Opinion

Letter To The Editor: Response To ‘A Mountain Of Reasons To Abolish Office Of Sheriff’

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By Sheriff Marco Lucero
Los Alamos County

As your Sheriff I have done my best to enhance public safety in our community. I was told when I first ran for office that politics is dirty business, and I replied, I’m not a politician; I’m a law enforcement officer. It is disappointing when members of our community wrongfully label you as a raving, power seeking and anti-government extremist. Boy, I surely didn’t expect that when I ran to be your Sheriff.

For those of you who know me and what I hold true to, you know that I have done my best to keep a calm professional demeanor. I respect a person’s right to write Read More

Letter To The Editor: Disappointed With Lack Of Respect

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By APRIL NOLAN
Los Alamos

Saturday afternoon as I was leaving my home on Rover Boulevard near Grand Canyon, I was surprised to see two police cars with lights on approaching. I quickly realized, however, that a hearse (also with lights flashing) was following the police, and that the three vehicles were leading a funeral procession.

I pulled over to the side of the road to show my respect for the deceased and the mourners.

As the procession continued to pass going the other direction, I glanced into my rearview mirror and was surprised to see two vehicles behind me, proceeding as if nothing were amiss. Read More

Letter To The Editor: Apparently Council Deems Sheriff To Be A Mere Puppet

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By JOEL M. WILLIAMS
Los Alamos

Los Alamos County Code 304.4: The Sheriff shall have those powers and duties assigned to sheriffs by state statutes, including the powers of a peace officer, but the Sheriff shall not duplicate or perform those duties in this Charter or by ordinance or resolution assigned or delegated to the County’s Police Department.

Via “resolution assigned“, Council deems that it “can” delegate any and, indeed, all of the sheriff’s duties to the Police Department as it so chooses! Vise versa? (Sounds like a Police-Council-Sheriff Read More

Letter To The Editor: Whither Sheriff’s Dept.?

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By KHAL SPENCER
Los Alamos

The recent deluge of letters to the Los Alamos Daily Post regarding the future of the Sheriff’s Dept is conflating two issues: the department’s desire to engage in scope creep vs. carrying out its traditional duties in Los Alamos County vs. Council’s desire to eliminate the office, and the far right politics being espoused in some letters. Let’s separate the two.

The question of eliminating the sheriff, i.e., whether the traditional duties of the Los Alamos Sheriff as described in our county’s governance documents can be more cost Read More

Letter To The Editor: P&Z Commissioners Welcome Public To Comprehensive Plan Review Process

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By PHILLIP GURSKY, Chairman
Los Alamos County P&Z Commission

In the upcoming weeks, press releases, news articles and print and electronic ads will announce the second round of public meetings continuing the process of public input in the coming update of the County Comprehensive Plan.

These meetings will be addressing policies and issues of real concern and import to citizens and the Planning and Zoning Commission would like to see a large turnout for these meetings.

As I described at the outset of the Planning and Zoning Commission public input process earlier this year, the Comprehensive Read More

Letter To The Editor: Time To Abolish Local Sheriff’s Office

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By CONCERNED LOS ALAMOS RESIDENT
 
As a local resident in Los Alamos, I’m very concerned about the existence of the Sheriff’s Office in in this community.
 
I’ve observed that Sheriff Lucero is constantly asking for more power, authority, and work responsibility. However, since Mr. Lucero does not already appear to have a clearly defined or useful role in the community, I strongly support abolishing the position all together.
 
His existing workload of somewhat menial tasks (offender database, etc…) can easily be folded up into the Los Alamos Police Department. This will help
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Letter To The Editor: Do We Not Have A Judicial Branch To Our Government?

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By ALAN WADLINGER
Los Alamos

John Horne stated in 10-June-2016 editorial “The Sheriffs office is empowered by our constitution and state law to protect its citizens from unlawful acts perpetrated by local and many federal agencies. To abolish that office is to abolish your right to protection from unscrupulous acts against us the citizens.”

Is John suggesting that the Sheriffs Office can usurp the power of the courts? Read More

Letter To The Editor: P&Z Meeting Is Crucial June 15

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By GEORGE CHANDLLER
Los Alamos

At the P&Z meeting last night they discussed the Round 2 meetings for the comp plan. Meeting # 1 is scheduled for Wednesday June 15, 6-8 p.m., at UNM-LA Room 230. The topic is “Neighborhoods, Density and Growth.”

This meeting will address the issues our downtown residential neighborhood faces. These came to a head when UNM-LA, with the complicity of the Community Development Department, attempted to convert the student housing on 9th Street to a super-dense 50-foot luxury highrise that would have offered only a token dozen or so student apartments. Read More

Letter To The Editor: More From The Undersheriff

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By former member of the Los Alamos Sportsman Club

In response to the Letter to the Editor (A Mountain Of Reasons To Abolish The Office Of Sheriff) By Los Alamos County Resident. I would like to share this email sent to all members  of the Los Alamos Sportsmen’s Club by Club President Stan Hayes. 
 
I feel that John Horne continues to stir the pot in support of Sheriff Lucero, and tries to stoke the fears of a possible uprising and gun confiscation as what happened in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina in a pitiful attempt to bully Los Alamos citizens into supporting Sheriff
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Letter To The Editor: A Mountain Of Reasons To Abolish The Office Of Sheriff

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By Los Alamos County Resident

As a general rule, I try to avoid public confrontations with angry, gun-toting people. But, since the Los Alamos Daily Post published an anonymous letter in support of the Sheriff and his deputies last week, I’m trusting that the Daily Post will publish this anonymous reply.

First, Sheriff Lucero and both Deputy Hornes, you should be ashamed of yourselves for the vicious and offensive tone of your remarks. If you’re trying to convince people that you really deserve actual responsibilities, your hateful, condescending remarks are enough to make the case against Read More