Ellis Police Department
For the month of April 2024, the Ellis Police Department responded to 193 calls for service, conducted 21 traffic stops, and issued three traffic citations. All citations were for speeding, with the highest alleged speed to be 20 mph over the posted limit. The average alleged speed for April was 16 mph over the posted limit.
The Ellis Police Department also conducted several felony and misdemeanor investigations, resulting in one juvenile and five adult arrests.
The following adults were arrested in April by the Ellis Police Department:
On 04/01/2024, Garret Vandenberg was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery and disorderly conduct. He was booked into the Ellis County Jail.
On 04/02/2024, Veronica Dossey-Moore was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. She was booked into the Ellis County Jail.
On 04/05/2024, Garron Sheppard was arrested on suspicion of theft less than $1,500. He was cited and released.
On 04/07/2024, Heath Robins was arrested on suspicion of violation of a protection order. He was booked into the Ellis County Jail.
On 04/18/2024, Amanda Hayes was arrested on suspicion of criminal threat. She was booked into the Ellis County Jail.
The Ellis Police Department participated in the National Drug Take Back Day on April 27, 2024. They received several unwanted prescriptions as well as over-the-counter drugs from our community members. The police department plans on making this a yearly event for the community.
The Ellis Police Department has also requested two dangerous dog hearings to be presented to the Ellis Municipal Court. In one instance, a victim suffered significant damage to their leg, requiring stitches. I’d like to remind the community that it is the responsibility of the animal’s owner to keep it under control at all times, especially if your animal is territorial, Police Chief Avery Smith said.
Now that Spring has sprung, the mowing season has begun. The Ellis Police Department is responsible for document services within Ellis, including but not limited to: mowing violations, environmental code violations, summons/subpoenas from municipal court and returned check notices.
Officers will attempt to serve a document several times before it is sent via certified mail. Officers often receive questions from our community members about why they received a document.
The police department, in most of these instances, serves as the messenger and is serving the document on behalf of another city department. In the envelope you receive, you will be provided information on how to rectify the situation that you were notified of or how to contact the department the notice came from. Officers will typically serve documents from the hours of 8 a.m. to 730 p.m. unless some other arrangement has been made.
Officers will also be making a concerted effort to speak to our community members about junked or disabled motor vehicles within Ellis. Please do your part to help keep Ellis beautiful, Smith said.
Lastly, but most importantly- April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. If you or someone you know is being victimized or has been a victim of sexual or intimate partner violence, please know that you are not alone and help is available.
Statistically, 1 in 5 people will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. In our area, Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services provides completely free and confidential support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. They are available 24/7, 365 at 1-800-794-4624 or by texting hope to 847411.
EPD also encourages survivors to report instances of sexual and intimate partner violence to law enforcement. The Ellis Police Department will thoroughly and diligently investigate all reports of sexual and domestic violence.
As always, we are seeking photos to be used for these monthly reports. Email them to me at [email protected] or message them to us via our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EllisPoliceDepartment
Thank you all for your support!
— Chief Smith