El Paso Police Department

Early history The early history of the department is difficult to study. Many older newspaper accounts are inaccurate and documents from before about 1950 were lost in a fire. Newspaper accounts were often heavily exaggerated for local entertainment value or to bolster a "wild west" image for the city to readers in the eastern United States. The formal establishment date for the department is 1884, but historical references to the department exist before that official date. In 1946, the department hired its first African American officer (the official website states that four African American veterans were appointed in 1945 In 2012, the City Council honored Lt. Charles Harvey for serving in the department for 45 years. Harvey is the longest-serving member of the department and currently presides over the Criminal Investigation Division and Tactical Unit at the Central Regional Command. He told an El Paso Times reporter that he does not plan to retire any time soon. Despite being near the border with Mexico and across the river from Ciudad Juarez (one of the most violent cities in the western hemisphere), El Paso is a very safe city with low crime. This may be caused by the high immigrant population in the city and the generally immigrant-welcoming environment. El Paso has been in the top three large cities (500,000+ population) with the lowest crime rates since 1997, and took the #1 spot for 2010–2013. Proposed consolidation with county sheriff's office For years, city officials and officials in the El Paso County government have been discussing a possible consolidation of EPPD with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office to reduce costs and improve law enforcement capability in the area. Proponents of this change include current sheriff Richard Wiles, city manager Joyce Wilson and others. Possible methods of consolidation include a Las Vegas style merger with the sheriff in charge of all aspects of policing or a split consolidation with the sheriff in charge of some things and a police chief in charge of others. All El Paso County sheriffs since 1985 have been former EPPD officers, including current Sheriff Wiles, who was formerly EPPD's chief. As of late 2013, the process of consolidation has not gone forward beyond talks. ==In popular culture/media==

Around 2008, forward e-mails titled "El Paso Police Pinata" or "One cop, three bad guys" were in circulation. The e-mails included graphic and bloody pictures of three men who were apparently shot by a police officer who was standing over them with his firearm. The e-mail claimed that the men came from Ciudad Juarez and attempted to rob an off-duty El Paso Police officer, who killed them all in retaliation. One image is captioned "Do you realize how much the US taxpayer saved by not having to prosecute these worthless thugs?". Internet forum users and bloggers determined that the incident in question likely occurred in Brazil years earlier and certainly did not occur in El Paso. In 2012, F/X Networks filmed portions of their new show, The Bridge, in El Paso. For one scene, Sheriff Richard Wiles was dressed as an El Paso patrol officer guarding a crime scene. Sheriff Wiles (a former EPPD chief) helped the show's creators with their research so they could more accurately portray law enforcement in Juarez and El Paso. ==Specialized units==

• Regional Operations (Patrol) • Criminal Investigations • Intelligence • Special Traffic Investigations • DWI Task Force • Canine • COMSAR • Training/Academy • Bomb Squad • SWAT • Dignitary Protection • Internal Affairs • Special Investigations Group ==Patrol divisions==

• Central Regional Command • Pebble Hills Regional Command • Upper East Regional Command • Mission Valley Regional Command • Northeast Regional Command • Westside Regional Command ==Ranks==

The Chiefs of Police are chronicled up until John E. Scagno in the 1991 Annual Report. The 1991 annual report prepends S. W. Boring and T. B. White as the first and second Chief of Police compared to the 1973 El Paso Police Annual Report. ==Fallen officers==

Since 1883, 31 municipal officers have died while on duty. • Houston is not listed on the official department website, but is listed on the Officer Down Memorial Page. ==Misconduct==

On April 21, 1993, El Paso police department officers arrested a 16-year-old boy and coerced him to sign a false prepared confession through intimidation and threats for an April 10 double murder which he did not commit. He would spend years in prison and endure three trials before finally being acquitted in October 2018. In June 2009, Sergeant Miguel Lucero began an inappropriate relationship with a female student at a Riverside High School where he was assigned. He later pleaded guilty to “Improper Relationship Between an Educator and Student.” He was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and a fine. In 2012, seventeen officers were indicted on charges of faking records to gain overtime pay. In October of that year, one officer named Scott McFarland pleaded guilty to 35 counts. He was fined and ordered to undergo drug and alcohol testing. On November 10, 2020, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine and a large sum of money were seized from a "drug-involved premise" run by a woman who was an El Paso Police officer at the time and her stepfather, who was the home owner. The officer, Monica Garcia, would use her position and its resources to avoid surveillance and detection. Garcia pleaded guilty August 9, 2021 to helping run the drug house. ==See also==