HP Council Reviews Annual Racial Profiling Reports, Dallas Marathon Route

The Highland Park Town Council reviewed data on Aug 6 confirming that the town has met racial profiling reporting requirements and the data shows no signs of racial discrimination by police or the court system. 

The council invited racial profiling and police studies expert Alex del Carmen to speak during a study session. Del Carmen Consulting completed reports on the Highland Park Department of Public Safety’s 2023 racial profiling report and racial data in municipal court.

State law requires police departments to submit traffic and motor vehicle data to identify possible racial profiling. The reports are sent to the department’s local governments and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Two racial profiling complaints were filed against the Highland Park Department of Public Safety, but both were reportedly unfounded.

Del Carmen reported the filing and disposition of cases in court “appears proportional among all races” and the data shows regardless of race people were treated equally. Of the 3938 cases disposed in 2023, 930 were closed through court appearances. 

“I want to really congratulate court personnel for doing this,” del Carmen said. “They do a magnificent job, probably better than most other entities in the United States, as it relates to giving people an opportunity to process those cases and dispose of them without taking the time from the court.” 

Executive race director Marcus Grunewald spoke to the council about the BMW Dallas Marathon, the largest race in Dallas and the third largest in Texas. 

The race will pass through Highland Park from around 8 to 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 15, at mile marker 4.5. Roads will be shut down during that time.

“Running through Highland Park has always been a really big part for our race because it does well represent the state of Texas,” Grunewald said. “The things that we do see in Highland Park are memories that these runners go back to the various countries, states around the world, and say, ‘you wouldn’t believe the houses we ran by.’”

The race will go through Highland Park earlier and with a slightly different route than last year after receiving feedback about road closure inconveniences. Event fees start at $149 and Scottish Rite for Children is the primary beneficiary of the festival.