El Paso leaders pen letter in response to police chief’s comments about ‘Black Lives Matter’

In a letter to the mayor and the El Paso City Council, local elected officials and community leaders denounced El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen’s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement.

The sheriff, the county judge and other elected officials called for a news conference Friday to offer condolences not only to the families of five Dallas officers killed in an ambush.

Allen chose not to speak during the news conference, but afterward said, “Black Lives Matter, as far as I’m concerned is a radical hate group and for that purpose alone I think the leadership of this country needs to look a little bit harder at that particular group. The consequences of what we saw in Dallas is due to their efforts.”

Saturday, El Paso County Judge Veronica sent out a letter expressing disappointment and concern with Allen’s comments.

The letter sent was signed by other locally elected leaders, such as state representatives, the state senator, Congressman Beto O’Rourke and members of the local NAACP chapter.

“We were deeply concerned and disappointed with the statement made by the City of El Paso’s Chief of Police, Greg Allen,” the letter reads. “This statement, in the chief’s official capacity and in uniform, sends exactly the wrong message at a time when good people are working to address a crisis of violence and distrust that disproportionately affects minority communities. It is ironically out of step with the ongoing reforms the Dallas Police Department itself has been a national leader in – efforts its chief of police has publicly said he remains committed to in spite of the cowardly violence perpetrated in Dallas.”

Also Saturday, O’Rourke tweeted, “EP police chief has lost our confidence by blaming Dallas PD murders — on Black Lives Matter.”

State Rep. Cesar Blanco, in a string of replies to O’Rourke’s tweet, said, “At a time when we need leaders to bring people together @EPPOLICE Chief chose to divide. #txlege.”

The letter went on to say, “The Black Lives Matter movement is about the same values of dignity, equality, and peaceful protest; it was not responsible for the tragedy in Dallas. Chief Allen’s statement places El Paso’s seal of approval on a sentiment that stands in stark contrast to those values and one that promotes hate itself. That is why we urge you to publicly repudiate the statement, forcefully and unequivocally, and hold Chief Allen accountable for damaging the public trust and bringing disrepute to our community.

The letter was signed by State Sen Jos Rodriguez, District 29; County Judge Veronica Escobar; County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal; Congressman Beto O’Rourke, District 16; State Rep. Joe Moody, District 78; State Rep. Mary Gonzlez, District 75; State Rep. Csar Blanco, District 76; State Representative-Elect Evelina “Lina” Ortega, District 77; County Commissioner David Stout, Precinct 2; EPISD Trustee Susie Byrd, District 3; Greg Davis on behalf of the El Paso Branch of the NAACP; Fernando Garcia on behalf of the Border Network for Human Rights; and Terri Burke on behalf of ACLU of Texas

ABC-7 reached out to the El Paso Police Department for comment but has not gotten a reply.

To read the letter, click here.