A newly released crash report from the Rio Rancho Police Department provides new details about the sequence of events that led to the death of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Schlattman on Feb. 23 on Interstate 40 Westbound near the East Mountains. Schlattman, 52, was killed in the line of duty while conducting a traffic […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Albuquerque residents dominate Corrales DWI arrest logs
Corrales Mayor Fred Hashimoto recently told the community that a large proportion of DWI arrests in the village seemed to involve nonresident drivers. Hashimoto said Police Chief Victor Mangiacapra corroborated his understanding of the matter. An analysis of arrest logs by the Corrales Comment confirms the assumption. Comment staff found 10 DWI arrests between October […]
New equipment, more tickets: Rio Rancho speed cameras issue thousands of citations in first 30 days
Rio Rancho’s new automated speed cameras issued nearly 6,000 citations in their first 30 days of live enforcement, with data showing thousands more violations still pending review, according to figures provided by program vendor Verra Mobility and reviewed by The 528. In 2024, the previous system issued a total of 18,739 speeding citations, averaging approximately […]
Photos: On his birthday, hundreds honor a life of service for BCSO sergeant
Hundreds gathered Monday, March 2, on what would have been his birthday at the Rio Rancho Events Center to honor Sgt. Michael Barrett Schlattman, a Bernalillo County Sheriffโs Office (BCSO) deputy, died in the line of duty on Feb. 23 at age 52. Schlattman joined BCSO in 2012 and was promoted to sergeant in July […]
New Mexico Chief Justice: Supreme Court offers a civics program for students
By Chief Justice David K. Thomson, New Mexico Supreme Court — The Supreme Court of New Mexico launched a program in 2021 to help young people learn about our system of justice and the role of courts in resolving legal disputes. The concept of the Rule of Law Program was straightforward: We learn by observation. […]
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop in East Mountains
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop to be held in Rio Rancho
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Lawsuit alleges Bernalillo teacher abused student, district ignored prior warnings
A lawsuit filed in New Mexico’s Thirteenth Judicial District Court alleges a 5th-grade teacher at Bernalillo Elementary School subjected a 10-year-old student to months of physical abuse and racist verbal attacks while school officials ignored a history of prior complaints against her. The complaint, filed under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and the Tort […]
Supreme Court removes New Mexico judge from the bench
The New Mexico Supreme Court ordered a McKinley County magistrate judge off the bench this week, ending a months-long saga between the judge and the state’s Judicial Standards Commission which had sought his removal for abuses of authority in office. The commissionโs recommendation for removal stems from what it described as a “pattern and practice” […]
Rio Rancho’s Citizens’ Police Academy pulls back the curtain on police work
Eleven weeks. One night a week. And for many participants, a completely changed perspective on the people who patrol their streets. The Rio Rancho Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy is currently underway, with roughly two dozen residents getting an inside look at how one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing cities keeps itself safe. The program, which […]


