perhaps spend a night in jail than to go for six months to two years."

Davidson’s officers patrol all roads within their jurisdiction. They look for speeders anyone going over five miles above the speed limit - and issue citations. From January through August they issued 1,800 tickets for speeders, and issued 617 tickets for seat belt violations.

All highway patrol cars are outfitted with video cameras that are running at all times. They are an invaluable aid in determining what happens at the scene of an accident. They monitor the officer’s behavior but more importantly they monitor the behavior of the person who has been stopped.

"Sometimes all it takes is a reminder that they are being recorded to make a belligerent person settle down. They don’t want anyone seeing the way they are acting,” commented Davidson.

Other times the cameras provide a detailed look at what happens during a traffic stop gone wrong. The cameras are also equipped with sound so an officer can explain why he is stopping a certain vehicle.

The cameras are encased in a metal vault that is impossible for a suspect to remove to get rid of the evidence should an officer be harmed while making the traffic stop.

"While we give tickets, that is not our only reason to patrol highways. We are there to serve the community. We help motorists in need who are stranded along the roadways. If a person cannot change a tire, we do it for them. We will deliver enough gasoline to someone who runs out to get him or her to a place where they can purchase some. If a wrecker is needed, we summon one," said Davidson. "We do whatever is needed to assist the public and get them going again."

To reach the Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, call 1-800-525-5555. This number is printed on the back of every Texas driver’s license. Depending on where the caller is, the call may be answered by a highway patrolman or by local police.

On the highways, one of the main functions of the patrolmen is to investigate accidents. All highway patrol officers are extensively trained in accident reconstruction. Often local cities, whose police do not have the same expertise, call them in to help investigate major accidents where people are killed or sustain serious injuries.

The officers are also involved in drug interdiction. Davidson said he had once picked up 80 pounds of marijuana while on a routine traffic stop. On another occasion, an officer intercepted 3,000 pounds in the back of a truck. While marijuana is the most prevalent drug used or transported through the Valley, cocaine comes in second.

The highway patrol does not deal with the drugs. Once they are confiscated, the drugs are turned over to the Narcotics Division of the Department of Public Safety. That division is responsible for researching where the drugs came from and who they were linked to by determining what drug cartel or organization is supplying them.

"Drugs have long been big moneymakers for the Rio Grande Valley," said Davidson. "But in the last couple of years we are seeing a new trend which combines drugs and human smuggling. Those involved in the trade often steal brand new vehicles to transport their cargo from place to place."

He went on to say his officers had been involved in several pursuits where drug smuggling was involved.

Davidson explained that the DPS has several divisions. In addition to the highway patrolmen, there is a commercial motor vehicle department. Officers in this department manage commercial motor vehicles such as the large semis that haul cargo through the Valley. They make sure the trucks are not overweight and that they are complying with the motor carrier laws and maintaining their log books.

The driver’s license division deals with issuing of licenses and problems with identity theft.

Officers involved in safety education visit schools and teach driving safety. Davidson said patrolmen conduct seminars discouraging drunk driving before spring break in local schools, if requested. They are done to remind students of what they might be losing if arrested.

Other types of safety instruction might include going someplace like Wal-Mart on a busy weekend and setting up a patrol car to demonstrate the proper way to install an infant safety seat. Davidson said it was extremely important because the air bags could break a young baby’s neck.

Under the criminal law enforcement division, all drugs and narcotics confiscated during traffic stops are investigated. It also investigates motor vehicle theft. In addition to cars, tractors and farm equipment as well are included here as there are many attempts to steal heavy farm or road construction equipment.

The criminal division has the ability to give polygraph tests, test blood samples, check seized weapons for criminal activities and to do fingerprints.

The DPS also has a Special Crimes Unit that works with Homeland Security. All officers must take HAZMAT training annually to be prepared for an emergency involving hazardous materials.

Davidson said that the Department of Public Safety was one of the longest and most extensive programs of any law enforcement agency. Trainees live in Austin where they attend the school. They live in barracks similar to army barracks.

While at the school, future patrolmen learn Texas laws. They are also trained in methods to deal with the public. Emphasis here is on cultural diversities. What is acceptable in one culture may be totally unacceptable in another. The officers need to know how to deal with all cultures to avoid unnecessary confrontation.

They learn driving techniques such as how to handle their vehicles in a pursuit situation. They drive in all kinds of conditions including city, small town and rural conditions. They also learn techniques in accident prevention.

All highway patrol officers get advanced training on accident reconstruction to help them determine the causes of fatal accidents and those involving serious injuries. They also learn techniques of accident prevention that they can teach in public safety classes.

Self-defense is a major skill they must learn. Officers learn hand-to-hand techniques and also various methods of combat which can use some martial arts techniques. How and when to use sprays on hostile citizens is taught as is use of the asp baton. Patrolmen are taught to use their sidearm as a last resort.

Davidson has been a DPS officer for 19 years. He started as a patrolman and now heads the Palmview area office. While it can be a dangerous job, he is dedicated to helping the people of his area.

But he is aware that not all traffic stops or pursuits turn out in a positive manner. Just outside his office door stands a memorial dedicated to Officer Eduardo Chavez who died in the line of duty while hurrying to assist in a drug seizure last year west of Sullivan City. Davidson takes a moment to reflect on the knowledge that it could happen to him or any one of his officers in the line of duty.