OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Arlington City Council Special Meeting - February 24, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, February 24, 2026
BodyArlington, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 24, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:00:43

Transcript — Verbatim
4:19

Okay.

4:20

Let's go ahead and call the afternoon session to order.

1:17:04

I came straight from the airport here, right?

1:17:10

I was like, don't pick me up, or I'm calling you.

1:17:27

Okay, we're gonna go ahead and call the afternoon session back to order.

1:17:34

It is three oh two PM.

1:17:38

And the afternoon session is now back to order.

1:17:45

Three point one, Chief.

1:17:48

We're all yours.

1:17:50

Thank you, Mayor.

1:17:51

Good afternoon, Council.

1:17:53

Uh Mayor Council.

1:17:54

I'm Al Jones, I'm the chief of police.

1:17:56

Uh, today we're uh presenting the annual racial profiling analysis report, uh, which we are required to uh present to our governing body every year.

1:18:08

Uh for the last several years we have contracted with uh Del Carmen consulting LOC conduct our analysis.

1:18:16

Uh Dr.

1:18:17

Del Carmen is a national recognized expert in the field of racial profiling.

1:18:23

Unfortunately, he can't be here with us in person.

1:18:27

Uh however, he is joining us on Teams and uh he's snowed in in New England.

1:18:33

Uh so again, thank you, Dr.

1:18:34

Del Common, for uh joining us.

1:18:37

Uh, as we all, as you all aware, uh, one of the primary causes to mistrust within uh communities is either the actual perceived incidence of racial profiling.

1:18:49

Uh, this is sometime uh it takes uh we you know, we really take this very serious, and we're committed to transparency and countability for our practices.

1:18:59

Uh this report shows that our officers are effectively managing their responsibility while maintaining a positive interaction.

1:19:07

Uh I'll now turn the presentation over to Assistant Chief Leland Striction, who uh oversees the uniform officer who conduct traffic stops throughout the city.

1:19:20

So thanks.

1:19:21

Thanks, Chief.

1:19:24

Thank you, Chief.

1:19:25

Good afternoon, Mr.

1:19:26

Mayor, members of the city council, Leland Strickland Assistant Chief over our department's patrol bureau.

1:19:30

Today it is my honor to present you with the Arlington Police Department twenty twenty-five racial profiling report and analysis.

1:19:36

At your places, you will find a hard copy of the report.

1:19:39

Members of our community may also obtain a copy of the report, both on the City of Arlington City Council website as well as the Arlington Police Department website.

1:19:48

During today's presentation, I will briefly discuss the statutory framework that prohibits the act of racial profiling as well as the Arlington Police Department policy that provides clear guidance and directly mirrors state law on this topic.

1:20:02

We will define racial profiling and contrast it to the legitimate practice of criminal profiling.

1:20:08

Explain the standardized approach that is employed by Arlington Police Department officers on all traffic stops and why that standardization is important.

1:20:16

Explain how the department seeks feedback from our community on every stop, discuss the kind of data that the department collects and analyzes.

1:20:23

And then finally, I will discuss highlights from the 2025 analysis.

1:20:27

As the chief said, the report was created by Dr.

1:20:30

Alex Del Carmen.

1:20:31

Dr.

1:20:31

Del Carmen is a nationally recognized leading expert on racial profiling and police reform.

1:20:37

He has specifically served as the independent auditor for our racial profiling data for over a decade.

1:20:42

We are honored to help to have a man of Dr.

1:20:46

Del Carmen's caliber and credibility to help our department as we maintain accountability on this topic.

1:20:52

As the chief already said, due to the magnitude of the recent winter storm in the New England area, Dr.

1:20:57

Dill Carmen is joining us by remote connection today because he's frankly he's just snowed in.

1:21:02

So he's a he's online and he'll be available for comment as we go through this presentation.

1:21:09

The Texas Racial Profiling Law was established in 2001 when Senate Bill 1074 amended the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.

1:21:17

It strictly prohibited law enforcement from engaging in racial profiling, defining it as a law enforcement initiated action that is based on race or ethnicity rather than on behavior or specific suspect information.

1:21:30

It required law enforcement agencies to collect specific information on all traffic stops and report that to the state annually.

1:21:37

And finally, it required that law enforcement agencies submit a racial profiling analysis to its governing body each year, which is the purpose for this presentation.

1:21:46

It is important to note that while the state requirements were effective in 2001, the Arlington Police Department began collecting traffic stop data and fully was fully compliant with all tenants of the Texas racial profiling law beginning in 1998.

1:22:00

That is a full three years in advance of the state mandate.

1:22:03

This note highlights the department's forward-leaning posture on this topic, and that we have been on the leading edge of data collection, analysis, and public transparency on racial profiling for almost 30 years.

1:22:16

APD collects demographic and incident specific data on all traffic stops, not most of them, all of them.

1:22:23

And we do that for each and every stop that we make.

1:22:26

Race, gender, and individual of the individual that was stopped is the first thing that we collect.

1:22:30

In addition to that, we did we determine whether or not the driver was a resident of our city or a visitor, whether or not the officer had any prior knowledge of the driver's race before the stop, the reason for the stop.

1:22:41

Was it a hazardous violation?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Public Safety████████████12%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Racial Equity████████8%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Zoning and Land Use████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Disability Rights██2%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Arlington City Council Special Meeting - February 24, 2026

The Arlington City Council held a special meeting on February 24, 2026, convening in executive session at 1:18 p.m. to discuss legal, real estate, personnel, and economic development matters. The work session began at 3:02 p.m. and covered racial profiling analysis, housing tax credit applications, the city's sesquicentennial celebration, and community-strengthening initiatives. The meeting adjourned at 4:43 p.m. No formal votes were taken during the work session; key items were slated for the evening consent agenda.

Racial Profiling Analysis - 2025

  • Police Chief Al Jones and Assistant Chief Leland Strickland presented the annual report, with Dr. Alex Del Carmen (Del Carmen Consulting) available remotely.
  • In 2025, officers conducted 103,000+ traffic stops, a 24% increase over 2024, which contributed to a 14% decrease in fatality crashes.
  • Officers reported the driver's race was unknown prior to the stop in 98% of cases.
  • Only 11 racial profiling complaints were received from the public; all were investigated and unsustained.
  • Vehicle searches occurred in 3.4% of stops; contraband was found in 49% of searches across all racial groups.
  • Councilmembers discussed disparities in stop numbers relative to census demographics. Staff and Dr. Del Carmen explained that high contraband hit rates indicate lawful, unbiased policing, and that the driver population includes many non-residents.

Review of Housing Tax Credit Applications

  • Mindy Cochran (Executive Director, Arlington Housing Works) presented three 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit applications, all requiring zoning changes:
    • The Knox Senior Living (Council District 1): 69 senior units; developer: Structured Development and JCM Ventures; not consistent with comprehensive plan.
    • Campbell Place (Council District 2): 90 workforce units; developer: Penrose; includes demolition of two vacant homes; not consistent with comprehensive plan.
    • Heritage at Sublet (Council District 2): 60 senior units (reduced from 71); developer: Elizabeth Property Group; consistent with comprehensive plan.
  • The Community and Neighborhood Development Committee recommended all three proceed to full council. Resolutions of support are on the evening consent agenda; council may choose to support some or all.
  • Councilmember Odom-Wesley inquired about universal design standards; developers confirmed that senior buildings with elevators have wider doorways throughout, with 5% of units meeting full ADA requirements.

Arlington’s Sesquicentennial Celebration

  • Jay Warren (Director, Communication and Legislative Affairs) outlined a year-long celebration in 2026 with unified branding, including a podcast (Arlington Archives), historical signage, legacy banners, yard signs, and community events.
  • Partner organizations include the Arlington Museum of Art, Theater Arlington, UT Arlington, River Legacy, and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
  • A request for funding will be submitted to the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation board.
  • Councilmember Gonzalez requested inclusion of NAP Heritage in celebrations.

Council Priority - Strengthening Our Communities

  • Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann reported on progress under the council priority (formerly Champion Great Neighborhoods, Build Unity, Support Youth and Family).
  • Highlights: The Active Adult Center reached over 11,500 memberships; crime against persons, property, and society decreased in the first quarter; invasive plant removal efforts identified mechanical forestry mowing and herbicidal spray as most effective.
  • The Municipal Court is conducting a warrant clearance event (Feb. 23 – Mar. 13, 2026) waiving collection agency fees.
  • Upcoming projects include PFAS mitigation study at the Pierce Birch Water Treatment Plant and a neighborhood directory web-based mapping tool.

Informal Staff Reports

  • 4.1 – Used Auto Sales Certificate of Occupancy Update: No discussion; noted a noticeable reduction in such establishments along Division Street and Collins.

Committee Reports

  • 4.2 – Municipal Policy (Form Based Code Updates): Councilmember Odom-Wesley reported that staff presented updates on the form-based code covering downtown Arlington. The committee requested a short video explaining its benefits (simpler, faster, easier) and community voices. The item moves to Planning & Zoning on March 4th and then to full council.
  • 4.3 – Community and Neighborhood Development: Councilmember Boxall reported continued review of the multi-family inspection scoring system and the PY 2026 Action Plan for CDBG & ESG. The committee requested more information on complaint posting, software platforms used by other cities, and REACT system weighting. Discussion also included strengthening inclement weather sheltering networks using general funds.
  • 4.4 – Economic Development: Councilmember Piel reported all matters were considered in executive session.
  • 4.5 – Arlington Housing Finance Corporation: Councilmember Hunter reported the board reviewed conversion to permanent financing for Matlock Flats (action anticipated March 10), a property management change for The Paddock at Park Row, and approval of an inducement resolution for a partnership project with Dominion.

Council External Committee and Training Reports

  • A. Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau Board: Councilmember Hogg noted CFO Joel McClellan’s retirement, a 5% increase in hotel revenue in 2025, and ongoing discussion on arts and cultural funding criteria for future years.
  • B. Regional Transportation Council: Councilmember Gonzalez reported approval of air quality planning funds, three grant applications, and extensive discussion on DART funding. DART has since approved a plan to return funds to member cities, leading Plano to cancel its withdrawal vote.
  • C. North Texas Commission Executive Committee: Mayor Ross reported the Metroplex Mayors Association has merged with the North Texas Commission, with meetings now in Irving for easier access.

Future Agenda Items

  • Councilmember Hunter requested a staff update on construction on Debbie Lane.
  • Councilmember Galante requested a report on code enforcement for short-term rentals during the World Cup and other major events.

Key Outcomes

  • No votes were taken during the work session.
  • Evening consent agenda includes resolutions of support for the three housing tax credit applications (Items 6.4, 6.5, 6.6), board appointments for the Entertainment Area Management District (Item 8.31), and all-cash contract of sale (Items 12.1, 12.2). Council discussed these items and received staff clarifications.
  • Executive session covered West Pressure Plane Water Main Improvements, Division Street Sidewalk Project, council appointee performance reviews, and offers of incentives to business prospects; no public decisions reported.
  • Council directed staff to provide requested information on Debbie Lane construction and short-term rental enforcement.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Let's go ahead and call the afternoon session to order. I came straight from the airport here, right? I was like, don't pick me up, or I'm calling you. Okay, we're gonna go ahead and call the afternoon session back to order. It is three oh two PM. And the afternoon session is now back to order. Three point one, Chief. We're all yours. Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon, Council. Uh Mayor Council. I'm Al Jones, I'm the chief of police. Uh, today we're uh presenting the annual racial profiling analysis report, uh, which we are required to uh present to our governing body every year. Uh for the last several years we have contracted with uh Del Carmen consulting LOC conduct our analysis. Uh Dr. Del Carmen is a national recognized expert in the field of racial profiling. Unfortunately, he can't be here with us in person. Uh however, he is joining us on Teams and uh he's snowed in in New England. Uh so again, thank you, Dr. Del Common, for uh joining us. Uh, as we all, as you all aware, uh, one of the primary causes to mistrust within uh communities is either the actual perceived incidence of racial profiling. Uh, this is sometime uh it takes uh we you know, we really take this very serious, and we're committed to transparency and countability for our practices. Uh this report shows that our officers are effectively managing their responsibility while maintaining a positive interaction. Uh I'll now turn the presentation over to Assistant Chief Leland Striction, who uh oversees the uniform officer who conduct traffic stops throughout the city. So thanks. Thanks, Chief. Thank you, Chief. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, members of the city council, Leland Strickland Assistant Chief over our department's patrol bureau. Today it is my honor to present you with the Arlington Police Department twenty twenty-five racial profiling report and analysis. At your places, you will find a hard copy of the report. Members of our community may also obtain a copy of the report, both on the City of Arlington City Council website as well as the Arlington Police Department website. During today's presentation, I will briefly discuss the statutory framework that prohibits the act of racial profiling as well as the Arlington Police Department policy that provides clear guidance and directly mirrors state law on this topic. We will define racial profiling and contrast it to the legitimate practice of criminal profiling. Explain the standardized approach that is employed by Arlington Police Department officers on all traffic stops and why that standardization is important. Explain how the department seeks feedback from our community on every stop, discuss the kind of data that the department collects and analyzes. And then finally, I will discuss highlights from the 2025 analysis. As the chief said, the report was created by Dr. Alex Del Carmen. Dr. Del Carmen is a nationally recognized leading expert on racial profiling and police reform. He has specifically served as the independent auditor for our racial profiling data for over a decade. We are honored to help to have a man of Dr. Del Carmen's caliber and credibility to help our department as we maintain accountability on this topic. As the chief already said, due to the magnitude of the recent winter storm in the New England area, Dr. Dill Carmen is joining us by remote connection today because he's frankly he's just snowed in. So he's a he's online and he'll be available for comment as we go through this presentation. The Texas Racial Profiling Law was established in 2001 when Senate Bill 1074 amended the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. It strictly prohibited law enforcement from engaging in racial profiling, defining it as a law enforcement initiated action that is based on race or ethnicity rather than on behavior or specific suspect information.

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