El Paso County Sheriff's Office

Commander Paul Cross
Commander Paul Cross (Criminal Investigation Division) Paul Cross recently retired from the El Paso Police Department as the Assistant Chief in charge of the Office of Operations where he served in that position for four years. The Office of Operations encompassed all of the Regional Commands in the city as well as the Major Crimes Bureau. Commander Cross supervised three Deputy Chiefs and seven Commanders. Major Crimes included all Criminal and Directed Investigations to include Crimes Against Persons, Narcotics, Sex Assault Offenses, Financial Crimes, Crimes Against Children, and all detective investigations.
Commander has supervised over 70 homicide investigations and hundreds of Sexual Assault and Robbery investigations in his capacity as the Chief in charge of the Office of Operations. Commander Cross has a tremendous amount of knowledge in criminal investigations and evidence collection. He served as the Department’s Emergency Management coordinator for the Emergency Operations Center for four years. He has extensive knowledge in Emergency Management, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Commander Cross was an El Paso Police Officer for 24 years during which time he served in the ranks of Patrol Officer, Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander, Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief. He is a graduate of Central State University in Ohio, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 1982. Commander Cross is also a graduate of the prestigious F.B.I. National Academy. He has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He had over 19 years of supervisory experience of which 14 years were in middle and upper management positions within the Department. Commander Cross was awarded the Executive of the Year Award for the El Paso Police Department in 2006, and was awarded the “Adelante Con Ganas Award” from State Senator Eliot Shapleigh in 2005.
Commander Cross has seven years of college teaching experience and is a part-time instructor at the University of Texas at El Paso, University of Phoenix, Webster University, and was a part-time instructor at El Paso Community College for four years.
Commander Cross has always been involved in the community. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and also serves on the Board of Directors for the El Paso Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Board of Directors for Family Services of El Paso.