Weekly Update - July 23, 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
Parking Enforcement
Street parking on some of our streets can be challenging and difficult to find. I have been asked many times in my career for guidelines to street parking. Essentially what you can and cannot do. Please allow me to provide a few guidelines.
- Parking on public streets are on a “first come, first served” basis. The space in front of a particular home does not belong to that home.
- Leaving items such as cones or trash cans in the street to reserve parking spaces is not permitted. If cones are left in the street, they are considered abandoned and can be removed and disposed of. Trash cans can be moved off the street.
- “No parking” signs posted along street parking spaces are not legally enforceable.
- Parking on the corner of intersections (on the bend where the crosswalks are) is not permissible. In addition to being illegal, the parked cars impede people who need ADA access for crossing streets.
Parking along rolled curbs has been a subject of discussion spanning several years. In our Gardens neighborhood, rolled curbs are especially prevalent. Many cars parking along the curb, park on the sidewalk for various reasons. Please refer to the attached informational flyers for proper parking instructions.
National Night Out
On Tuesday August 1, between 6-8 PM, we are sponsoring 13 block parties in our community. National Night Out is a great annual event where neighbors get out and get to know each other and get to know their patrol officers.
Please see the attached flyer to attend the block party of your choice.
I hope to see you all out there!
Police Department Crime Tips Mascot
Our Police Department wants to create a mascot for pushing out crime tips and information. We will be asking you, our community members, to help us pick, design, and name the mascot. Stay tuned to our Facebook, Instagram, and these weekly updates for 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
