Proposals for El Paso Police Department-Part I

This is Part I of my proposals to increase efficiency in the El Paso Police Department:

ITEM #1 MAKE THE PATROL OFFICER’S JOB EASIER

ITEM #2 LOWER CRIME BY IMPROVING EFFICIENCY

ITEM #3 PUSHING FOR INCREASED TECHNOLOGY

ITEM # 4 DO AWAY WITH DIMS


IMPLEMENTATION:

ITEM #1

Currently, officers enter their reports via computers which are located at each of the five main stations. Because of the staffing shortages, it is extremely inefficient for officers to have to leave their patrol areas to go to their respective stations for the purpose of entering a report in the computer. Although their patrol vehicles are equipped with Mobile Data Terminals (MDT’s) these MDT's are primarily used for dispatching purposes. Consequently, officers are consuming a lot of over-time at the end of their shift doing nothing more than writing reports.

Proposal: Install police computer terminals at each fire station. This would allow patrol officers to stop by a fire station and enter their reports and still be available for patrol duties. Fire stations are located throughout our city and are practically in every police patrol area. This would save officers precious travel time back and forth from their command station, and would ultimately save the city TAX-PAYER DOLLARS! As DISTRICT ATTORNEY I WILL PROPOSE TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE THIS PLAN AND ASSIST IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION WITH ASSET FORFEITURE MONEY.

I will also work with the Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire Department on the issues of access control and sensitivity of the information.

ITEM #2

At the present time, officers can check via the Mobile Data Terminal persons suspected of being wanted on a criminal warrant through the NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER, or NCIC… This computerized check is completed very quickly, often less than a minute. However, checking the same person for local warrants, regardless of whether it is for a simple traffic warrant or CRIMINAL WARRANT, can take as long as 30 MINUTES OR LONGER DEPENDING ON TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF WEEK… The wait is so long, that in some cases, the police are simply frustrated and discouraged! Living on an INTERNATIONAL BORDER, it is easy to see what is wrong with this picture. OUR LOCAL CRIMINALS WHO KNOW THE SANCTUARY OF THE BORDER ARE FREE TO ROAM!

Proposal: To fix this problem is not that difficult with today’s technology. It’s simply a matter of the city and the county computer’s “talking” or networking together. AS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, I WILL TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND SIMPLY FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT FOR SOME STRANGE REASON HAS GONE UNRESOLVED!

ITEM #3

El Paso has a medical school. It has been graduating doctors for years. The minute I get into office I will request that THE MEDICAL SCHOOL INCLUDE A PROVISION FOR A STATE OF THE ART FORENSICS LAB! This will increase our ability to do correct and accurate investigations and to nab the real bad guys.

EL PASO COUNTY IS SORELY WITHOUT THE SERVICES OF A STATE OF THE ART FORENSICS LAB. We are very grateful for the OUTSTANDING SERVICES OF THE DPS LAB HERE IN EL PASO, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH.

ProposaL: AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY I WILL COMMIT WHATEVER RESOURCES MY OFFICE CAN LEGALLY COMMIT, AND I WILL PERSONALLY COMMIT MY TIME IN SUPPORTING THIS CAUSE.

ITEM #4

DOING AWAY WITH DIMS IMMEDIATELY. This will be my first official act once I am in office. I will do this at 8:00 a.m. on Jaunary 2, 2009. This will result in cost savings to the taxpayer of hundreds of thousands of dollars. No longer will the DA be going to City Council and County Commissioners' Court for them to fund this defunct program. I will work with the budget that the State and County allocate to my office. The City and County can pass this cost savings on to the taxpayer in the form of increased services or much needed tax cuts.

For the police this will result in increased time savings. The police will be able to make an arrest, take the person arrested before a magistrate and then book them in jail. This is the procesdure as set forth in the law. No longer will they have to waste time and resources by taking the person arrested in front of an Assistant District Attorney and wrangle with them for hours over the case. The police can be back out on the street, where they want to be and where we need them, faster. There will no longer be the "unecessary delay" that DIMS creates.

More police proposals later and much more about DIMS later. Stay tuned.