EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The City of El Paso honored a police center on the west side for a series of initiatives that lowered crime and strengthened safety.

In a proclamation signed by Mayor Renard Johnson, the City recognized the Westside Regional Command Center, located at 4801 Osborne Dr., near Mesa Street and I-10, as the 2025 Command Center of the Year.

The proclamation, which was read by District 1 Representative and Mayor Pro Tempore Alejandra Chavez, credited the command center with a 10% reduction in overall crime during 2025 and highlighted efforts including its field training officer program, the Humanitarian Engagement Action Response Team (HEART) initiative and the Ride Share Hub initiative.

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EPPD’s Senior Crime Analyst Emiliano Villarreal detailed crime trends he said were part of the overall 10% reduction. Villarreal said violent crime was reduced by 9% for assaults and 25% for robberies. He also said property crime declined, including burglaries of vehicles down 37%, vehicle thefts down 3% and overall theft down 10%.

Officer Machorro, with West Side Regional Command Community Services, described the HEART program as “an idea originating out of the West Side Regional Command to rethink how we engage with individuals experiencing homelessness.”

Machorro said the effort shifted from “traditional enforcement” to “a service-first approach that connected people to the resources while supporting public safety.”

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Machorro said the program now includes “nearly more than 40 organizations” meeting bi-weekly and described a cross-functional response that includes the El Paso Police Department, Fire Department, MIH, Community Development, Code Compliance, Street and Maintenance, Animal Services, United Way, Amistad, Opportunity Center, Welcome Center, U.S. Veterans Affairs, nonprofits and health care partners.

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