David Gomez – “It’s on our doors, ‘To Protect and Serve,'” says one officer who stopped into our offices yesterday. “‘To Protect and Serve,’ how when most days we don’t have enough of us on the streets?”

We have been vocal about the staffing shortage on our social media and here. The El Paso Police Department often has only two units out on a shift, leaving residents at heightened risk as calls go unanswered.

We shared an email that was sent to us showing that the Chief of Police privately acknowledges a lack of officers on shift and a growing discontent and concern for officers’ health and safety.

Yet, according to several officers, all of this, all that we’ve shared, has changed absolutely nothing.

My cousin works for the El Paso Police Department, and he and a few other officers shared some concerns with me.

“Lt Frank, I want to talk about him,” says my cousin. “He walks around, smug, because he is untouchable. I work overtime, the same as him, but I get shut down at twenty-five hours because of policy. Why not Franky? What Franky boy does is not mandatory overtime.”

I asked my cousin why he didn’t file an official complaint.

“You asked me why I don’t complain? I don’t; no one does because of what they did to Camp. He complained, and they punished Camp for complaining. The department is a cease pool of corruption.”

“Frank Rodriguez is the model of what is wrong here,” says another officer. “He’s his very own HR department; he can change his schedule at will. He also loves to brang about the money he earns on overtime, and how much his home cost, and the money he pays in property tax. But we can’t do anything about him because he is protected, part of one of those trysts happening within the department.”

Another officer wanted to speak about the lack of cars for officers to use.

“Operation Stonegarden is nothing we should be doing with the Government,” said this officer. “All along the Broder Highway, you will see patrol cars on any day. We sit, we get paid to babysit a fence.”

Operation Stonegarden will have officers sit in patrol units, all shifts long, along the border. When migrants cross, the officers really can’t do anything. They are there as a deterrent. Sure, the City/EPPD gets money from the Department of Homeland Security. But is that enough to outweigh the fact that there are just that many officers on the streets?

“We can’t even stop the migrants, according to command. We’re just there to watch Netflix.”

Another officer wanted to talk to us about sexual harassment and hostile work environments.

“Quade was fired because he was the type of officer, the type of human that should not be around people,” says another officer. “He’s being sued for how he acts and for an off-duty arrest he made.”

“The problem with the department is it is held hostage by the fake harassment claims,” quoted this officer. “I know that was Quade because he would always be a misogynistic pig when he was at work.”

“People like Quade and Surface,” says this officer, “are why we feel unsafe in the department. When we complain, we are treated like dirt the whole way.”

From an email we received, “The department rewards those who do wrong and punishes those who try to speak out about it. The Chiefs all say they have these open-door policies but don’t. They don’t give a damn about what we say or need. Listen to the audio I am sending you of the Chief saying we didn’t need shields.

“I also read your article about Camp and the search for his home. I’m sending you the list of all the officers in that search. I’ll tell you why they didn’t leave an inventory; they hardly ever do, and no one will challenge it. Things will come up, after the fact, on that inventory so they can cover themselves for going beyond that warrant they had.

“And Camp’s wife. I can’t even start with what they are saying about her. They don’t care whether she gave you guys the video or not; they will go after her husband for other things. Anything thing to shut up the ones thrying to clean things up for us here in the department.

“I’ll also tell you, when they read about Camp’s mom, a few of these ——‘s laughed, like it’s funny. May they have the same problems for laughing. A lot of us think Camp is getting a raw deal here.

“They will start looking for me, I’m sure, because of the audio I am sending you and the payroll of the ones who get the most overtime. My family was right, if I wanted to be a LEO here I should have gone to the SO’s office.”

As Steven Zimmerman continues to recover from the undue stress the El Paso Police Department causes him with the constant emails and harassment, I will carry the torch and continue the crusade against a department rife with inequality and injustice.