Mayor Romero and Police Chief Enriquez, are you aware that some area residents are fearful that the Anthony Police Department will retaliate against them if they question their traffic citations or any other charges your police force file against them? Could it be that if drivers complain about traffic stops or any other law enforcement issues, they cannot depend on the officer’s impartiality? Mayor and Chief Enriquez, the Gazette respectfully ask you, the Town Council and Police Chief to address these serious issues.
Chief Enriquez, please tell us if the past allegations that the APD keeps impounded cars, sometimes for minor infractions, are true. But that even if the vehicle owners are willing to pay the high storage fees, they sometimes have difficulty finding the proper authority to release their vehicle and that leads to further increasing their vehicles storage charges.
Mayor and Council Members, when a city or any other governmental entity applies for a federal grant for the improvement of their law enforcement department, they usually have to justify their grant request with documentation that includes their particular law enforcement needs and financial limitations. However, it is the Gazette understanding that Chief Enriquez was able to significantly increase the size of his police department not with a grant he could justify and receive but instead with a very large loan (program) that may prove that was necessary for out small town. Mayor although it is difficult for the Gazette to comprehend, please tell us if it is true that Chief Enriquez was also able to persuade you and the Council to commit the town to pay back the large town loan strictly with the revenue of traffic citations his police force issues. Mayor, can we conclude that is the real reason why the town of Anthony has now earned the title of being a Speed trap?
After you and the Council approved the Chief’s loan program, in an interview with the Gazette, Chief Enriquez boasted to our reporter “We now have the ability to outfit a whole new fleet (of patrol cars) if we desire by using “whatever is generated by the (traffic) citations”. Mayor and Council Members, the Gazette also finds it difficult to believe, if true, that the council gave Police Chief Enriquez a free reign to get as many police vehicles and support personnel as he wanted, as long as his policemen issue enough traffic citations to pay the town police note (program) payments. Is this the true reason why Police Chief Enriquez has his police officials constantly stopping drivers to issue them various traffic citations?
Mayor, two months ago on July 22, 2019, the Gazette delivered to your personal office and that of the Town Clerk, a set of questions that required a reply . Under the “Freedom of Information Act”, you had ten days to respond to the Gazette’s request. Yet until today, we have still not received your response to our following questions:
1.The Loan Accounts or programs used by the police department to purchase their vehicle fleet.
2.The 2018-2019 approved projected budget for the police department.
3.Total number of police department staff including job titles.
4. How many police officers are assigned to the school district? What percentage does the school district and police department pay toward these school officer salaries?
5.Total number of working and non-working police vehicles used by the police department.
6.How much police overtime has been approved year-to-date?
7.When is the next impound auction? What account are proceeds deposited into?
Mayor Romero and Council Members, did any of you ever consider questioning Chief Enriquez on wanting to cut down on speeders in our town by greatly increasing his police force? Mayor did you or any of the Council Members think of asking the Chief that if he seriously wanted to control the speed limits in the town that he should look for other more practical and less expensive options instead of our small town having to maintain an oversized police force? For example, Chief Enriquez has the right to call on the Texas State Trooper and the El Paso County’s Sheriff Department for assistance to control traffic within the town limits. They both also have full jurisdiction in the town limits. In addition, the State of Texas highways and roadway run within and throughout all four sides of the Anthony town limits. The Freeway I-10 on the east, Texas 20 (Doniphan Street) to the west, Farm to Market Road (Washington Street) going to Gadsden, and the two State artery roads, Washington street to the north of the town and Wild Cat Drive to the south. Again, all these State roads are all within the town limits and the state troopers and sheriff department have primary responsibility to them.
Another traffic control option for you Mayor and Council Members to consider, is to install electronic radar speed monitors in the town. These monitors have proven to be very effective in immediately cutting down on speeding throughout the state of Texas. Of no less importance is that electronic radar monitors operate at a minuscule fraction of the cost of having to maintain an expensive large police force to be constantly citing drivers for traffic violations. In addition, a smaller police force could devote their time in moreimportant activities such as protecting our citizens, schools, and properties within the Town of Anthony limits.
Mayor, the Rio Grande Gazette is concerned that you and the council have presumably been pressured by the Police Chief to commit the town, to borrow money to pay for Chief Enriquez’ large police force. The Gazette wonders, who benefits from such a large police force in our small town? Is it the Chief who can boast about heading a large police force, but at the expense of the town taxpayers and the drivers that travel in the town of Anthony Texas streets?
In the same interview with the Gazette, Chief Enriquez was also questioned about the seventeen officers for a town population of 5,665. His reply was that he had received numerous complaints of people speeding in the Town of Anthony, TX. On the contrary, The City of Anthony NM with a population of 9,339 has eleven police officers. This equates Anthony NM to a 50% smaller police force with 40% more populous.
Excessive enforcement promotes anxiety, uncertainty and inefficiency. We call on the Mayor’s office to address our concerns and clarify whether officers are instructed to concentrate on issuing tickets to raise additional revenue. With cost-effective alternatives available, why are so many of our officers strictly enforcing speed limits instead of protecting our community?
Mayor and Council Members, the town’s CPA firm in the last fiscal audit report was extremely critical, stating that the Police Chief was in complete control of four different checking accounts that they were unable to properly audit because there was no reports for those expenses.
The CPA firm noted that the “Accounting principles generally accepted in the USA require that all activity of the Town of Anthony, TX be included in the financial statements in the appropriate fund. The amount by which this departure would affect assets, net position, and revenues and expenses of the Governmental Activities has not been determined.” Chief Enriquez, it is imperative that you provide the town with the reconciled bank accounts.
Mayor and council members, have you given the Police Chief a, “CARTE BLANCHE” to take over four police banks accounts without any checks and balances in your part? Is that not the sole Fiduciary Responsibility of the council that by law are the towns “Keepers of the Purse Strings”? Have you and the council succumbed to the Police Chief demands, and why so?
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