TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO ARRESTS OF AUSTIN MEN
A Saturday traffic stop in Brenham led to the arrests of two Austin men on drug charges.
Police pulled over a vehicle for no front license plate.
(Washington Co. Jail)
Both the driver, 20-year-old Mark Barnes and passenger, 22-year-old John Barnes, both of Austin were arrested on charges of Possession of Marijuana, three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon.
John Barnes was also wanted on a warrant out of Bexar County for Reckless Driving.
Both were taken to the Washington County Jail and the case was forwarded to the District Attorney’s office.
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These stories are showing up almost on a weekly basis. Traffic stops that lead to drug arrests. My question is, are these traffic stops or thinly veiled excuses for illegal searches? In spite of drug hysteria, we are still allegedly Constitutionally protected from unreasonable search and seizure. Working theory: a traffic stop is just a traffic stop unless your skin is brown, at which point said traffic stop becomes an unreasonable search. Brenham is becoming like Burton was in the 80’s/early 90’s-a minefield of ticket-happy cops managing a speed trap that the state had to shut down it was so egregious. At least it was equal opportunity exploitation. Anyone driving a runner’s stride above the speed limit was ticketed. Brenham should put up a sign like one of those hateful Arkansas Sundown Towns warning people of color “don’t let the sun set on you” here. The sentiment is the same, as is the sticky sweet hypocritical lie of “Southern hospitality”.
Shifting the blame to law enforcement is part of our society’s problem, in my opinion.
Mr. Little-
I suggest you read the City of Brenham’s 2020 Police Report outlining the number of traffic stops and arrests made. https://www.cityofbrenham.org/Departments/administration/Annual%20Reports/2020-police.pdf
Make sure to take note of page 15 stating the much higher number of 51% of stops were caucasian, while 21% were African-American and 18% Hispanic.
Your working theory doesn’t hold water when the statistics are viewed. And “driving a runner’s stride above the speed limit” is still considered speeding.