By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
Sandoval County voters will choose a sheriff Nov. 3 from two candidates who agree the county needs more cops in more places. They disagree on whether anyone can pay for it.
Democrat John Paul Trujillo, a former county sheriff, and Republican Victor Rodriguez, a lieutenant with the Pueblo of Zia police, laid out their plans during a Sept. 29 forum hosted by the Rio Rancho Observer and the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce. Early voting started Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Covering 4,000 square miles
Trujillo pledged seven patrol districts with 24-hour coverage, staffed by deputies who live in outlying areas such as Cuba and Jemez Pueblo. He promised response times under five minutes. He also said he’d reopen an unused detention facility at the Cuba fairgrounds so deputies don’t have to haul detainees to Bernalillo.
Rodriguez called that math unrealistic. Round-the-clock coverage in a single community takes four to six new deputies at $80,000 to $100,000 each, he said.
“We cannot be making empty promises,” Rodriguez said.
Trujillo fired back that he covered the entire county with 50 deputies when he ran the office, and he said the agency now has 65.
“It’s not an empty promise. I’ve done it before,” he said.
Rodriguez would instead reallocate existing staff, put supervisors on calls, start reserve and public safety aide programs and cross-commission officers so tribal, municipal and county police can enforce state law countywide. He also proposed new metro and East Mountain districts, saying Ladera residents can wait 45 minutes or more for a deputy.
Drugs and dealers
Trujillo said he’d lean on federal and state grants to fund drug enforcement, equipment and training without tapping local taxpayers.
Rodriguez, a former Pueblo of Isleta police chief, said he’d join federal task forces with senior sheriff’s office leaders embedded in them. He also said he’d push legislators to reform civil forfeiture and pair enforcement with treatment for users.
Highway 550
Rodriguez said a semi and an SUV collided in a fatal crash near mile marker 8 on Highway 550 as he drove to the forum. He called for fixes at the Northwest Loop intersection, more speed enforcement with tribal partners and stiffer speeding fines from the Legislature.
Trujillo said dedicated traffic units patrolled the corridor around the clock under his watch. He blamed the current administration for letting deputies drift outside their assigned districts.
Rodriguez has an endorsement from Democratic Sheriff Jesse James Casaus. Trujillo pledged to restore partnerships with Haven House, bring back senior fraud-prevention training and return a sheriff’s patrol boat to Cochiti Lake.
Vote in the Sandoval County sheriff’s race:
- Early voting: Begins Oct. 6, expands Oct. 17
- Election Day: Nov. 3
- Polling locations and sample ballots: sandovalcountynm.gov/countyclerk/bureau-of-elections/
- Watch the full forum: youtube.com/watch?v=8qHeVBdK4kU