El Paso Police History
The El Paso Police Department's history relates to and intertwines with more popular "old-west" history due to its over 120 year history. EPPD has been in existence since the late 1800’s and was formally “established” in 1884 led by rapidly-rotating city marshals. These marshals (most former Texas Rangers) were chosen for their ability to control the rough persons attracted to the "untamed" west. At that time El Paso was on the “edge” in the westward movement and violent.
The newspaper stories of the late 1800’s were very colorful and often contained considerable exaggeration which makes it hard to tell fact from fiction. This exaggeration was intended for the benefit of the folks back east, those not adventurous enough to “tame the west”. Early in EPPD history, the city marshal was often the “worst of the worse”, due to the necessity of the city marshal having to always display a "rough" reputation so they would not be challenged by the “bad guys”. Notable/notorious wild west members were:
- Dallas Stoudenmire: city marshal, notorious gunfighter for his speed and precision, and allegedly gunned down “four men in five seconds”.
- John Selman: early El Paso constable, killed John Wesley Hardin, and performed many depraved acts during the Lincoln County War.
- Thomas Moad: Assistant Marshal, Texas Ranger, helped capture William “Curly Bill” Brocious, and the first El Paso Police officer killed in the line-of-duty.
- T.C. Lyons: the first EPPD Chief of Police, not a "rough" character instead adopting the beginning of servants and protectors of the public.
Notable Events
Throughout the years there have been notable events that lead to change within the EPPD with some of them listed below:
- May 1941: two women applied for police clerk which broke the mold for women to eventually become a full-duty officer.
- June 1942: the newspaper published the first want-ad for a full-duty policewoman.
- December 1945: the race barrier was broken when the Mayor appointed four ex-military African Americans as police officers.
- 1950’s: a significant fire destroyed most of the Police Department’s records.
- 1972: the EPPD established the first Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Unit.
- June 1974: the first 5 women graduated from the Police Academy.
EPPD Core Values
- We Respect Life
- We Revere the Truth
- We Enforce the Law
- We Seek Community Partnership
- We Honor Our Police Powers
- We Conduct Ourselves With Dignity
El Paso Police Foundation
The El Paso Police Foundation provides financial resources for special projects outside the normally budgeted programs of the El Paso Police Department. The partnership between the El Paso Police Department and the El Paso Police Foundation has invested in innovative programs that are keeping El Paso safe.
Mission
The El Paso Police Foundation represents a public/private partnership designed to assist our Police Department in building positive relationships within the community, improving officer proficiency and safety, and augmenting law enforcement equipment and technology in order to enhance public safety and quality of life within the City of El Paso.
The Foundation does not relieve the City of its responsibility to provide the necessary funding for law enforcement services. Instead, the Foundation is able to complement Department funding, allowing the Department to support additional programs and maximize its resources. To this end, the Foundation provides support that addresses three overall areas:
- Public Safety Improvements- Includes initiatives that address specific public safety needs, improve police effectiveness, and officer safety through the use of specialized equipment, evolving technology, and other innovations.
- Community Partnerships- Includes projects that enhance the relationship between the community and the El Paso Police Department.
- Employee Development- Includes programs designed to provide improved training and development opportunities to officers, educational assistance, and employee recognition efforts.
Funding provided through the Foundation supports dozens of initiatives in these critical need areas each year, allowing the El Paso Police Department to undertake innovative projects, improving its ability to serve the citizens of El Paso.
