By Frost McGahey
Investigative Reporter
SCPD Chief Freddie Portillo (from Silver City Daily Press, July 2023)(Editor's Note: Officers requested their names be withheld for fear of retribution.)
In the past 18 months, 10 experienced police officers have left the Silver City Police Department. These officers have around 115 combined years of experience. The Beat has worked with some of them in the past and was impressed by their competence. Several sources have said the reason for the departures is the failed leadership of Chief Freddie Portillo.
In recently obtained documents from the Silver City Police, it showed that in 2024 the department has 36 officers. The list for 2025 showed 34 officers, but in included 5 officers known to have left the force, leaving only 29 officers, a 20% reduction in the force. The ones remaining are younger and less experienced.
In March 2024, the exodus of experienced police officers started. That can be shown in the significant drop of 24% of what are called Self-Initiated Calls. That's when an officer initiates the service call. These officers know who criminals are, who has an outstanding warrant, where they congregate, and what the vehicles they drive. Bad guys get arrested. Statistics show arrests dropped by 19% from 2023 to 2024 (1291 vs.1043), this means more criminals on the street.
In an article for the Silver City Daily Press, Chief Freddie Portillo cited a drop in crime, but that's not quite accurate. Aggravated assaults have increased from 24 in 2018 to 47 in 2024, almost doubling (An Aggravated assault could be hitting someone with a baseball bat or pointing a loaded gun at them.)
In 2024 , the Silver City Police Officer's Union did a Vote of No Confidence against Chief Portillo.* Only 3 officers did not vote in favor of it.
According to one former officer, "The Union took the vote to (Town Manager) Alex Brown and (Assistant Town Manager at the time) James Marshall who did nothing about it. In Silver City, the officers are not allowed to speak to any city councilors without the approval of Portillo or Brown. That's how they control everything. It's very dangerous and that's how something horrible could happen. If the cops can't report misconduct on each other and can't speak out about upper management corruption, then how will they blow the whistle?"
Another former officer said, "If officers' complaints are disregarded by Portillo or Brown, they have no other way to bring problems to the attention of the City Council or the Public. We all left because of the way Portillo ran the department. Cronies were promoted, not the best person. Infractions by officers were handled how the Chief saw fit, not the way the regulations said they should. In the end we all left and unfortunately found less pay and fewer benefits."
The salary for Chief Portillo is $104,149 annually.
To be Continued…
*Your IPRA request for a copy of the 2024 Vote of No Confidence by the Silver City Police Officer's Union was received. It has been determined that Letters of memoranda that are matter of opinion in personnel files are excepted from disclosure pursuant to NM State Statute 14-2-1 Section C. We hereby consider the request closed.
