Demand Justice for Valentina Yorro!
An urgent policy reform regarding Maryland Police Standard Operating Procedures on Home Alarm Call Responses and Accountability is being called to action as an imperative safety concern for all at-risk homeowners.
According to the 2023 State of Safety report, 76% of Americans will use some form of security measure protect their home and property. Given the many options for home security systems available to homeowners , most companies will provide similar security features which will include a police response feature. With Safety being the most important element in everyone’s day to day lives, it should come as no surprise that a police response to any home alarm call remains a critical piece to a homeowner’s ability to remain safe and alive.
As soon as police are dispatched to the scene, they should immediately begin a proper investigation of the situation. However, sadly we find that our safety expectation will far exceed the reality of what actually occurs during these response calls. Depending on the department’s individual protocols, alarm circ*mstances, and call volume, they may or may not even respond to investigate these emergency calls. With so much variations and latitude given to each police department, homeowners will unfortunately live under the assumption that having a home alarm system will keep them safe and out of harm’s way when in fact the opposite is demonstrated to be true.
When tragedy strikes, the harsh reality homeowners will quickly learn, they are only as safe as their town/county police department prioritizes them to be. Imagine paying for a home security service to keep you and/or your household safe, and during an emergency police response for a home alarm, officers fail to protect you, the homeowner and resident of the property.
We as a society cannot stress enough how important every home alarm call, and procedure is for an innocent person’s wellbeing. Every situation can quickly turn into a matter of life and death, and should always be treated as such, no exception.
Every Police Department across the state should have clear, strict, consistent, guidelines/protocols in place when responding to any home alarm call. The current problem we face is with police officers having too much discretion when responding to these home alarm calls. Given the dangerous level of subjective authority allowed by police officers/departments, will unfortunately be at the detriment of every homeowner’s right for their own protection and human life. When we allow such subjective authority in protocol to occur, then as a community we run into the issue where police officers/departments will dismiss any accountability and absolve them of any recourse for their actions
As in the case of 64 year old Maryland victim, Valentina “Tina” Yorro who was found tragically murdered in her own home. Like many homeowners, Tina Yorro was paying for home security service assuming in the event of an emergency, a police response would protect and look out for her overall well-being . Sadly, this was not the case. On Sunday November 28, 2021, without any proper welfare check conducted, officers would never see or speak with the homeowner before clearing the scene. As a result of their dereliction of duty, officers were dispatched again to the home due to out-of-state family members calling 911 highly concerned about the welfare of the homeowner. In what initially started as a home alarm call/wellness check, ultimately ended in a second emergency response issued where another life was lost and a murdered victim’s body, the homeowner and resident of the property unfortunately discovered in the home.
With first responding officers making the conscious choice to automatically designate the two individuals they encountered in the home as the homeowner’s representatives, they failed in their duties to protect the homeowner and her rights.
Officers were provided enough information to inform them that both individuals were not the homeowner, residents, or emergency contacts for the homeowner, yet they continued to ignore inconducting a proper wellness check as the homeowner’s body lay dead inside still undiscovered by police.
Despite the many warning signs presented, both individuals not being residents or emergency contacts for the homeowner, witnessing one individual with a weapon who was refusing to speak or cooperate with police, visible carpet discoloration and carpet cleaner in the living room, the other individual’s reluctant behavior to get the homeowner, telling officers the homeowner was upstairs but not taking any calls or texts, alarm company receiving wrong code to home alarm, a minor present in the home, as well as no explanation of why the alarm was even going off in the middle of the day. Instead responding officers would clear the scene without any proper welfare check of the homeowner, resulting in what can only be described as a shameful dereliction of duty.
The result of Officers Dereliction of Duty:
● An Immediate emergency response dispatched to the residence approximately 30 minutes after the first home alarm response call● An armed man inside the home who will not answer or come out of the home● Police forced entry, using bean bag rounds and tasers to try to control the situation● Officer of first alarm call, shoots and kills armed man● Homeowner discovered murdered in the garage● Second individual in home, admits lying to police on the whereabouts of the homeowner as well as the timing witnessed of the blood seen, as they did not disclose photos of the homeowner’s blood she’d taken 13+ hours prior to police response to the home alarm call● Maryland police complete negligent and discrepant police investigation● No excusable reason regarding refusal of police accountability, no arrests made, no charges filed, and no justice prioritized for the victim in all this, the homeowner, Valentina Yorro
To this day Maryland police and attorney general continue to dismiss the Victim’s Family important questions and concerns as well as multiple stonewall attempts to our PIA requests
Maryland Police please explain:
When did it become ok for homeowners to lose their voice, their say, their right in making decisions regarding their own property and personal-safety?
When did a homeowner’s representative mean anyone besides the homeowner or emergency contacts who can speak on their behalf?
And how does a homeowner bare all the legal/financial responsibilities in owning their home but hold no legal right to make safety decisions regarding their home alarm system/services and emergency responses?
According to FBI crime statistics, we learn in 2021, violent crimes—aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery—65% of victims knew who their attacker was and with 60% burglary attempts had someone who was still in the home.With these types of statistics, we as a society must demand stricter protocols when police officers respond to home alarm calls. With a police officer’s primary duty to protect people and property, it is highly concerning when they do not prioritize, exercise welfare checks on homeowners. With police engaging in such dismissive and neglectful actions regarding safety, you demonstrate failure in your duties and obligations as a sworn police officer. When Police Departments remove/refuse accountability and transparency with the public, then you disappointedly demonstrate a great failure within your department.
As the voice of the unfortunate murdered victim, Valentina “Tina” Yorro, who is sadly no longer alive to fight for her own Justice, I say to Maryland police… ”safety matters”, “welfare checks matter”, “homeowners rights matter”, “victim’s lives matter”, “Justice matters”….when you fail check on those you have sworn to protect, you have shamefully failed your community and the uniform you are privileged to wear.
In regards to all the victims you left behind,
Our Society Demands Better, and Our Victims Deserve Better!!
#JusticeForTinaYorro
Please sign this petition to support reform on home alarm police response protocol. Return the right back to the homeowner. Demand welfare checks that include the homeowner or emergency contacts.Please sign this petition and demand police accountability. Protocols need to be strictly/clearly defined and enforced/followed. No exception.Please sign this petition and demand protection of homeowners rights by ensuringdecisions on their safety, assigned representative, and emergency contacts are to be authorized only by the homeowner of the propertyPlease sign this petition and demand Justice for Valentina Yorro, the unfortunate murdered victim whose tragic ending/story/case ended in a failed and broken Maryland legal system.
We Need Mandatory “Check On Me” Laws!
Maryland, We demand you uphold our Human rights and access to Justice: Re-instate Valentina Yorro’s Homicide case!!!
