Deputy Michael Valencia, Dispatcher Teresa Ortiz and Deputy Joe Carlos are thanked by Grant County resident Robert Martinez.[Editor's Note: This is part of a series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session of Feb. 8, 2022, and the regular meeting on Feb. 10, 2022. This report from the regular session begins with the reports.]

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

At the regular meeting of the Grant County Commission on Feb. 10, 2022, Treasurer Patrick Cohn gave his report. "Of 2021 taxes, we have collected 64 percent for about $8 million, and $4.5 million not yet collected. We have an average rate of collection at 92 percent over the past 10 years. About $9.1 million in taxes have remained uncollected. If you have not received your tax bill, please let us know, especially if you have paid off your mortgage, because the bill might still be going to the mortgage company. We are working on delinquent taxes from 2019. If they are not paid by July, we will add them to the state auction list."

Sheriff Frank Gomez led off his report with recognitions. Robert Martinez, a resident in the unincorporated area of Grant County, who with his wife are retired Cobre school coaches, asked to recognize the deputies and the dispatcher who kept him calm, when he called in about a person knocking on their door at about 1:30 in the morning on Jan. 20, 2022. "The motion lights came on and I could see someone moving around. I got my gun, while my wife called Dispatch. Teresa Ortiz, one of our best athletes, answered the Dispatch phone. She told me not to go outside and to wait for the deputies. The deputies got there in about four minutes. Teresa stayed on the phone and kept us calm. Nothing was taken. I just want to thank you for continuing to fund our police. There have been a lot of break-ins in our area, so I want to recognize deputies Michael Valencia and Joe Carlos, as well as Teresa Ortiz," as he presented plaques to them.

Gomez went into his report. "We have resumed in-person training. However, they have not reached pre-Covid opportunities. We hope to send another deputy to DARE instructor certification in Colorado next month. Upcoming trainings include street crimes, highway – narcotics and drugs interdiction, DWI enforcement training and basic criminal investigations. We plan to again offer state-mandated biennium training in August, which will utilize our own instructor staff and resources. Crisis intervention training, basic and advanced, will continue as planned."

He said after reposting the open court security position, the department received multiple applicants, and "we have selected one to fill the position."

At this meeting, he said they continued to work on the Diana Thomas homicide. [As of this writing, a suspect has been arrested. See more information at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/70491-man-arrested-in-diana-montes-thomas-homicide .]

The Sheriff's Department responded to and continues to investigate a single vehicle rollover that resulted in a fatality on Highway 180 in the North Hurley area. The driver was ejected and sustained fatal injuries. The second adult and one of the three children in the vehicle were transported for unspecified injuries.

He noted that the department responds along with EMS (emergency medical services) to reported drug overdoses. "As an indicator of frequency, we are now issuing our patrol staff extra boxes of Narcan so they can use it more than once during a 12-hour shift or weekend period."

Gomez said his department has offered positions to one certified officer and one-non-certified officer, who is in the WNMU police academy, and both have accepted employment offers. "We expect to hire at least one more non-certified applicant from the police academy in the coming weeks."

At present, the GCSO is Covid-free.

"I recently promoted three deputies to the rank of corporal—Michael Valencia, John Hiebert and Brandon Reese, one to sergeant—Jacob Martinez, and I have named Sgt. Manuel Maldonado as acting lieutenant with the retirement of Lt. Sam Rodriguez," Gomez said. "I would like to recognize his decades of service in law enforcement and praise the work he has done with the Sheriff's Department."

On the topic of the federally funded Operation Stonegarden, Gomez said they continue to concentrate resources in the Hachita area. He said contacts with suspected foreign nationals has increased and his deputies have been advised that human trafficking in the region is rising sharply. "We are awaiting FEMA's authorization notifications for the fiscal year 2021 Stonegarden grant and the FY 2021 state homeland security grant to begin expending these funds on items such as vehicle equipment, handheld radios and medical trauma bags. We expect the funds to open in early March."

Gomez said the DARE program has begun at Silver Schools and at Calvary Academy, with the program continuing at Cobre Schools. "Lt. Maldonado has been named New Mexico statewide DARE coordinator in recognition of his hard work and that of our other DARE instruction staff."

He said the previous week the department received notice that Grant County had been awarded $100,000 by the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts to fund a pilot program to establish and maintain a crisis/mental health/substance abuse system of referral and resource management by clinical professionals. "The county manager will have more detailed information over the coming months, as the pilot project proposal is a collaborative effort with all county departments and agencies, as well as external partnerships."

He said the department had signed a formal memorandum of understanding with Dr. Troy Rogers of the Public Safety Psychology Group for professional services including policy development, training, consultation and support for acute crisis situations. "I would like to invite the county manager (Tim Zamora) and the new health director to join us in our meetings with Dr. Rogers."

With recent grants, the department has acquired 40 new hardened laptop computers, mounting hardware and equipment for the TRACS electronic citation system for the staff. "This represents a significant investment in current technology funded from outside sources secured by my staff."

He also noted the GCSO radio network has received significant upgrades and expansion for the first time in more than 25 years, with new repeaters replacing aging malfunctioning ones, including a new repeater and site on Jack's Peak. "The current total of funding from outside sources exceeds $300,000. This does not include pending applications. This is a result of multiple staff members who have collaborated to ensure Grant County's viability as a recipient of such funding is maximized."

"We have funding to purchase vehicles, but due to supply chain issues, especially the micro-chip shortage, we are unable to find the vehicles we require anywhere," Gomez said. "The vehicles are not being built nor orders taken. We are in critical need of five new patrol-equipped vehicles, but the situation remains grim."

He recognized Rudy from county maintenance, "who works tirelessly to keep our office clean and safe."

Gomez gave statistics, which included 1115 January calls, including 17 domestic violence calls, 10 disturbances, 5 loose livestock calls, 5 welfare checks, 27 suspicious activity calls and 33 crashes, including the one fatality.

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said he has been talking to the sheriff and the county manager about putting a line item in the budget to pay for investigations in homicides and crashes, "so we can pay for investigative experts. Maybe we can discuss this in March."

District 2 Commissioner Javier "Harvey" Salas asked if an officer coming out of the academy is on payroll.

"It is more of a contract," Gomez said. "They are paid as an uncertified officer, because their dedication is to the academy until they complete it. We have three of our deputies who are not yet certified, so we keep an eye on them until they pass the academy and become certified."

The next article will get into the review of the regular meeting agenda and the discussions and approvals.