Law enforcement agencies team up in violent crime operation to keep El Paso safe
Violent crimes decreased throughout El Paso as area law enforcement teamed up and took to the streets.
The Violent Crime Suppression Task Force operation resulted in more than 100 arrests as law enforcement agencies increased the number of officers patrolling El Paso streets. The operation was conducted for 11 weekend days over four weeks between July 21 to Aug. 12, El Paso Police Department interim police Chief Peter Pacillas said.
"We were seeing an increase in violent crime on the streets of El Paso as many other cities were," Pacillas said. "With this initiative, we all committed ourselves and our agencies to protect the citizens of El Paso, and we wanted to show the community of El Paso that as a network of law enforcement, we are not going to allow criminal behavior to go unchecked in the city of El Paso."
El Paso police, FBI El Paso, Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Army's Fort Bliss Criminal Investigation Division participated in the operation.
"The violent crime task force formed with the goals of crime prevention, intervention, suppression and prosecution of violent offenders," said Jose Sanchez. West Texas regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety. "The task force targeted high-risk fugitives, including violent offenders, felony terroristic, threat fugitives, violent parole violators, and those that appear on the Texas Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive lists and sex offender lists. These are fugitives that are wanted for high-threat crimes that include murder, rape, arson, robbery, sexual offenses and other felonies."
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A 30% drop in non-domestic violent crime in the El Paso area was seen during the four weeks of the operation, Pacillas said. Armed robbery rates dropped by 17.5%; aggravated assaults dropped by 37%; weapon-related offenses dropped by 8%; and assaults on police officers dropped by 6%. No murder cases were reported in El Paso during the operation.
"This initiative is a great example of how it can and how it should work because fighting crime is a responsibility we all have in today's world," FBI El Paso acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater said. "The threats we face are too diverse and too dangerous for any of us to tackle it alone."
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The operation resulted in 112 arrests — 46 felonies and 66 misdemeanors. Twelve of the arrests were weapon-involved cases and resulted in 10 weapons being seized by law enforcement, officials said.
Officials highlighted several arrests made during the operation, including a man who was allegedly on his way to commit a shooting at a bar in the Cincinnati Entertainment District, officials said.
FBI agents, who were taking part in the suppression operation, saw Andres Gabriel Lodoza, 22, get into a disturbance about 2 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at Champagne Villain bar, officials said.
The agents followed Lodoza, who was seen parking his vehicle on Cincinnati Avenue before retrieving and loading an AR-15-style rifle, officials said. The agents then notified police.
Lodoza then allegedly started walking toward the bar, but was stopped as police officers, FBI agents and U.S. Army special agents immediately responded to the scene, officials said. No shots were fired.
"I arrived in El Paso this last weekend and this last weekend, Andress Lodoza was arrested after being seen with a rifle in the Cincinnati District," said Goodwater, who started his term as interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI El Paso this week. "My initial experience (in El Paso) could have been very different if it had not been for the quick response of our agents and the officers of the El Paso Police Department. Thank you to those officers and those agents who responded, likely saving lives and preventing what could have been a tragic event."
The other arrests highlighted included:
July 21: Man arrested for traffic warrants after he was involved in a fight at a bar in the Cincinnati Entertainment District.
July 27: Traffic stop led to the arrest of a man in possession of cocaine and a handgun.
Aug. 8: Traffic stop led to the arrest of a man in possession of methamphetamine and a handgun.
While the four-week-long operation has concluded, El Paso area law enforcement will continue to work together to keep El Pasoans safe, officials said.
"This kind of collaborative effort among local, state and federal agencies is law enforcement at its best," Goodwater said. "These partnerships allow agencies to bring their expertise to bear and supplement each other to maximize impact in the community. Partnerships are at the heart of our effort to combat violent crime."
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Multi-agency task force cuts El Paso violent crimes by 30%
