This analysis investigates the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (TDPS) Border Report data (2017–2023) to understand accessibility, completeness, and trends. This work was inspired by ProPublica’s investigation into the U.S./Mexico border crisis and controversies around Operation Lone Star.
Key highlights:
- TDPS Border Report data is hard to access and requires advanced skills to analyze.
- Only 49% of the data is complete, with many agencies struggling to adopt the FBI’s new National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
- Larceny-theft and assault dominate reported crimes, while human trafficking appears to be severely underreported.
- Data gaps and reporting inconsistencies limit conclusions about border conditions.