Chief's Weekly Update - June 25, 2023
Thank you for visiting our website and taking a moment to read this community update.
Wanted
We are asking for your help to locate Juan Tapiz Ortiz, a 46-year-old East Palo Alto resident, who is wanted for entering a home and committing a sexual assault on June 3, 2023. Please use the below link to access additional information.
ci.east-palo-alto.ca.us/police/page/wanted-sexual-assault
Remembering Officer Joel Davis
On Thursday, June 22, we spent time honoring, Officer Joel Michael Davis’ sacrifice and legacy, on the 35th anniversary of his sacrifice. We gathered at park named in his memory - Joel Davis Park, with Mayor Gauthier and District Attorney Wagstaffe. We shared a few words, and listened to Joel’s End of Watch broadcast over the air. Thank you, Officer LuaOrozco, for organizing the event, and thank you to those who helped coordinate and prepare the event. And thank you to all who were able to attend the memorial. From all that I've heard, Officer Davis was a very special person that cared deeply about the profession, and the East Palo Alto community. He was very excited and honored to be one of the first officers to attend the academy wearing the patch of a new city. Officer Davis’ legacy will continue to live, as long as we continue to remember him.
Dogs in our community
This past week our patrol teams and Detectives responded to the tragic report of a dog attack on a very young girl, as stated in the press release. We are relieved that she is currently in one of the best hospitals in the country and being treated by some of the best medical staff available. We pray for her speedy and complete recovery.
Aside from that incident, I have been hearing more reports about dogs being walked off leash becoming aggressive. Additionally, dogs have escaped from their homes and roamed the streets becoming aggressive. Just this past weekend a dog traveled freely down the street and attacked two people, sending one to the hospital.
We have a responsibility to our community to maintain control of our dogs. Whether walking dogs on the leash or fixing fences and gates to prevent escape, we are responsible for our pets and the consequences of their actions.
Fireworks survey
I will publish the results of our fireworks survey this week. I apologize that I do not have the results in yet. We will formulate our response based on the input received from you all. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey.
Anonymous tips and immediate service
We appreciate all the anonymous tips we have been receiving. It is important to note that anonymous tips are not a resource for immediate police response as it is not monitored 24/7. For immediate police response, either call 9-1-1 or our non-emergency phone number 650-321-1112. For complaints related to property violations, please contact Code Enforcement department, which operates under our building department (https://www.cityofepa.org/building/page/code-enforcement).
When providing information to the police, we need specific information about the crime or criminal. As an example, if you are reporting someone for dealing drugs, we need to know:
- where and when they are selling the drugs
- a detailed description of them (white female, blue jeans, red jacket, baseball cap)
- any description of a vehicle
- any other information you have about the crime.
While we don’t expect you to jeopardize your safety to get this information, it is very important information if we make an arrest. Not only will your tip provide us with accurate information about the suspect, but we are also able to serve as a witness to the crime and we can testify in court. Please use these options for providing an anonymous tip.
You can make an anonymous tip to the police by calling or texting to (650) 409-6792.
If there is a topic you would like addressed in the next update, please feel free to send an email at jliu@cityofepa.org.
Thank you,
Jeff Liu
Chief of Police
