Police

Katie’s Law Results in New Mexico’s 500th DNA Match

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Gov. Susana Martinez

STATE News:

SANTA FE ─ Jayann Sepich and Gov. Susana Martinez announced Monday that Katie’s Law has led to the 500th match of DNA data to a criminal case in New Mexico. 

The match came as the DNA  Administrative Center, located in Albuquerque, compiled their final statistics for the month of August.

The Administrative Center notified Jayann Sepich of the milestone Friday, which was also the 10th Anniversary of her daughter Katie Sepich being laid to rest.

New Mexico’s DNA collection law, entitled “Katie’s Law,” is one of the toughest in the country Read More

Bear Enters Home On Barranca Mesa

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Los Alamos Police searched the area for the bear reported inside the kitchen of a Barranca Mesa home. A bear that enters a home with people inside is considered a dangerous animal. Police leave the home after receiving a report that the bear was spotted further down the street. Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com

By GREG KENDALL
Los Alamos Daily Post

Today at approximately 11:30 a.m., a large bear reported to be about three years old entered a home on El Nido on Barranca Mesa in Los Alamos. The home sits on the edge of a canyon near the east end of Barranca Road.

The homeowner and an adult relative were Read More

Meet Short List for Los Alamos Police Chief

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Staff Report

The search for a new police chief to replace Wayne Torpy who retired last month drew 40 applicants, of which 26 met the minimum qualifications. Of those 26, five have made the short list and will travel to Los Alamos this week for in-person interviews:

Roy E. Melnick, Chief of Los Lunas Police Department

Tenure: 2009-Present (21 years with police department in New Hampshire)

Salary: $100,101

Employees: 41

Education: Juris Doctorate in Law, Master in Business Administration and Bachelor in Criminal Justice, FBI National Police Acadamy

Comment: “My strongest attribute Read More

Los Alamos Police Blotter: Aug. 28–Sept. 3, 2013

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The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

 

GERALD HECK

Aug. 28 at 12:32 a.m. / Police arrested Gerald Heck, 35, of Los Alamos on San Ildefonso Road on an outstanding Magistrate Court warrant.

Aug. 28 at 9:46 p.m. / A 19-year-old Los Alamos woman reported that she was battered by a household member on Canyon Road.

 

DANIEL DESCHAMP

Aug. 30 at 2:10 p.m. / Police arrested Daniel Deschamp, 29, of Los Alamos at 39th Street and Trinity Read More

County Announces Police Chief Candidate Names, Sets Public Meet/Greet Reception

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LAPD News:

Members of the public are invited to a reception Thursday, Sept. 12 to meet the top five candidates for Los Alamos County Police Chief.

The reception is 6-7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers inside the new Municipal Building, 1,000 Central Ave. Refreshments will be served. Candidates will be available 6-6:30 p.m. to visit informally with attendees. At approximately 6:30 p.m., each of the candidates will be asked to make brief remarks about their background, experience and why they believe they are the best candidate for the job.

At the close of the reception, members of the public are invited Read More

Los Alamos Police Blotter: Aug. 22–Aug. 28, 2013

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The following information is provided by the Los Alamos Police Department.

Neither arrests nor charges indicate a conviction, and neither means that a person is guilty of the charges filed against them.

 

ALISSA WALLINGTON

Aug. 22 at 11:34 a.m. / Police arrested Alissa Wallington, 21, of Santa Cruz at the police station on an outstanding Magistrate Court warrant.

Aug. 22 at 11:45 a.m. / Police arrested Urias Valdez, 42, of Velarde at the police station on an outstanding Magistrate Court warrant. Photo unavailable from police.

Aug. 23 at 1:29 p.m. / A 23-year-old Santa Fe man reported that Read More

Letter to the Editor: Perhaps it’s Time for an External Investigation of Los Alamos Police Department

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By LORI ZIRPEL
Los Alamos

With respect to the recent letter “Should Los Alamos Police Unionize?” (Los Alamos Daily Post Aug. 30, 2013) there are a lot of concerns raised.

 
However when I looked at the salaries of the commanders listed, there seems to be an error. The actual salaries were already at $78,808 in 2012 as listed by the Rio Grande Foundation: (https:////www.riograndefoundation.org) and would now apparently be 10 percent or more above that number or about $86K per commander.
 
I heard a rumor around town that one or more of the promoted commanders did not meet the minimum qualifications
Read More

Statewide Lockdown of Jails Underway

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NMCD News:

New Mexico Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel has ordered a statewide lockdown on all prison facilities as part of the annual accountability and prisons assessment initiative.

This yearly event of locking down all facilities allows NMCD staff to examine our structures, security measures and policies to ensure our we are operating on the highest level of awareness and security.

“The public has placed their trust in our ability to serve them in a courageous, responsible, ethical, and dedicated way,” Marcantel said. “To ensure we are keeping the public safe Read More

Letter to the Editor: Should Los Alamos Police Department Unionize?

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By John Smith
Concerned Citizen for Los Alamos

What is going on at the Los Alamos Police Department? I have read recent articles that state that officers are suing their own department for an “unsafe working environment.”

Now obviously our officers wouldn’t claim that the risk of being shot at, or the risk of being hit while in the roadway, or any other on the job hazard would be unusually unsafe – so what do they mean?

Just last October Randy Foster and Brian Schamber joined Chief (Wayne) Torpy in briefing our County Council on the Master Career Plan. The Master Career Plan was designed to achieve goals

Read More

FBI, Navajo Police Ask for Public’s Help in Gallup Death Investigation

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Vincent Smith Jr.

FBI Alert:

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety are investigating the death of a Navajo man from Arizona who was found lying in the weeds in a residential area on the Navajo Indian Reservation, in Gallup.

Vincent Smith Jr., 33, of St. Michael’s, Ariz., was found with apparent head injuries on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 18, 2013 on Old Zuni Drive.

He was unresponsive and lying on the ground near his blue and tan Ford F-150 truck.

Smith was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center, where he died later that day.

Anyone with information about the incident or who Read More