Chief's Community Update - January 7, 2024

As we mark the solemn anniversary of January 7, 2006, let us take a moment to collectively pause and remember Officer Rich May, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the East Palo Alto community. His selfless dedication and unwavering commitment to the safety of our community will forever be etched in our hearts. On this day, we honor Officer May's memory and the profound impact he had on our lives. May his legacy continue to inspire us to uphold the values of courage, service, and sacrifice. Let us come together as a community to reflect on the indelible mark Officer Rich May left on East Palo Alto, and strive to carry forward his spirit in our ongoing pursuit of a safer and stronger community for all.

Rolled Curb Parking enforcement has commenced.  Vehicles parked on sidewalks along rolled curbs are subject to enforcement action.  For now, our Community Service Officers will issue a warning for first time offending vehicles, but all subsequent violations will result in a $38 citation for parking on the sidewalk.  

For the owners of the 25 vehicles that received parking citations on January 2, 2024, please contest the ticket following the directions on the back of the citation and we can change the fine to a warning.

We understand there will be some adjustments for all of us, but we will make these adjustments together.  Please help us spread the word by educating your friends, family, and neighbors.

We are hiring!

Do you know someone who is genuinely a good person, has a passion for serving others, and would be a great fit for our department and community please bring them in.  We are hiring for:

Police Recruit

Police Officer

Our open recruitments can be found at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-east-palo-alto.

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