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An expert in police practices and racial profiling told City Council last week the Elgin Police Department continues to meet expectations under Texas law, following a review of 2024 data.
Alex del Carmen of Del Carmen Consulting delivered a recorded briefing during the council’s April 1 meeting, offering high praise for the department’s leadership and performance.
“I am pleased to inform you that once again the city of Elgin Police Department is in compliance with Texas law on racial profiling,” del Carmen said. “I want to congratulate you for the police department that you have, for the leadership of your chief of police and the many great things that they are doing... That is both admirable and commendable.”
According to the report, Elgin officers collected data from every vehicle stop in 2024, tracking the demographics of drivers, reasons for stops and any subsequent searches.
The findings revealed no racial profiling complaints were filed against the department.
“What is admirable is the fact that no one did file a complaint this year, meaning that people at large did not feel at all the necessity to file a complaint,” del Carmen said.
The presentation noted that Police Chief Chris Noble and the department have maintained compliance with the state-required complaint process since 2002. Officers inform individuals receiving citations about how to file a complaint, and details are posted in the department lobby.
Data shows that the majority of stops involved white drivers and that officers reportedly did not know a driver’s ethnicity before initiating the stop.
Traffic violations accounted for the largest percentage of encounters, and most ended with a written warning, according to the report. When searches were conducted— typically based on probable cause—officers most often discovered drugs as contraband.
Seven incidents in 2024 resulted in uses of force that caused bodily injury, according to del Carmen.
The consulting firm compared Elgin’s data to statewide baselines and local trends from previous years, concluding the department’s overall patterns remained consistent.
Del Carmen also praised the department’s practices, including its regular data reviews, revised racial profiling policy and implicit bias training for officers.
“The most valuable component of the data set is looking at the outcome of searches and whether they were productive,” del Carmen added. “Elgin is particularly insightful in the sense that it does require for us to look at the data once every couple of weeks.”
