Texas - Traffic Stop Data_1

To Whom It May Concern:

I am the managing editor of Peninsula Press, a multimedia news website based out of Stanford University in California. We are working on collecting data on traffic stops and searches made by state patrols across the country. (I previously contacted your agency regarding record layout information about what datapoints your state collects and you provided a database dictionary.)

Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

I am requesting the raw data of traffic stops made in your state and laid out in your record description for the last ten (10) years. The fields of data include:

 HA_ARREST_KEY – Unique Record Identifier
 HA_ARREST_DATE – Offense Date
 HA_YEAR – Year
 HA_MONTH – Month
 HA_BIRTH_DATE – Violator Date of Birth
 HA_TICKET_TYPE – Ticket Type: THP-6 = Citation; HP-3 = Warning
 HA_TICKET_STATUS – Ticket Status: Approved; Printed; Invalid
 HA_CARRIER_PROFILE_NUMBER – Commercial Motor Vehicle Carrier Profile Number
 HA_CDL – Commercial Driver License: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_COMM_VEHICLE – Commercial Motor Vehicle: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_COUNTY – County
 HA_COURT – Court
 HA_DAY_OF_WEEK – Day of Week
 HA_DL_NUMBER – Driver License Number
 HA_DL_STATE – Driver License State
 HA_CDL_HAZ_MAT – Commercial Driver License HAZ-MAT Endorsement
 HA_INTERSTATE – Interstate
 HA_INTRASTATE – Intrastate
 HA_MILEPOST – Mile post
 HA_LATITUDE – Latitude
 HA_LONGITUDE – Longitude
 HA_SERVICE – DPS Service
 HA_REGION – DPS Region
 HA_DISTRICT – DPS District
 HA_SGT_AREA – DPS Sergeant Area
 HA_OFFICER_ID – Trooper ID
 HA_PRECINCT – Court Precinct
 HA_QTR_DAY – Quarter of Day
 HA_RACE_SEX – Race/Ethnicity/Gender
 HA_ROAD_CLASS – Road Class
 HA_ROUTE – Route Number
 HA_TICKET_NUMBER – Offense Record Number
 HA_STEP – Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_VEH_SEARCH – Vehicle Searched: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_VEHICLE_PLATE – Vehicle Plate Number
 HA_VEHICLE_STATE – Vehicle Plate State
 HA_VEHICLE_TYPE – Vehicle Body Type
 HA_ACCIDENT – Accident: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_ALLEGED_SPEED – Alleged Speed
 HA_POSTED_SPEED – Posted Speed
 HA_CONSTRUCTION_ZONE – Construction Zone: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_WORKERS_PRESENT – Workers Present in a Construction Zone: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_REASON_WARN – Reason for Stop is a Warning: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_REASON_CITA – Reason for Stop is a Citation: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_SEARCHED – Vehicle Searched: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_SEARCH_PC – Vehicle Searched Probable Cause: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_SEARCH_CONCENT – Vehicle Searched Concent: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_INCIDTO_ARREST – Vehicle Searched Incident to Arrest: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_VEHICLE_INVENT – Vehicle Searched Inventory: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_CONTRABAN – Contraband Found: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_CONTRAB_DRUGS – Contraband Found Drugs: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_CONTRAB_WEAPON – Contraband Found Weapon: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_CONTRAB_CURRENCY – Contraband Found Currency: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_CONTRAB_OTHER – Contraband Found Other: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_INT1 – Fugitive Arrest
 HA_STR1 – Road Class Specified
 HA_REEL_FRAME – STEP Program Specified
 HA_N_TROOPER – Trooper Name
 HA_OTH_LOC – Other Location
 HA_P_WK_DRVR – Violator Work Phone Number
 HA_COMM_VEH_CDL – Commercial Vehicle Driver License: 1 = Yes; 2 = No
 HA_GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight
 HA_PASSENGERS – Passengers
 HA_VEH_COLOR – Vehicle Color
 HA_VEH_YEAR – Vehicle Year
 HA_VEH_MODEL – Vehicle Model
 HA_VEH_MAKE – Vehicle Make
 HA_WEATHER - Weather
 HA_TRAFFIC – Traffic Conditions
 HA_ROAD_LOC – Road Location
 HA_OTH_CONDITIONS – Other Conditions
 HA_JUDGE_KEY – Judge Unique Record Identifier
 HA_N_JUDGE – Judge Name
 HA_A_ADDRESS_JGE – Judge Address Street
 HA_A_CITY_JGE – Judge Address City
 HA_A_STATE_JGE – Judge Address State
 HA_A_ZIP_JGE – Judge Address Zip Code
 HA_P_JUDGE – Judge Phone Number
 HA_D_COURT – Court Date
 HA_UPLOAD_FLAG – Race/Ethnicity Know Prior to Stop: 1 = Yes; 2 = No

 AD_ARREST_KEY – Unique Record Identifier
 AD_VIOLATION_CODE – Violation Code

 AW_ARREST_KEY – Unique Record Identifier
 AW_VIOLATION_CODE – Violation Code

These were all fields on the form provided by the state.

Additionally, if collected and not already included above, we’d like to request the incident date, incident time, violator race, violator sex, violator DOB, vehicle info (make/model/VIN), officer ID, officer race, what violation occurred and what type of enforcement took place.

The requested data will be analyzed, eventually be made available to the general public and be used for editorial purposes. This request is not being made for commercial purposes. We kindly ask the request be filled electronically. We can accept the data in many common formats, including as CSV, spreadsheet or other database formats. Data can be emailed to vram@stanford.edu or uploaded to this Dropbox folder: https://www.dropbox.com/request/6l8Pz6lYz6KLYY9FiY8O

In the event data has to be sent physically on a CD or portable drive, please mail to Peninsula Press, Stanford Journalism Program, 450 Serra Mall, Building 120, Stanford, CA 94305.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,
Vignesh Ramachandran

Vignesh Ramachandran
Managing Editor, Peninsula Press
Stanford Journalism Program
email vram@stanford.edu
phone 650.723.0703
physical mail 450 Serra Mall, Building 120, Stanford, CA 94305