Texas task forces are history

Now that we fooled you, here's the real good news and this is no joke. Texas drug task force funding ran out on Friday. Scott Henson at Grits reminds us "there were 51 of these agencies in Texas just a few years ago, at their height employing about 700 narcotics officers. Now most are closing their doors."

Grits got a really nice plug in the The Texas Observer as well. Author Nate Blakeslee credits Scott and the ACLU of Texas executive director Will Harrell for hastening the task forces demise.

He quotes me [Scott] pretty extensively and even cites Grits' role, calling it, "a clearinghouse for stories of task force malfeasance that Henson culled from small town newspapers and a variety of sources he had cultivated around the state, some of them in law enforcement. 'Grits' quickly became one of the most popular sites for criminal justice reform advocates, not just in Texas, but also in Washington, D.C.."

Scott modestly notes there were hundreds of people involved in ending the drug task force system in Texas since it first gained national attention with the debacle of Tulia but I give him a lot of credit too. He's been relentless in pursing the leads and bringing them to public attention. I'm glad to see him get some acknowledgment.

Congrats Scott and well done to all the unsung heroes in this story. Thanks to you all, the world is a little better off.