An internal call diversion memo intended for Dallas Police Department dispatch personnel was rescinded today after social media outrage.
The memo for 911 Call Center staff regarding KPMG’s recommendations to divert certain Priority 4 calls to the Dallas Online Reporting System (DORS) or an Expediter was released to the public on social media.
The memorandum was sent prematurely per Dallas Police. The department is still in the evaluation phase on this item and will have further dialogue on recommendations and next steps. Therefore, the actions set out in the memorandum have been rescinded at this time.
The controversy comes less than a week after Chief Eddie Garcia was introduced to the public in his first press conference.
Call Diversion Memo
The internal memo showed several types of calls which would go undispatch in most cases by Dallas Police.
There are several call types listed for nonresponse including runaways and interference with child custody that propensity for violence.
From everyone at Other Side Dallas we wish you a very Happy New Year 2021 and hope the New Year brings us all closer together.
We hope you will remember the many front line responders (police, fire, EMS) and hospital workers who work today to bring you safety while you spend time during this pandemic, COVID19.
These efforts were made possible through the Texas Department of State Health Services’ allocation of 2,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Recent new infections have ranged from 1500 to 2000 per day. During the summer Dallas was a hot zone for COVID19 then with far lower infections per capita.
Dallas First Responder Vaccinations Process
The process consists of a check-in, vaccination stations, made up of strike teams (two paramedics and one documentation officer) specially trained to administer the vaccine, and an evaluation area where members can be monitored for potential side-effects before leaving.
The City expects 250 first responders to be vaccinated per day and expects this first Moderna allocation to be followed in the coming months by additional vaccines to inoculate remaining City of Dallas first responders.
In the weeks leading up to the vaccine allocation, DFR, DPD and the Office of Emergency Management put together a plan for a drive-thru style vaccination process using a parking garage at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
In addition to those that will be vaccinated with this allotment, there have been over one hundred DFR members to receive their first round of the vaccine through Parkland Hospital and Dallas County Health and Human Services.
Tracking is being done electronically; first responders will be automatically scheduled for their second round of the vaccine intwenty-eight days.
Dallas held a Chief Eddie Garcia introduction press conference this afternoon as he prepares to take his new position leading Dallas Police Department. Questions he faced immeidately were how to bring down violent crime, the inter-office politics of working with other applicants for his job working in the office, and his focus on the night time economy that 24 Hour Dallas is working on.
He noted Dallas reminded him of San Jose – particularly its diversity. In a question about using relationship-based policing model Chief Garcia stated “we are open to any ideas that we can have to ensure residents and visitors are safe, but also businesses thrive.”
He stated that it is important to “ensure businesses are successful” and that in San Jose he had been contacted by the Chamber of Commerce to find out what they could do for San Jose police. His response was “what can the police do for them.”
Garcia also stated that his focus will be violent crime, but that he did not like the term petty crime. What is petty to one, isn’t to another.
Eddie Garcia Introduction
Chief Garcia said it is important that the police community acknowledge that their badges did not always shine as brightly as it should.
He specifically mentioned mistakes being made in a number of cities related to this summer’s protests. He mentioned specific goals of keeping the community, protestors, and officers safe. He did not make specific mention of the issues with the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge events or the accountability issues surrounding it.
A David Finn post on Boxing Day – December 26 – has people angry, but Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot sharing it has them ready to rumble on social media.
Finn is representing Philip Baldenegro in the criminal trial related to the robbery and murder of Carlos Arajeni-Arriaza Morillo. The case against co-defendant Zephi Trevino recently had Jamie Lee Curtis take out a full page ad in the Dallas Morning News.
Finn accuses Trevino of engineering the robbery despite her family protests she is a victim of sexual trafficking.
Finn’s post appears to be defending his client on the court steps as opposed to court chambers, but the real outrage came when DA Creuzot shared the David Finn post on his personal Facebook account page.
Texas code forbids prosecutors from speaking about cases against minors so how close this skirts this prohibition is yet to be determined. This case does appear to be tarnishing the Hollywood reputation of Creuzot who has won national ink for ‘prosecution reform’.
Several members of the group or supporters attacked and questioned Creuzot. One went so far as to say his career was “over.”
Trevino is scheduled to have a certification hearing next week on January 4, 2021 to determine if she can stand trial as an adult.
The David Finn Post
The full David Finn posts are below. While he has openly disclosed his home address, we have redacted that over threats of violence Mr. Finn has received.
Brisketgate has come to Texas thanks to senior US SenatorJohn Cornyn who has demonstated he has no idea about brisket or Texas traditions.
Brisket’s big business in Texas and it is surprising to see Cornyn advertise an important export so poorly. His photo looks nothing like Terry Black’s or Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum.
Brisketgate Politics
Some surmised Cornyn would have lost the election if he had posted this picture prior to November 3rd, 2020.
Others took him to task for talking about food when so many are in food bank lines because Congress has not extended unemployment and disaster benefits for millions.
Garcia beat out nearly forty other candidates, including current Dallas commanders. He will be tasked with leading a department that has seen a visible rise in violent crime and a lack of trust from members of the black community.
Tramonica Brown is the founder of Not My Son, a nonprofit group aimed at addressing racial injustice.
She said she wants open communication and says, “I want somebody that’s not afraid to have a dialogue with the community. We’ve lost trust.” Brown said.
“My hope is that this chief is going to come in and really do some things that I know he probably said in those interviews,” she continued. Brown is a candidate for Dallas City Council D7 against incumbent Adam Bazaldua.
Bazaldua meanwhile has had defunding DPD as his chief campaign issue since late May. He was part of the group that promised sweeping reform and a plan to defund DPD, but never attempted to get accountability from Chief Hall for her lack of leadership during the June George Floyd protests or specifically for the use of tear gas during the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge incident where Hall stated no tear gas was used.
In September, Bazaldua and others only defund action was to re-allocate $7M from overtime into other projects like bike lanes and solar panels.
Additionally, Bazaldua’s appointee to the Community Police Oversight Board posted in a social media post, “I’m confident he will serve and protect the residents of Dallas, while remaining open to reasonable and responsible police reforms that benefit the residents of Dallas and our police officers. I am supportive of those balanced goals. Doing > Talking.” He did not reference who was doing versus who was just talking, but this could be a hint of where things will go if public safety is the chief campaign issue across the city and not just D7.
Chief Campaign For New Police Chief: BLM and Race Relations
National headlines regularly highlight the strained relationships between big-city police forces and persons of color, but the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP branch has recognized Chief Eddie Garcia with its annual Cesar Chavez Award for his visibility and accessibility in the city’s neighborhoods.
Jesuorobo Enobakhare is chairman of the Dallas Police Oversight Board. Some critics suggest Enobakhare worked too closely with Chief Hall – interfering in his ability to provide proper oversight. Similar internal allegations came from officers within the department about Chief Hall and Dominique Alexander. It is unclear where Chief Garcia will draw the line.
Enobakhare said, “We can’t just think that a new police chief is going to come in and magically wave a wand and fix things that are wrong in the city,” he said. “It’s going to take leadership from the city council. It’s going to take the leadership of a lot of other entities in order to work together to solve some of these problems.”
Meanwhile D Magazine played grammar police to Chief Garcia’s statement noting he was “humbled by the thought of wearing the DPD uniform.” They described his statement as false modesty and suggested different emotions he should have used, but had no suggestions on lowering the crime rate.
Chief Campaign Issue for Mayor Johnson?
Mayor Eric Johnson’s office issued the statement below. While public safety was not a chief campaign issue prior to his election, he has re-focused attention after winning office.
“I spoke this afternoon with our new police chief, Eddie Garcia, and congratulated him on his selection by the city manager. I hope the people of Dallas will join me in giving him and his family a warm welcome. He will join us after spending four years as the police chief in the 10th-largest city in the country, and he was highly regarded by my counterpart in San Jose, Mayor Sam Liccardo.
“We should celebrate the fact that Chief Garcia will become our first Hispanic police chief. This truly is an historic moment for Dallas.
“But we both understand that what truly matters now is the work ahead of us: making our communities safer and stronger. I expect that he will immediately begin developing plans to fight the unacceptable violent crime increases we have seen in Dallas. We will need our communities’ help in those efforts. Too many lives have been taken in our city. Too many families have been devastated by violence. And too many people in our neighborhoods feel unsafe.
“Law enforcement alone cannot solve the challenges we face, but the hardworking men and women of the Dallas Police Department are integral to combating violence, which disproportionately affects people of color in our city. As policymakers, we must give Chief Garcia the tools that his officers need to keep people safe and continue to push for solutions — such as the programs recommended by the Mayor’s Task Force on Safe Communities — that can prevent crime without placing additional burdens on the police department. The people of Dallas deserve a city government that puts public safety first.
“I want to thank all the candidates who embraced the challenge of working for the City of Dallas. I look forward to seeing Chief Garcia’s new strategies in action in the months ahead. Working together, we will strive to make Dallas the safest major city in the United States.”
From everyone at Other Side Dallas we wish you a very Merry Christmas 2020 and hope the New Year brings us all closer together. We wanted to share the quote below from one of our favorite holiday stories in hopes that we all find these days to be filled with charity, mercy, and general good acts of kindness. These are the same traits that brought America together in difficult times past and together we accomplish so much more than apart.
We hope you will remember the many front line responders (police, fire, EMS) and hospital workers who work today to bring you safety while you spend time during this pandemic, COVID19.
An Old Quote For Christmas 2020
“…and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Eddie Garcia is the new chief of the Dallas Police Department per a city press release. Chief Garcia has been police chief for the San Jose (CA) Police Department.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax Wednesday announced that Eddie Garcia will become Dallas’ 30th Chief of Police, making him the first Latino to preside over the ninth largest police department in the country. Garcia began his career with the San Jose Police Department in 1992 and has served as its Chief since 2016.
“My story began as a young boy moving to a new city, learning to speak English in a community that promoted me to Chief. It’s an honor to be welcomed into one of America’s greatest cities for the second time as Chief.” said Garcia. “I’m truly humbled by the thought of wearing the DPD uniform and working alongside such an amazing group of committed men and women. Together in partnership and collaboration with the Dallas community, we will meet the challenges of today and beyond.”
Chief Garcia holds a bachelor’s degree from Union Institute and University. Since he started as an officer in February 1992 in San Jose, the nation’s 10th most populous city, he worked in the Patrol, Narcotics, Special Operations – M.E.R.G.E (Mobile Emergency Response Group and Equipment) unit; was a patrol sergeant, night detective and homicide investigator; and commanded the Community Services Division and the Special Investigations Unit.
During Chief Garcia’s tenure in San Jose he led initiatives to help build community trust; increase transparency; and embrace fair, impartial, and constitutional policing. Among the department’s successes they implemented basic Spanish in the police academy, launched a Spanish language Facebook page and significantly increased minority recruiting.
Zephi Trevino, is a Texas teen is accused of Capital Murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a man that occurred when she was 16. Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot intends to charge her as an adult pending a January 4, 2021 hearing.
Her mother and other advocates, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Kim Kardashian West, say she is a victim of sex trafficking, not a killer.
Zephaniah Trevino, now 17, is one of three people charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of Carlos Arajeni-Arriaza Morillo, 24. He was killed in a Grand Prarie apartment in August 2019.
Murder victim Carlos Arajeni-Arriaza Morillo
Another defendant, Philip Baldenegro, then 18, admitted to fatally shooting Morillo and shooting and injuring another man as part of a robbery attempt. He and Jesse Martinez, then 19, are all charged in the case.
“She brought the guys to the apartment and set the whole thing up,” said Finn.
Zephi Trevino’s parents and Baldenegro’s attorney agree the men were there to have sex with Zephi, but Zephi’s parents claim Baldenegro was forcing their daughter to have sex for money.
Baldenegro’s attorney says his client admits he pulled the trigger, but he is not a pimp.
“She is no victim. My client Philip Baldenegro is 19 and I think she was 16 at the time. They had a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship that is born out on my client’s cellphone,” said Finn.
“She engineered, organized, executed the entire plan,” Finn said.
Murder suspects Philip Baldenegro and Jesse Martinez
Zephi Trevino Background
Zephaniah, or “Zephi” as she’s known to friends and family, was a typical teenager in her Grand Prairie, Texas community. Kind, outgoing, and the youngest of four siblings raised in a loving home, she was involved in activities from her church worship team to pitching for her high school softball team.
Trevino’s mom, Crystal Trevino, told local media her daughter was offered a plea deal that would give her 10 years in prison, but declined.
Crystal said her daughter played sports and was involved in her church before she fell in with the wrong crowd, saying the plight of her daughter Zephi Trevino is “a mother’s worst nightmare.”
Zephi Trevino Case
Crystal Trevino says her daughter was offered a ten year plea deal, which she declined. She faces up to 40 years in prison. Trevino’s case has caught the attention of numerous celebrities.
Civil rights lawyer Justin Moore is helping the family and helped get the attention of Jason Flom, a founding board member of The Innocence Project.
Flom says he thinks Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot should take a closer look at the case.
“On what planet does it make sense that we are going to charge her with capital murder? It’s a disastrously failed social policy,” Flom said.
The Innocence Project, has helped secure the release of hundreds of wrongfully convicted people.
Zephi Trevino, John Creuzot, and Dominque Alexander
The case also presents an interesting challenge for Creuzot.
Recently, former Chief of Police Reneé Hall was reported to be in an inappropriate relationship with convicted felon and local activist Dominique Alexander. The public report hastened Hall’s exit as police chief and her depature was announced less than twenty-four hours after the report.
Creuzot has not been seen out front on sex trafficking issues unlike the local US Attorney’s Office who recently arrested a local man for sex trafficking. Additionally, like Reneé Hall, Creuzot is known to be friendly with Dominque Alexander and there are multiple sources who indicate Creuzot made a nonprosecution with Alexander and Next Generation Action Network in return for not endangering his election campaign with Alexander’s activism in certain neighborhoods.
John Creuzot and his office are prohibited from speaking about the Trevino case, but he is noticable silent on relationships with both Alexander and Judge Audrey Moorehead, recently arrested for DWI.
