The El Paso Police Department's Complaint System

A severe problem exists within the El Paso Police Department (EPPD). The problem goes beyond officers who choose off-duty jobs over their police responsibilities. The system stands as a dysfunctional mess which maintains such deep-seated indifference and protective instincts that filing an officer complaint becomes futile. Throughout my experience as a journalist who investigates public officials I have encountered multiple institutional breakdowns but the EPPD remains uniquely incapable of handling misconduct complaints. The refusal of the EPPD to address misconduct issues proves such profound incompetence that it sets a new standard for institutional failure. The issue is not anti-police but anti-injustice and anti-negligence and anti-the absurd runaround that victims experience when they ask for accountability.

The Intimidation Game: Detective Jerome Hinojos

Detective Jerome Hinojos displays his badge as a tool for intimidating others through his actions. When I received video evidence from an officer's wife depicting his heroic action to save a man who had a gun to his head Hinojos failed to conduct any investigation into the officer's bravery. He began an unusual assault against me instead of handling the situation as a detective should. The EPPD already possessed my contact details from my previous FOIA requests and numerous emails yet Hinojos asked my family members and friends for my current location and phone number and email information. The NCIC database contained my address information yet Hinojos conducted a phony detective investigation that caused my relatives to fear I was under criminal investigation.

The police actions crossed a line into outright intimidation tactics which left no doubt about their true nature. The video evidence triggered Hinojos to start an inappropriate investigation that brought unwanted panic to my family members because it contradicted the official narrative of the department. Chief of Police Peter Pacillas failed to respond to my email about his officer's misconduct even though I had previously met him when I worked for an international media outlet. Pacillas' inaction delivers more impact than any statement he has ever made at a press conference.

A Hit-and-Run Nightmare: Detective George Yero's Negligence

The way Detective George Yero handled our hit-and-run case involving my wife and me demonstrated his complete disregard for his duties. The driver hit our truck from behind before speeding away with a gun drawn when we pursued him to exchange insurance details. I engaged in a conversation to defuse the situation as the 911 dispatcher verified a police unit was en route. The armed driver escaped before police units arrived to help us after our terrifying encounter. The suspect vanished during the long wait of 30 to 40 minutes while police officers failed to arrive.

After the officers arrived at the scene they acted as if I were the criminal by constantly re-examining my account while focusing on my ability to recognize the suspect's firearm. The police officers ignored my wife's testimony even though she suffered as a victim when a gun was pointed at her face. The police made no attempt to check on our welfare. I reached out to Detective Yero about the case after several weeks and he asked me to travel from New Mexico to El Paso to repeat a statement which I had already submitted. The detective showed the same level of interest in taking my wife's statement as someone who needs dental work.

I handed Yero dashcam footage that showed both the hit-and-run accident and the suspect pointing a gun at us. I returned the DVD to the EPPD facility three times because they demonstrated an inability to handle evidence properly. The outcome? Zero. No follow-up, no arrests, no justice. The evidence reveals Yero attempted to call me seven times but he immediately disconnected each call before leaving any message which suggests he wanted to close the case without actually following up. This is the service El Paso residents get from their detectives.

Lt. Christopher Jones: A Walking Parody of Authority

The EPPD would dissolve without him according to Lt. Christopher Jones who represents the most delusional person among his peers. The Northeast Regional Command staff describes Lt. Jones as someone who displays such profound self-importance that he thinks the EPPD needs his presence to survive. The officer has made false statements that I exist as a journalist who met him personally while suggesting I might be a rival police officer. His level of paranoia exceeds mere incompetence because it reaches delusional heights that would make any conspiracy theorist feel embarrassed. He submitted a hostile work environment complaint to his colleague because he fails to understand that I exist.

Jones' behavior alongside reports of homophobia and racism and his office weapons collection creates an extremely negative impression. I have tried to submit audio and video evidence to Internal Affairs (IA) for filing a complaint against him but they have a convenient open secret that they do not investigate lieutenants or higher-ups. Every time the public gets involved the system presents itself as a rigged process.

The Complaint Process: A Kafkaesque Farce

The EPPD complaint system functions as a complex bureaucratic system which actively prevents officers from being held accountable. Internal Affairs Task Force Head Commander Ignacio Hernandez remains completely unresponsive to emails and disinterested in conducting policy investigations of officers. Chief Pacillas who serves as the department's face to the public shows no interest in maintaining public trust while he focuses on his pension benefits. Internal Affairs operates as a protective fortress that safeguards ranking officers from investigation and leaves victims to navigate on their own.

The department's silence when officers Hinojos Yero Jones and others perform their actions with impunity such as intimidating families or botching investigations and spreading lies indicates official backing of these improper actions. The system shows its priorities by sending police swarms at jaywalkers yet remaining completely silent about police misconduct. The behavior constitutes both absurdity and an unacceptable breach of public funding that supports the department's operations.

A Call for Change

The EPPD's dysfunctional behavior represents cultural problems which put organizational self-interest above public service needs. The current system fails to discipline officers who bully and neglect or deflect because of its structural flaws. Internal Affairs and Chief Pacillas and Commander Hernandez should discard their desk-based behavior to start fulfilling their responsibilities. Submitting complaints to the EPPD serves as a pointless and demoralizing experience because justice in El Paso remains inaccessible to those who dare to fight for their rights.

Maybe NWA Was Right