Police chief presents multi-year crime declines; residents criticize enforcement and noise ordinance application

EDINBURG, Texas — At the April 1 Edinburg City Council meeting Police Chief Jaime Ayala presented the department’s 2024 annual report, including multi-year crime reductions and increases in enforcement actions, while several residents used the public-comment period to criticize police response to noise and neighbor disputes.

Chief Ayala told the council that crime has decreased over the last four years, saying violent-crime categories including assault, robbery and homicide had fallen “19 and a half percent.” He said crimes against property were down about 24% since 2021 and that year-to-year reductions continued between 2023 and 2024. Ayala said motor-vehicle theft remained a problem, with 74 vehicles stolen in the prior year, and that the department is working with federal, state and local partners to address organized theft.

Ayala said arrests increased — noting about a 59% increase in arrests since 2021 — and that traffic stops rose 106% over four years. He reported 617 DWI arrests in the most recent year, and said a DWI enforcement unit created about 18 months ago had contributed to those results. Ayala also described community programs and outreach including a teen academy, dog-walker watch, National Night Out activity and a donated therapy dog named Domino.

During public comment, resident Diana Sepulveda accused the police department of failing to enforce city ordinances and described unsatisfactory responses from officers to noise complaints, specifically naming Officer Edgar Perez and alleging the department did not issue reports or citations in those incidents. Sepulveda questioned the judgment of the police chief and recounted a separate safety incident she said was not handled with urgency.

Another commenter, Reynaldo, also criticized enforcement of the city’s revised noise ordinance, saying officers and command staff had given inconsistent explanations of how the ordinance applies to complaints. He said the ordinance language — written by a prior city attorney — is intended for enforcement and prosecution, and he said his review with an attorney supported that reading. Both commenters asked the council for clearer enforcement and accountability.

Chief Ayala delivered the department report prior to the public comments and did not provide a direct rebuttal on the record to the individual allegations during the public-comment period. Council members acknowledged the complaints and asked staff to ensure that municipal-court scheduling and judge coverage are adequate; they also discussed public-safety staffing and court-process improvements elsewhere on the agenda.

No formal council action was taken during the public-comment segment; the annual report itself was presented for the record and the chief invited council members to participate in ride-alongs to observe patrol operations.