To: The Mayor of El Paso, the El Paso City Council

 

We, the undersigned residents of El Paso, Texas, concerned citizens, and supporters of accountable law enforcement, hereby demand the immediate resignation of the Chief of Police of the El Paso Police Department.

 

Recent investigative reporting has documented a pattern of serious leadership failures, double standards, favoritism, and a toxic culture of misconduct within the El Paso Police Department that has persisted under the current Chief's watch. These revelations have severely damaged public trust, officer morale, and the department's ability to serve and protect our community fairly and effectively.

 

Key issues documented across multiple articles include:

 

- The Chief's rapid public defense of an officer captured on a viral video punching a woman in the head, despite widespread fury and disbelief from rank-and-file El Paso police officers who described the force as unjustified.

- An unusually swift Internal Affairs investigation - described by officers as "the fastest IA investigation I've ever seen" - that cleared the officer and raised serious questions about favoritism and lack of genuine accountability.

- A culture of "rules for thee, not for me," including a senior officer's open admission of a deep-rooted DWI problem among officers and the department's reluctance to address it transparently or hold its own members to the same standards applied to the public.

- Secret internal policies, such as the undisclosed "Rule of Five," that undermine fair promotions and appear to reward favoritism rather than merit.

- Documented misconduct by officers, including falsifying crash reports and issuing improper citations, with leadership responses that have failed to restore confidence.

- The shocking classification of serious crimes - including child indecency and exploitation of vulnerable individuals - as "low level calls," demonstrating dangerously misplaced priorities that put residents, especially the most vulnerable, at risk.

 

These are not isolated incidents. Together they reveal systemic leadership failures and a department culture that protects its own at the expense of transparency, integrity, and public safety. The Chief's responses to these controversies have consistently prioritized defense of officers over honest accountability, further entrenching the "rot" that now threatens the legitimacy of the entire department.

 

We can no longer accept leadership that tolerates double standards, rushes to protect officers from scrutiny, and allows a culture of misconduct to flourish. Effective policing requires public trust, and that trust has been shattered.

 

Therefore, we demand:

 

1. The immediate resignation of the Chief of Police.

2. An independent, external investigation into the department's leadership, promotion practices, Internal Affairs processes, and handling of officer misconduct.

3. Swift implementation of meaningful reforms to restore accountability, transparency, and ethical standards.

 

The safety of our community and the honor of the badge depend on it. We urge city leaders to act decisively and without delay.

 

Thank you for standing up for accountability in law enforcement. Every signature brings us closer to real reform.