Calls Out Grant County Beat Inaccuracies
Silver City -- Recent articles published in the Grant County Beat on July 24, July 29 and August 6 have obfuscated the truth, made numerous, unsubstantiated claims, and used highly questionable reporting to falsely portray me as an ineffective leader, and worse, sow seeds of doubt about the Silver City Police Department and town management. It's time to set the record straight. This rebuttal addresses only the July 24 omissions, half-truths and inaccuracies. I will address subsequent falsehoods in future statements of fact.
The article, titled "Why Have Experienced Silver City Police Officers Left the Department?," falsely claimed that the department has lost experienced officers due to my leadership style. It is true that the department experienced some loss of personnel in the recent past, not because of my leadership, but due to a disgruntled officer, whose actions required that I open an internal investigation in keeping with department policy. Following the investigation, that officer worked hard to undermine my leadership, creating a toxic working environment, which no doubt contributed to some officers leaving the department. That officer finally resigned after threatening to do so for more than a year.
The Grant County Beat "reporter," who is not an actually trained journalist, apparently talked to this person, and thought it okay to publish only one side of the story without attribution, something a professional journalist would never do. Despite such serious allegations, I was never afforded the professional courtesy of a phone call from the Beat to share my version of events. Clearly, understanding and publishing the truth was not the reporter's nor the editor's objective. Such behavior is unethical, and recklessly sows discord and divisiveness in our community. Malicious undermining of the police department and town management holds the potential for repercussions that could ultimately threaten public safety.
It's important to note that keeping a small, rural police department fully staffed is very challenging. Police departments across the country struggle with staffing. A 2024 survey conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) found that more than 70% of respondents were facing recruitment and retention challenges, and more than 80% of the 1,158 respondents were from local, municipal police agencies such as SCPD. On average, the survey found that local police departments are operating at approximately 91% of their authorized staffing levels.
In spite of staffing challenges, the department's leadership pulled together to continue serving the community. As a result, crime dropped substantially in all categories in 2024 compared to 2023, with the sole exception of aggravated assault. Rather than stating the facts, the Beat chose to twist the truth about the 2024 crime data, writing that a drop in self-initiated calls by officers resulted in fewer arrests overall and "more criminals on the street." This is a fundamentally false and completely irresponsible correlation.
This biased, highly misleading article also stated that the police officer's union conducted a vote of no confidence against me, then met with town management - Alex Brown and James Marshall, who served as the assistant town manager at the time - and they did nothing. The truth is that the Silver City Police Officers Association did conduct a survey of its members and a vote of no confidence, which was not unanimous. As a result, Alex and James met with union representatives, then together as a team, we revamped our recruitment and retention efforts, offering higher starting salaries for seasoned officers who've served elsewhere, signing bonuses, and double overtime pay to encourage officers to take on additional shifts. We also agreed to 12-hour shifts, so that officers get more days off during the week.
With regard to staffing, SCPD is allotted 34 commissioned officer positions. This summer, four officers retired - two captains, a lieutenant, and a narcotics agent. Two new officers are in the final phase of the hiring process, and are expected to be on the job in the next few weeks, bringing our patrol division to full capacity. Earlier this month, the department also welcomed Captain Antonio Carrillo, a highly respected and experienced leader from the New Mexico State Police. The next step is to fill command staff positions, and hire a patrol captain, an administrative lieutenant, a detective and two narcotics agents.
To ensure a process that is fair, transparent, and consistent with the hiring standards of larger agencies across the state, the department has partnered with Blue Line Counseling LLC of Albuquerque to guide the selection process. This partnership eliminates bias, and provides a rigorous, credible system for evaluating candidates.
The process includes both an interview and a "mini-assessment center," which is widely regarded as one of the most effective tools for identifying leadership potential in law enforcement. Unlike a traditional interview, an assessment center places candidates in real-life scenarios that supervisors regularly face. These exercises include problem-solving, oral presentations, role-play or situational simulations that test judgement, communication, leadership under pressure and the ability to manage personnel challenges.
This process is overseen by a five-member board made up of current or retired law enforcement professionals and a community member, ensuring both professional insight and community perspective. This method helps ensure that the town is hiring the best officers possible.
The article also stated that police officers are "not allowed to speak to any city councilors without the approval of Portillo or Brown." Serving as a SCPD officer does not require forfeiture of the right to free speech! This ridiculous claim was attributed to "one former officer" who no doubt is the disgruntled subject of the internal affairs investigation. Such accusations are dangerous, borderline slanderous, and yet this "investigative reporter," with the clear support of the editor and publisher of the Beat, willingly published them with no attribution. Such irresponsibility must be called into question. I will continue to do so by setting the record straight. My next rebuttal will address false claims made in the Grant County Beat's July 29 edition.
In the meantime I'd like remind everyone that I maintain an open-door policy, and am always willing to meet with the public. I will soon be launching the "Chief's Corner," similar to "Mondays with the Mayor," to offer residents a chance to air concerns, learn of department updates and community outreach activities, and to foster constructive dialogue. I can be reached at (575) 538-3723, Ext.1243.
