The El Paso Police Department is administered by a rogue element.

David Escobar

10 April 2024 (Las Cruces, New Mexico) Steven Zimmerman – Not very long ago we published the following e-mails between officers in the El Paso Police Department. We were not prepared for the number of emails, messages, and phone calls we received.

(Click either image to enlarge it)

“We had to focus on traffic, not actual crime,” says an El Paso Police officer we met with yesterday. “This was not the first time such a directive has come out, nor will that be the last one.”

Imagine, you pick up your phone, call 911 for service, such as Mariza Guzman-Revira did in the summer of 2023, and not a single officer responded to the call.

“We were with this problem, you know, with some strange man,” says Maria, who lives in an apartment complex in Northeast El Paso. “This man was there looking in through the windows at people. He kept walking and scaring us. No police came.”

In the Summer of 2023, the Interim Command, Ignacio Hernandez, felt holding level three and four calls was a good thing, if officers were going to “check the various apartment complexes and business along TransMountain from Dyer to 54 for stolen cars.” While supervisors continue to monitor the calls for service.”

“I came on shift,” says one officer, who provided us a photo of this call, “and there was an assault call that had been pending service for just under twelve hours. How is that justified, to hold this while we are forced to run plates looking for stolen cars that may have been dumped off at Walmart?”

I can speak firsthand about calls not being answered in the Lower Valley. There was a man who had assaulted his wife and child. The neighborhood was out, in force, going at this guy. Calls were made, indicating that there was an assault in progress, and dispatch decided that it was not worth PD’s time to respond.

We pay the officers of the El Paso Police Department to enforce the law. When there was an increase in stolen cars in the El Paso area, the officers could still respond to level three and four calls, while keeping watch for stolen vehicles.

“Read the email from Aguilera,” said a patrol officer who also reached out to us. “She was worried about the optics of this, and if the department would cover us if there was backlash.”

In that email, sent to Patrick Natividad on 21 July 2023, Aguilera writes, “When asked if the department would have out backs when the community starts to complain about their calls for service not being answered or the calls pending longer, the answer we got was ‘we will see when that time come.’”

She also wrote, “I just don’t see how this follows the ethics and morals of the department or how we service our community if their calls for service are being disregarded for status.”

Well, El Paso Police Department, the time is now, and there are people who want answers:

Why were calls disregarded to search for stolen cars, or increased traffic enforcement?

“This is not wanted they do, is it?” asked Hector Montoya. “That they ignore us for more tickets, so they have more money in their budgets?”

“I had a cop lecture me for leaving my car running, and doors locked last July,” says David Miller. “Then the cop goes in to the 7-11 and leaves his car running. It’s do as I say kind of thinking.”

David Escobar said it best when he emailed us about the department’s priorities.

“Think of it as a busy corner that needs a traffic light, or a stop sign,” wrote Mr. Escobar. “You can petition the City Council all you want for a safety device to be installed, but nothing will happen until someone is killed. The El Paso Police Department is administered by a rogue element. No one in this city—City Council, Texas Rangers, even the citizens of the city will care until someone dies from lack of a police presence.”

I hate to agree with Mr. Escobar, but I feel I must. The City of El Paso could do better.

If you feel that your calls to the police were ignored in 2023, or if recent calls have gone unanswered, then I encourage you to contact any of the following and demand change.

Mayor Oscar Leeser [email protected] or call (915) 212-0021
El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas at [email protected] or call (915) 4947384

Or Sgt Robert Gomez, Public Information officer [email protected] or call (915) 433-1157

You can also contact the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement at 512-936-7700, or visiting them online at https://www.tcole.texas.gov/content/complaint-procedures