Council hears annual Racial Profiling Report

By Jan White
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CROCKETT – At the March 8 meeting of the Crockett City Council, Police Chief Clayton Smith presented the Annual Racial Profiling Report for 2021.

Smith reported the following statistics by race and gender: African American 349 males, 256 females; Asian/Pacific Islander nine males, two females; White males 811, females 477; Hispanic males 219, females 86; Native American males 1, females 0; with the total of 2,210. Smith then showed a breakdown of categories ranging from the reason for the stop, location of the stop, result of the stop, and the number of arrests. 

Smith also reported that the Crockett Police Department received 452 calls and used 2,238 manpower hours during the month of January.

The council approved an amendment to Article 7.04 of the CEIDC bylaws, which states that checks, drafts, or orders for payment of money require two signatures and that each member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director are authorized to sign the documents. It also states that checks or other orders of payment to the Executive Director may not be signed by the Executive Director himself.

The board also voted to approve the temporary closure of the State Highways around the one-way square in Crockett for the Davy Crockett Classic Bike Race. The race will be held on April 23 from 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Last year the route skirted the downtown area, but this year the event organizers asked that bicycle riders be allowed to follow the route around the square. 

The Council heard a report from Wade Thomas with the Planning and Zoning committee and Mark Priestner from Planning Concepts on proposed amendments to C-3 City Center Shopping District. The goal of the amendments is to identify additional parking, utilize occupied and unoccupied buildings, and make the downtown area more walkable. The City will hold public meetings regarding the possible changes to the text. Postings regarding the public meetings will be placed around the downtown area and in local newspapers.

Other agenda items approved were the City of Crockett’s participation in a cooperative program with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for blood testing, repairs to the city hall and police department parking lot, lease of the building at 400 N. Durrett Drive to the Piney Woods Sanitation Department, and an ordinance allowing oversight of day-to-day operations for the Fire Marshal to fall under the Fire Chief’s jurisdiction.