Santa Fe County Reserve Deputy Program

A while back, (sorry it took so long) I was asked to explain a little about the Sheriff's Reserve Deputy Program. What it is and how it works. Reserve Deputies are volunteers who give their time to work as sworn deputies in the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. Many of these are retired or ex law enforcement however the majority are not. I like to describe these as citizens who for what ever reason have always been interested in law enforcement but either already have full time jobs they enjoy or perhaps they earn much more money than law enforcement pays. Or as I stated earlier they may be retired or just want a meaningful way to give back to their community.

Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are utilized to supplement the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office's Sworn personnel. Like Full-time Deputies, Reserve Deputies are professionally trained and duly sworn law enforcement personnel. In most cases, Reserves are assigned to the same duties as Full-time Deputies. Since Reserve Deputies have the same powers of arrest as Full-time Deputies we require a lot of the same hiring, background,physical and psychological standards as Full-time Deputies.

Reserve Deputy Sheriffs enjoy the challenge and excitement offered by law enforcement, as well as the satisfaction of providing a worthwhile community service. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs first complete an extensive in house training program and then work assignments on evenings and/or weekends as their regular jobs permit. Most of the time spent on duty is done around your own schedule however there can be mandatory training which is usually scheduled on nights or weekends to accommodate your other full time jobs. The initial training is done over eight consecutive weekends and this portion is the most demanding and time intensive portion of the service. After this most field training is done around your schedule.

Reserve Deputy Sheriffs are issued a badge, an identification card, uniforms, a duty weapon, handcuffs, baton, and most other necessary equipment. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs have full peace officer powers when on duty or may act as a peace officer according to Sheriff's office Standard Operating Procedures when emergencies arise while off duty.

Reserve Deputy Sheriffs volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per month of their time with the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs serve at the will of the Sheriff, must obey all Departmental regulations, but do not fall into the framework of the civil service system. Reserve Deputy Sheriffs supplement the regular operations of the Sheriff's Department by working in Uniform (Patrol),or in other capacities as matched by their skills and desires as well as the needs of the Sheriff's Office. So, This is the program in a nutshell if you are interested in becoming a part time deputy, full time hero, contact Corporal Vanessa Pacheco or Sergeant Ken Johnson at 505-986-2400.

TOP TEN REASONS TO BECOME A RESERVE DEPUTY!

10. Make your community safer.
9. Gain respect & admiration from your peers.
8. Earn respect & gratitude from your employer.
7. Meet new, interesting people and arrest them.
6. Show yourself and others you've got what it takes.
5. Give back to the community.
4. Its Fun.
3. Its Challenging.
2. Its Interesting.

1. Finally be able to knock their socks off when
someone asks "And what did YOU do this weekend?"

Happy Fourth of July!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

I wish you all a Happy Fourth of July from my family to yours! At this time of the year we all clean off the BBQ Grills, pull out the lawn chairs and celebrate the freedoms that come with independence day. On this day in 1776 America declared its independence from Great Britain. It was the begining of a free America. These freedoms did not come easy and many lives were given up to ensure these freedoms for our generation. Our generation will also give up many lives to ensure these same freedoms for our children and grandchildren. That is a hard pill to swallow. Many times these are easy words to say, much harder to live, when your loved one is one whose life was given in the pursuit of freedom. From our soldiers through out the world, to our law enforcement officers across the nation, from our firefighters, border patrols, and yes even our politicians and news crews throughout the world all have given lives in the daily struggle to keep our nation free and live up to the ideals drafted by our forefathers.

Today as I sit on my comfortable patio with my laptop and wireless connection, the BBQ grill hot and ready and the cool breeze of a perfect afternoon keeping the temperature down, I think about those who don't have it so easy today. The soldiers in war zones trying to picture themselves at grandmothers house with all the kids running around and the intoxicated uncle starting to get on their nerves, and wishing they were actually there.

I think about the officer patrolling the streets, hoping that their tour of duty takes them near home so they can stop in to say hi and grab a piece of watermelon, all while rushing from call to call to deal with a few of those intoxicated uncles. The border patrol agents are in my thoughts and prayers as they man their posts and patrol the border. Out in the middle of no where there is little chance for a Fourth of July Celebration, little chance that they can run by the house and grab a quick piece of watermelon. The firemen and women come to mind, grabbing a quick Fourth of July lunch before they head out and patrol the streets looking for illegal fireworks and just being a presence in the neighborhoods. Each of them hoping that the only fires they will see is the flash of sparklers but realistically praying that the inevitable fires will all be small and easily manageable.

You notice I mentioned politicians and media in my post. I am reminded of the assassinations of great politicians like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, the attempted assassinations of presidents like Ronald Reagan . The deaths of news crews at war torn nations as they perform the noble service of keeping us informed and government in check comes to my mind as well.

All of these hero's and many others like the activists such as Martin Luther King and Ceasar Chavez, who make America what is through the ultimate sacrifice come to my mind today. So, as we each celebrate Fourth of July lets not forget those who's sacrifices make this day possible. Tomorrow as we go back to our jobs lets not forget that we may be called upon to make a sacrifice, maybe a small one, or maybe the ultimate sacrifice, and when that day comes we must step up, remembering that we must insure the Fourth of July's for the future generations.


Have a very Happy Fourth of July.

Red Light Traffic Camera's May be Coming to Santa Fe.

Last Tuesday the City Police Department asked for and received the go-ahead from the Public Safety Committee to research the installation of cameras to catch drivers in the act of running red lights. You may remember a post I had discussing the Red Light Camera's in Albuquerque in April of this year.

The City Police Department will be looking at starting a pilot program to catch red light runners on cameras similar to those used by an Albuquerque program that has been in operation since May 2005. The city is looking at placing the camera's at five Santa Fe intersections in the pilot project: St. Francis Drive and Zia Road and Cerrillos Road's intersections with Airport Road, Zafarano Drive, St. Francis Drive and St. Michael's Drive.

The use of these cameras to issue official criminal traffic citations is illegal in the state of New Mexico. State Law requires citations to be given by a uniformed certified officer who must witness the infraction. The only exception is in the case of an accident when the officer can rely on evidence at the scene and witness statements to issue the citations. So how does Albuquerque use the Red Light cameras to issue citations? They do this through a civil action.

The citations issued are civil summons issued by the city through a private company. The only cause of action if you do not pay the citation is for the city to take civil action and boot your vehicle under civil forfeiture ordinances until you pay. If you do pay the citation then the only penalty is the cash you send to the city. No matter how many citations you get for running red lights by the cameras you will not receive points on your M.V.D. records. Your insurance companies will not know you even received a citation. The penalty is cash and or impoundment. Violators are fined $100 the first time, $250 plus a 30-day impound of the vehicle for the second time. For subsequent offenses, there is a $500 fine plus a 90-day impound. The city saves on storage fees by impounding your car in your own driveway by booting the vehicle.

A city police officer reviews each citation before it is issued. The Citations are issued by a private company "Redflex" who supplies the camera's, prints and mails the citations, collects the payments and in turn keeps a portion of the fees collected. Redflex is a rapidly growing company whose year end revenue for the year which ended June 30, 2005 increased 39.7% to $46.3 million, while net profit after tax increased 171% to $9 million. Most of the revenue and profit came from traffic camera installations in Australia and the US,

Albuquerque has generated $1.2 million in revenue for the city since the city began using camera's in October of 2005. During the Santa Fe City Public Safety Committee meeting last Tuesday, members of the committee cautioned city staff not to bill the cameras as a revenue generator, but rather as a way to alter driving habits and ultimately save lives. This came after Deputy Chief Ray Byford said any estimate of how much Santa Fe could earn from a similar system would be a "shot in the dark," but added that "it could be way up there."

The ACLU has begun challenging Speed and Red Light Camera's in different parts of the nation. They have begun pointing to Studies (one in Washington in particular) which seem to show increases in accidents in some areas where Red Light Camera's are used. Santa Fe is a much more liberal and outspoken community than Albuquerque, it will be interesting to see the publics reaction to any camera's installed in Santa Fe especially if the fines are as hefty as those set in Albuquerque.

The Washington Times reported in June of 2005 Red-light cameras in Northern Virginia were shut down after a 10-year pilot program expired. A state legislative committee voted not to continue the automated traffic-enforcement program, which had been operating in six Northern Virginia localities and Virginia Beach. Critics, including delegates who voted to end the program, said the cameras are money-making devices that invade a residents’ privacy and cause rear-end collisions. Interestingly enough the program in Virginia charged $50 as compared to the hundreds in fines charged by Albuquerque. Virginia reported a loss in revenue for the program costing the government entities up to one million dollars in 5 years. Apparently the rear end collisions occur when drivers stop for the red lights even though they are being tailgated for fear of receiving the citation. It has been argued that otherwise the driver may have run the light to avoid the rear end collision.

Some County Commissioners have brought up red light camera's as a tool to be used in the county over the last few years. This is something which I feel has both positive and negative connotations. I have really looked at disdain when the media researches citations issued by Red Light Camera's in Albuquerque and look for politicians, government workers, police officers and other notables who are caught running the lights. They then show the photos or videos of these people in news reports. I would like to see them show reporters and media staff who are caught as well. I know that public officials have much less expectation of privacy but this is a low way to just have a another titillating story.

I also really see a problem when traffic citations are used as a revenue source. Unlike the view of many cited motorists, there are no quotas. We do not raise the Sheriff's Office Revenue by issuing citations. Quota's promote abuse and bad citations issued by deputies who just need to pull over citizens in order to reach their quota. We do receive $1 (one dollar) for every citation that is plead or found guilty in court. Most are not, usually people go to driving school or get a deferred sentence and we do not get the dollar. Last year I believe we got about $10,000 from the thousands of citations we issued. This was out of a taxpayer provided 2006/2007 budget of just under nine million dollars. The bottom line is we give citations as educational tools, not to raise money.

Update your blogity blog blog.

I have been out of town and working on projects and my wife sent me an email today reminding me I had a blog. The title of her email was "Update your blogity blog blog".

I spent three days in Taos New Mexico Meeting with Sheriff's and county officials from across the state. That was Wednesday through Friday. I then returned to begin large scale excavation and construction in my back yard throughout the weekend. Ok, maybe not large scale however it was enough to cause a good sunburn, sore joints and much pain. I dug out a whole lot of gravel and replaced it with patio brick, a store bought gazebo, and some patio furniture. In the plans was a fire pit but the rain on Sunday cut short my time to continue the project. Came home today after work hoping to get a couple of hours of time on the project but once again rain stopped that idea. The election kept me from getting to this project earlier in the summer and now its just my luck that the badly needed rain starts as I am working on my backyard. Not that I am complaining, we need the rain.

Anyhow, here is a pic of our first dinner under the gazebo on the patio that Greg built. It was taken with my camera phone so it is not the greatest quality. There is still much construction mess and yard work to be done but regardless of the fact that it was a little cold after the rain storm we ate our dinner out on the patio.

Now back to the conference. The event is a yearly one put on by the New Mexico Association of Counties. Among many discussions the big topic of conversations was who won their races and who did not throughout the state. Pretty much all the incumbent Sheriff's were re-elected however some of the undersheriff's were not. In some cases that left both with out jobs for next year. There were a few sheriff's who ran for magistrate judge positions across the state and I ran into one who was elected and one who lost the race to an incumbent Magistrate. Last week was a very stressful one for me and at least on Thursday night I had some time to relax with a great impromptu get together after the conference activities ended for the day. I had a great time and some friends even got to see my Elvis impression. That is something usually reserved for karaoke nights however the guitar players really kicked in with some great jams.

The Governors race was another topic of discussions as well as the Attorney Generals and Secretary of States Race. Mary Herrera and Gary King seemed to have the most widespread support among those who were involved in the discussions with me. Mary even garnering support among Republicans from Southern New Mexico. Many of the people I spoke with also felt Heather Wilson was in for the toughest election she has ever had with support from democrats being unanimous although most did not live in her district. I for one am hoping for one less Republican from the Great State of New Mexico in Congress.


Ok, besides all the mitote we had great meetings and training including updates from the last legislative session, what's planned for the next legislative session and training from the State Law Enforcement Academy and exciting classes from our insurance carriers on risk management. Even though it seems like someone is always suing someone around here actually New Mexico Sheriff's Offices have really low claim rates and are doing a pretty good job at keeping claims down. I want to close this blog post by dedicating it to my wife Antoinette, Ants here is your updated blogity blog blog.

Happy Birthday Lil Shorty!

Today is my daughters birthday. In honor of her fourteenth birthday I present this video. Happy Birthday Lil Shorty!

Tis the Season for Conventions

Looks like everyone's off to one convention or another. Governor Richardson made a quick visit to the Yearly Kos convention last Friday. Our fellow blogger and local alternative paper editor Julia Goldberg is on her way to Arkansas to attend the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies where she is not only an attendee but a speaker as well. I will be attending the New Mexico State Fraternal Order of Police Conference which is being held right here in Santa Fe this year. Our own local F.O.P. President Michael Salazar is making his bid for the State Presidency of the F.O.P.. I will also be attending the Buckaroo Ball on Saturday night where my wife and I will join many attendees who will enjoy a concert by Wynonna while a lot of money will be raised for local charities.

On Tuesday its off to Taos where the New Mexico Association of Counties will have their conference. The great thing about this conference is that a majority of the Sheriff's from around the state get together and it allows us to discuss issues occurring in Sheriff's Offices throughout the state. I find these meetings to be among the most productive I attend each year. So tis the season for conferences. And yes in between all the serious stuff there is a little fun also. Many times the media portrays some of these as junkets especially when they are held in exclusive places, however, I really believe that a lot of information and networking is obtained from these meetings and they are well worth the expense and time. Which by the way is why all the media has their own conferences whether its alternative newspapers, mainstream media or even special conferences for left or right wing media.

One last note, I want to congratulate the Santa Fe County Reserve Program who's deputies are to be honored at the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office on Friday with a Volunteers excellence award which was sent to me to present to the deputies by none other than President Bush himself. These volunteers do a great job for Santa Fe County and place their lives on the line (for free even!). I am very proud of their work and their great accomplishments.

In Honor of Officer James Archuleta

Today I will place the black mourning band on my badge again as I attend the funeral of Officer James Archuleta. Archuleta a State Police Officer and an active-duty reserve member of the U.S. Marine Corps died Sunday night when he was ejected from his car after hitting a cow in the road and was struck twice by passing vehicles. Officer Archuleta was on duty at the time of the accident.

In March of this year I blogged about the death of Deputy James McGrane from Bernalillio County who was killed in the line of duty also. I explained about the Mourning Band we place on our badges to honor the fallen officers. I also commented how I hoped I would not need the band again. Unfortunately we don the band again and honor another fallen officer. Officer Archuleta was a true servant of America, serving his country on a tour in Iraq and as a Reserve member of the Marines.


We will miss his service to our country and I offer my deepest condolences to his family and his fellow officers at the New Mexico State Police. May God Bless you in this time of sorrow and may Officer Archuleta join the Patron Saint of Law Enforcement, Saint Michael in heaven where I know he will continue to fight for what is right and just.

THANK YOU!

Twas the night before elections.

Its just about midnight and we are all still working hard preparing for election day in just 7 hours. I have to hand it to all my volunteers they are the greatest. We have over 20 polling places covered with poll workers holding up signs and soliciting the last votes. The F.O.P. Hall is decorated, over 100 lunches are ready or just about ready to go. ( we feed other candidates poll workers as well as the election workers until the food is gone.)

Over 200 tamales are going to the hall as well as roaster after roaster of beans and chili. Sheet cakes are being prepared and signs have been put up at as many of the polling places as we could get to. I am sure tomorrow I will have forgot something but it will all fall together. I never get more than a few hours sleep the night before the election but the adrenaline and excitement of the day carries us forward.

One last thing, THANK YOU, thanks to all who read my blog, helped my campaign, voted for me in early and absentee voting and will vote for me tomorrow. I want to thank the citizens of Santa Fe County who make this the greatest place on earth to live. Win or lose I am a very blessed man with so many friends who believe in me and my administration. I want to thank my staff and deputies whose hard work has helped our administration accomplish so much. I want to thank the commissioners, county staff from the County Manager on down for all their help the last four years. I also want to thank the media, they have always been professional and fair even when the news was not good. The local press especially are really top notch and they really care about the community and keeping the public informed.

Finally I want to thank my Family who really put up with a lot. Its very hard being an elected officials child or wife, or brother and sister, even my cousins an in laws who get asked to call me to check on one thing or another. I owe my family many missed vacations, holidays and birthdays. My own wife spent her birthday and our wedding anniversary campaigning for me in Edgewood. I really, really owe her for that one.

Anyway, Go vote if you haven't already, God Bless you all and see you on Wed, which is probrably the soonest I will blog again. (maybe).

Your Invited!

Well, two days to go and its going at a hectic pace. Yesterday (Saturday June 3, 2006) my dedicated volunteers and myself hit 7 different functions and shook literally hundreds of hands in the one day. We started out at the Soccer fields at the City Municipal Recreation Complex where it was opening day for kids soccer. I was told there were 900 kids playing and there must have been over twice that many family members in attendance.

Next we went to Eldorado where they had a great car show and community day and I must say some really tasty Frito Pies! From there it was off to a political event for Mary Herrera on Alameda street where a Tom Jones impersonator wowed the audience. That was a fun event where I ran into some people I had not seen since my last election in 2002.

From there we headed off to a political event for Representative Lucky Varela, it was in a neighborhood park in Barrio La Canada. It had a real old time gathering feel to it and it was the first time in over a week I have run into my opponent at any event or gathering. The crowd was enthusiastic and many candidates, even those unopposed showed up and gave last minute pleas for votes.

Next it was off to Museum Hill where I attended two different events, one a fundraiser for a young man who was shot earlier this year, and the second a retirement party. We ended the night at a graduation party for a good friend who graduated from the University of Phoenix. Home at midnight I grabbed some sleep and we are back at it today starting with a breakfast at 7 am. I have to give a big thanks to my volunteers and my wife, who had a long, long, long day attending all these events with me!

Finally, I want to give you all your own personal invitation to join us at our election night party! Click here to receive your invitation. Thank you all for your support, Thank you for your vote, and if you have not voted early or absentee please vote on Tuesday June 6, 2006!

4 DAYS TO GO!

Four more days to go and then I can talk about something besides the election on this blog. My volunteers and I are working hard in the final days.

Here you can see that even the family pets are out campaigning for me. Here our friends poodle diamond came out at 7:15 am to welcome commuters on their way to work.

I have seen many of you during this last rush of non-stop campaigning. We have had a lot of fun and a lot of support holding signs on street corners during rush hours, attending many large gatherings, appearing on radio shows, and hitting the door to door and phones to remind everyone to get out and vote while asking for support for my candidacy.

Tomorrow, Saturday June 3, 2006 is the last day to early vote and the polls will be open from 10 am to 6 pm. After that you will have to wait till election day the big 6-6-06 to cast your ballot. I ask for your support and please take 15 minutes and call your family and friends and ask them to cast their ballot for me on June 6.

So after you cast your ballot come join us on Tuesday June 6, 2006 at our election night party. It will be at the Fraternal Order of Police at 521 Airport Road from 7 pm to 11:30 pm. We will have up to date election results, great food and the band SOUL FIRE which is an excellent young band led by Lumbre Del Sol's Chris Abeyta' son. I know we are going to have a great time so come and join us. AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! SU VOTO ES SU VOZ !

Santa Fe Reporter Endorses Sheriff Solano

Today The Santa Fe Reporter Endorsed me for the Democratic Primary on June 6, 2006. I am very grateful they have endorsed me for the third time in my three Sheriff's Races. This Complete's the Triple Crown of Print Media Endorsements with all three major local papers endorsing me in the Sheriff's Race. The Santa Fe Reporter joins The New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal North with thier endorsements. Also endorsing me is the Fraternal Order of Police, and AFSCME's Local unions as well. The Reporter's endorsement is quoted below.

Endorsement as printed on May 31, 2006, The Santa Fe
Reporter.

Santa Fe County Sheriff/Democrats
Greg Solano

The Race: Incumbent Greg Solano is finishing his first
term and seeking re-election. Sgt. Linda Ortiz, also of the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department, is challenging him in the June primary. There is no Republican on the general election ballot.

The Issues: The county jail, which returned to county management last fall, was a topic of discussion. Solano, who advocated the move during his last campaign, maintains the county is improving conditions at the jail and says having it under local control is the right thing to do. Ortiz initially made public statements that she favored privatization, but the Journal Santa Fe subsequently reported Ortiz was rethinking that position. Ortiz, in her campaign, cited low morale at the Sheriff’s Department as one reason for her run. Solano points to the increased salaries for his deputies and lack of vacancies as a rebuttal. The campaigns also have discussed DWI laws and other crimes in the area.

Our Pick: We profiled Solano, both his life and first term, in a cover story in May. That story also included a section about Ortiz’ challenge and contentions regarding Solano’s tenure. Following that story, Ortiz declined to come in for an endorsement interview, which made it challenging to evaluate her for the office she seeks. It also was disconcerting. The media—and hopefully the public—should be wary of public officials, or public official hopefuls, who respond to articles they don’t like with silence. It never bodes well. Solano, on the other hand, is likely one of the most accessible public officials in recent history. He keeps an online blog, is outspoken, returns all calls promptly, provides police reports quickly and without argument. He has been an active sheriff, pushing for not just public control of the jail, but DWI forfeiture laws. He writes grants to acquire technology for his department; initiated a project for counseling for his officers to address their jobs. He’s willing to speak out, even when his views aren’t popular, and even deputies who supported his opponents in the previous election say he’s doing a good job. Universally popular? No. Deserving of a second term? No question.

If you have not gotten out to vote early yet, Saturday June 3, is the last day to vote early. Click here for early voting election sites.

New Mexican Endorses Greg!

Today the Santa Fe New Mexican added its endorsement to the growing list of endorsements I have received. I wholeheartedly thank The New Mexican, The Albuquerque Journal North, AFSCME Local 1782, and the Fraternal Order of Police for their endorsements. Wednesday is the last of the big three print media endorsements when the Santa Fe Reporter makes their choice. Below is the text from the New Mexicans editorial which ran Today, Sunday, May 28, 2006.

Below is the endorsement as printed in the Santa Fe New Mexican, 05-28-06

Santa Fe County has a good Sheriff - Greg Solano, who carried through on his commitment to putting the jail back in public hands, and more deputies on patrol. This high-energy public servant should be given a second term.

Printed from Freenewmexican.com.

11 Days To Go!

The June 6, 2006 primary is eleven days away and the campaigns are heating up! I have watched the Attorney General Ads heat up on TV with Geno Zamora and Gary King airing some hard hitting commercials. The Santa Fe County Assessors race and the Magistrate Court races are also heating up.

I began radio ads almost two weeks ago and voters got a look at my print ads in publications such as Round the Roundhouse, The Santa Fe Reporter, The Santa Fe New Mexican and the Albuquerque Journal North. Look for additional publications next week.

My opponent and I faced off in the last scheduled forum in Eldorado at the Community Center last night. It was a structured debate that became heated towards the end as my opponents negative campaigning continued. I will not get negative and instead will continue to talk about what I have done and will continue to do in a future Sheriff Solano Administration. Look for pictures from the forum to be posted soon at my campaign web site www.solano4sheriff.com. If you would like to view my opponent and I in a debate you can do so by watching Community Access Channel 16 on Comcast Cable at the following dates and times. May 29, at 9am, June 1, at 2pm, and June 4, at 8pm.

I really believe that if you have not made up your mind or have any doubts, that watching this forum will convince you that I am the best qualified candidate. I believe this so much that I purchased print ads publicizing the dates and times that the forum will be televised.

My campaign staff has been working overtime helping me put up more signs as citizens continue to call for them, meet with voters, attending forums and political events, waving signs at street corners and raising funds to pay for it all. I really appreciate them all and I could not do it with out them. I am often in awe of these friends, family and supporters who believe in me.

Now I am waiting for the final endorsements to come out. So far I have received the endorsements from AFSCME Local 1782, The Fraternal Order of Police, and the Albuquerque Journal North. Julie Goldberg talks about the frustration at writing the endorsement issue at the Santa Fe Reporter on her Blog. Trust me Julie waiting for the results of your writing is as grueling if not more that writing them must be. Oh well, we each have our cross to bear.

DO NOT FORGET TO VOTE! The last day to early vote is June 3, 2006. Click here for early voting sites and times.

Albuquerque Journal Endorses Sheriff Greg Solano

Today the Albuquerque Journal Endorsed me in the June Primary race for Sheriff. I am very appreciative of this endorsement. The Journal did not endorse me in the 2002 June Primary and its good to see that I have earned their confidence. I have always tried to work with the media seeing them as an important part of our democracy. The Santa Fe Reporter should come out with their endorsements May 31 and only the editor knows when the Santa Fe New Mexican will come out with theirs. I have worked hard to earn all of their endorsements and most of all to earn the voters endorsement with your votes. Thank you to all who have helped and continue to help me in my re-election bid. Only 13 more days to go! Below is the endorsement as written in the Albuquerque Journal North.

Printed from ABQjournal.com, a service of the Albuquerque Journal
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

ENDORSEMENT: Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano

The Journal didn't endorse Solano when he ran for the office the first time, in 2002. We judged him short on law enforcement experience- he had been out of the police force for seven years when he ran for sheriff.

But Solano has acquitted himself well in his four years in office. He seems to have steered clear of the garden variety personnel and department loyalty problems that might have plagued a young office-holder without much shared experience with the staff he would supervise. He has overseen the county's takeover of a privately run jail plagued with serious problems- a takeover long overdue. And he has been very visible as the public voice of the law enforcement agency responsible for the best part of 2,000 square miles, thus fulfilling another of his campaign promises.

We see no reason not to return Solano for another term. (No Republican is on the ballot in November.)

An Audio Excerpt from SFCC Forum

As I mentioned in an earlier post my opponent and I took part in a forum at the Santa Fe Community College. It was sponsored by the community access channel 16 and KSFR radio. KSFR has been running portions of the questions and answers on their news segments. Here you can listen to a question regarding the jail. My opponent wants to go back to having a private company run the jail although she alters her answer to that question based on where we are speaking. One of her campaign websites (she has two) clearly states she wants to privatize the jail.

The entire forum can be watched on Community Access Channel 16, (you must have comcast cable) The forum was taped for later showings and will be on air at 8 pm on May 26, and June 4. It will also air at 1pm on 23, and at 9 am on May 29, It will also air at 2 pm on June 1, 2006.

The Sheriff's race has also been featured on KOAT Channel 7 in a news segment called commitment 2006. I have received numerous calls in support of my answers to the questions in these segments. I hope to provide a link to these segments if KOAT puts them on their website. On Thursday May 25, 2006 there will be a forum for candidates put on by the Eldorado Residents Association at the community center in Eldorado. The forum will begin at 7:00 pm.

There are not a lot of forum's scheduled and my opponent was a no show at the Edgewood forum on Friday May 19, 2006. Early Voting has begun at several sites throughout Santa Fe, stop by and get your vote cast. There are seldom lines and you can be in and out quick.

2006 Primary Election Early Voting Sites

Main Location - Open May 9 through June 3
Santa Fe County Clerk's Office, 102 Grant Street Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
Location Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday, June 3 ONLY, 10:00am - 6:00pm

Alternate Sites Open May 13 through June 3

Santa Fe County Fair Building, East of Rodeo Grounds, Rodeo Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507

Pojoaque Fire Station #1, Pojoaque 17919 US 84/285, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506

Edgewood Fire Station #1, Edgewood 23, East Frontage Road, Edgewood, New Mexico 87015

Cimarron Office Complex, Eldorado, 2 North Chamisa Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508

Abedon Lopez Senior Center, Santa Cruz 153 Camino De Quintana, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 87567

Location Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 noon - 8:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

2006 Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

As promised I want to describe to you the events which took place this morning at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Memorial. All three major TV networks were there and KRQE's newscast is presented below. That is me in the black Sheriff's hat and grey uniform which you can see presenting a wreath in the middle of the story.

The event was a solemn one, three names were added to the wall this year. The names of Bernalillo County Sheriff''s Deputy James McGrane and Albuquerque Police Officers Richard Smith and Michael King were added to the Wall of Honor. The wall is located in the courtyard of the Police Academy in Santa Fe. It is a constant reminder to the cadets in school there of how important their training at the academy is.

Michael King and Richard Smith were shot and killed while serving a medical order on a disturbed man in August of 2005. John Hyde, age 48, was arrested for the murders. John Hyde was also accused of killing 3 others earlier in the day, prior to the two APD Officers trying to pick him up on the medical order.

James McGrane was shot and killed March 22, 2006 during a routine traffic stop in Tijeras Canyon. Michael Paul Astorga was arrested after a massive manhunt. He was found in Juarez Mexico. When James McGrane stopped Michael Paul Astorga that night he had no idea that the driver was wanted for a previous murder and was on the run from law enforcement.

A coincidence in all three murdered officer's was the fact that all three had left law enforcement and then come back. Michael King and Richard Smith retired from APD then returned to work as junior officers basically starting their careers all over again from scratch. James Mc Grane left police work and went to work for the U.S. Postal Service for many years before returning to his first love as a deputy for the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office in 2002.

Many dignitaries and law enforcement from throughout the state attended the ceremony and the heads of the two agencies whom the fallen officers belonged gave speeches. Sheriff Darren White of Bernalillo County and Chief of Police Ray Schultz gave moving speeches honoring their fallen comrades. Bagpipes played,helicopters flew over, flags were lowered and raised, and the silence was broken by the loud pops of the 21 gun salute. Then the families returned to their homes to deal with their loss. I have seen many of the same families year after year. Their hearts must break again and again each time they hear the bagpipes play. I know my heart aches and I feel a lump in my throat even though I have heard them every year since I first became an officer in 1988.

Eight columns of names have been added to the original wall as through the years names are added. It would be nice if no more names ever had to be added. Often quoted in the death of a peace officer is the bible quote "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)." This is what Law Enforcement is all about. Whether you give of your life with all the nights and endless hours away from your family, or you give of your life with the supreme sacrifice, all peace officers give. Its not a job, its a calling. God Bless the soldiers and peace officers who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Televised Sheriff Candidate Forum

Santa Fe Community Television channel 16 and KSFR Radio sponsored a televised forum for Sheriff's Candidates tonight at the Community College. The forum was taped for later showings and will be on air at 8 pm on May 20, May 26, and June 4. It will also air at 1pm on May 21, 23, and at 9 am on May 29, It will also air at 2 pm on June 1, 2006. The discussion was moderated by Bill Dupuy the on air news anchor from KSFR Radio. It was an informal format with more of a Charlie Rose feel to it as opposed to the normal debate type format.

I feel things went really well, my opponent has a much less issue oriented campaign and answered the questions much more broadly then I tried to answer them. When she did cite numbers or specifics they tended to be skewed or just plain wrong. I am not sure whether this is on purpose or if she just does not have the right information. Either way I felt really good with the forum. If you have not heard one or either of us speak the forum would be worth watching. It is only a half hour so its not a long drawn out forum and should be easy to watch. You must have comcast cable to watch the program and it is on channel 16. If you do get to see it please feel free to email me with any further questions or comments at sfsheriff@aol.com.

The Santa Fe Reporter will be coming out with their endorsements on May 31,and the New Mexican and Albuquerque Journal usually come out the week before the election which is June 6, 2006. I am looking forward to these and have my fingers crossed. These endorsements come out late for early and absentee voting but can still assist with last minute undecided voters. Today marks three weeks to the Primary Election, it is getting busier everyday as election day approaches.

I really enjoy the campaign and getting out and meeting the voters. Over the years I have met some running for office who really don't enjoy the campaigning part of the job. To me this would seem as something that if you don't enjoy it I really can't see running for office. It is so integral to public office that I believe you really must enjoy running for office in order to be a successful public servant.
Well I am yawning so I will cut this post short and hit the sack. Tomorrow morning I will be attending the Law Enforcement Memorial Services which begin at 10:00am at the Law Enforcement Academy. It is always a sad service and each year it seems we always have someone's name to add to the wall. Maybe this time next year we will not add any new names. We can only hope and pray. For those who have never been to one of these services I will try and describe the services as they occurred this year, tomorrow night in this blog.

President Al Gore Speech

In case you missed it here is President Al Gore and the speech he gave on Saturday Night.

Children Are Our Future?

Today I had lunch with volunteers and residents at the Santa Fe Youth Development Center (previously known as the youth detention center). Federal Judge Martha Vasquez joined me in honoring the volunteers who teach students, Music, Art, Native American Rituals, Religion, Culinary Arts, and Academics. It was a moving experience.

The program started with Aztec Dancers who danced and prayed. First just the Indian dancers danced then about 9 brave residents and one of the volunteers joined them. As I watched the teens dance they really got into it and had big smiles on their faces. Dressed in their sweat pants and green t-shirts, when I first arrived it was easy to distinguish them as residents. However, dancing with big smiles on their faces they looked just like any other kid, actually they looked a lot like my kids. I have a 13 year old daughter and a 20 year old son.

These were all long term detainees, most were Federal Indian Nation prisoners. In order to be placed in this program one must have been convicted of a serious felony. Dancing, smiling and enjoying the beautiful day outside these kids looked just like kids should look. Happy and enjoying life. All this was happening in the back recreation yard of the Youth Development Program. As I watched them my eyes caught the fence surrounding the property. It is tall and topped with razor wire. Just outside the fence you can see a normal playground belonging to a nearby daycare. What a difference from the harsh playground in the fence to the colorful inviting playground outside.

Inside the building we were served a meal as good as I have had in some of Santa Fe's finest restaurants. All of it was cooked by residents enrolled in the culinary arts program. Many of the volunteers were honored by the kids with moving speeches, prayers, and awards. This entire program once run by a private company is now run by Santa Fe County. It is really a shining star and a great example of government doing things right.

I know one day some of these kids will serve us a meal in their own restaurant. One day we will enjoy a sold out concert played by one of these kids. One day we will attend a gallery opening with the works of one of these children. The sad truth is one day I will also see one of these kids at the adult jail. Maybe one day I will be able to say this will not be the case, at least that is why all these great volunteers do what they do.

Early and absentee Voting Begins

On May 9, 2006 early and absentee voting began in Santa Fe County. You can vote right now at the Santa Fe County Clerks Office at 102 Grant Ave. Numerous parking spaces are reserved for voters only, right in front of the building so parking is usually easy for voters. Beginning the third Saturday (May 20th) before the election there are four early voting sites available throughout the county. In general, early sites are located at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds, Pojoaque Fire Station, in El Dorado, in Edgewood, and in Espanola. The exact locations and hours will be posted and advertised soon.

If you wish to vote by mail (absentee) you need only call the Santa Fe County Clerks Office at 986-6280 to get an application. Do this early as it takes time to get the application sent to you and then you must return it. The ballot will then be sent to you by mail. Mail in ballots will only be sent out by the clerks office until June 2, 2006. The primary election is June 6, 2006. I appreciate and Thank you for your vote but regardless who you vote for the important thing is for you to get out and cast your ballot.

A word of thanks to the Secretary of States Office who's employees tried hard to deal with the snags involved in the new on line campaign reporting system. Its always hard to implement new technology in what was previously a paper system. I had to deal with the staff both on the phone and in person and even though they were swamped with calls and issues the staff remained friendly and helpful. All the issues I had were dealt with promptly and efficiently. I am sure the bugs will get worked out and we will have a better system when its all done.

One final note on the story by Dan Frosch and the Santa Fe Reporter "Behind the Badge" . I received at least 50 calls from people who read and enjoyed the story. Even some of Dan's peers from other print and TV media commented on how the story was very well written. I also received calls from people who had to search for a copy as by the weekend many Santa Fe Reporter boxes were empty. As a new issue comes out today if you still would like a copy, the Reporters downtown office at 132 East Marcy street usually still has copies of the previous weeks issues. You can also access the article on line. Great job Dan!

Register to Vote by Tuesday!

Tuesday May 9, 2006 is the last day you can register to vote and still cast your ballot in the June 6, 2006 Primary. Only those registered as a Democrat can vote in the Sheriff's race, as well as the many other races which have no Republican opponents. Many Races will be decided in the June 6, primary in Santa Fe County as there are seldom Republicans running in this county. As a side note the County is looking for Election day workers! It takes a lot of good help to make the democratic process of elections work. Please consider taking the day to help with elections. Poll Workers get $130 for the day and $150 for presiding judges. Click here for more information on working the polls.

As election day gets closer the candidate forums are starting to be scheduled. May 25, 2006 there is one tentatively scheduled in Eldorado and on May 19, 2006 my wife and I will celebrate our 22 year wedding anniversary and her birthday by attending a forum scheduled in Edgewood. I will owe her a dinner and a night out on a different date to make it up to her. It is a good thing I have such a supportive and understanding wife. Even though we are celebrating our 22 wedding anniversary we have been together for 26 years, Since we were 16 years old. Hard to believe so many years have passed and now here we are with our first grandchild.

Anyway, If you are not yet registered to vote get out and do so by Tuesday!

You may register at the following locations:

Santa Fe County Clerks office at 102 Grant Avenue
Office of the Secretary of State at 325 Don Gaspar
Motor Vehicle Division located at 2544 Camino Edward Ortiz
MVD Express located at the corner of Calle Lorca and St Michaels Drive
Santa Fe Public Library at 145 Washington Avenue
Santa Fe Community College at 6401 Richards Avenue
Santa Fe Indian School at 1501 Cerrillos Road
St. Johns College at 1160 Camino de Cruz Blanca
Children, Youth and Families Department at 1920 5th Street
Human Services Department at 2542 Cerrillos Road
Health Department at 605 Letrado Street
Vocational Rehabilitation at 2109 Warner Circle
Commission for the Blind at 2905 Rodeo Road Park E, Bldg 4, Ste. 100
Commission for the Deaf at 2055 South Pacheco
Veterans Service Commission at the Bataan Memorial Building/Don Gaspar
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council at 810 W. San Mateo, Ste. C

Voter Registration is also provided for the clients of the following home health care agencies:

Professional Home Health Care at 10 Calle Medico
Visions Case Management at 1570 Pacheco Street
EGIS at 227 East Palace, Ste. N

Pop Quiz

I forgot in my last post to mention the Santa Fe Reporters Pop Quiz. These things are fun to read but nerve racking to answer the questions when they call you. You get an unannounced call and they ask you the questions and you must answer right there and then. The reporter writes exactly what you say and that's it. I actually knew that Rachel O' Conner is the DWI Czar however at the time I mixed her up with Linda Atkinson who is the director of the DWI Resource Center. I had her on my mind because she assisted me a lot with the statistics and research for the DWI forfeiture Ordinance. Other wise I answered all the questions and the quiz went well. Take a click on the link above to see how my opponent and I did.




P.S. , sorry Rachel O' Conner I bet I remember you next time I am asked.

Behind the Badge.

Behind the Badge, Hmm, interesting title. When the Santa Fe Reporter first called me and said they wanted to do a day in the life type story about me I had mixed emotions. Our wise former Governor Bruce King once said a "controversial front page story where they spell your name right is worth much more than a paid ad on the inside of the paper". It is true, people will remember story's involving you much more that they will the ad you paid for. When I first received the call from Dan Frosh, a great writer who not only writes for the Santa Fe Reporter but also for the New York Times, I had no idea it was to be a cover story. When I later found out I was to grace the cover I was much more nervous. I soon found out they were to interview family, friends, co-workers and detractors and the story was to expand from a day in the life to my whole life story. Ok, now I am really nervous and I swear I could actually see the new white hairs growing on my scalp.

Well, Dan did an excellent job and while there are parts I would not have added if I had written the story, I understand the story had to show all sides of my life. Several serious and more laid back smiling photos were taken as potential cover shots and the likability vote on the chosen shot is still out among my friends and family. Some like it and some do not, I kind of wish I did not look so serious. David Kaufman the photographer, was a real nice person and I like his work. You can not tell from the end result but the photo was taken with a backdrop provided by the downstairs disco room at Swig.

I still am surprised by my opponents assertion that morale at the Sheriff's Office is low. Granted I have over 100 employees and some are not going to be happy, but look at the facts. Sheriff's Deputies have received an average of over 21% in raises since I became Sheriff. When I started we had 14 vacancies, we now have none. Deputies now have Tasers, Pepper spray, and increased radio channels with more to come. Deputies would buy their own weapons because the Sheriff's Office weapons were old and outdated. This is no longer the case, we now provide new state of the art Glock pistols to all. Deputies were unhappy with our uniforms and at their request we changed them to one that the deputies union members picked out by committee. If morale is so low then why do we not see the 16% vacancy rate that other police agencies have. The city police is down 18 officers, The State Police is down 70, Albuquerque is down over 140 officers. We used to be the training ground for other agencies, now we take officers from other agencies. Combine the 14 vacancies we had when I became Sheriff, add the 3 new positions which have been funded and filled and this means we now have 17 more deputies patrolling the streets.

My opponent has also come out in public for privatization to occur once again at our jail. She wants to turn the jail back over to a private company and leave the employees to once again fend for themselves among the private companies that come and go every few years at privately run jails. She made this announcement at Tuesday nights AFSCME meeting where we were both invited to speak. What would morale be like when employees who now enjoy the great benefits of Santa Fe County Employment lose those benefits to a private company which in order to make a profit offers meager retirement and medical benefits. What will the jail be like when three previous companies failed to make a profit and the next company looks to cut corners and succeed where the others have all failed. Unlike my opponent I will not launch personal attacks but I will point out where I feel my opponents ideas and statements are wrong. The jail is one of those instances.

Legalizing Drugs in Mexico and New Mexico

Joe Monahan blogs about legalization of drugs in Mexico and New Mexico.

The Mexican Congress has approved a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, heroin, cocaine and even Ecstasy. Mexico says it hopes the measure will help police focus on large drug trafficking, rather than minor drug busts. The NM pro-drug message died a quiet death when Johnson & Company exited. No wonder. New Mexico's Rio Arriba County has the highest rate of heroin overdose deaths in America. (17 in 2004) If Mexico is going to concentrate on the big dealers they could start with the gangs that continue to flood Rio Arriba with deadly dope. Our own state and federal governments also need to do more.

Before this vote was taken in Mexico I wrote a college paper on drug legalization and then posted some of the paper on my blog. I still miss the logic that allowing small amounts of drugs would give Law Enforcement more time to concentrate on big dealers. Joe is correct on his mention of the high rate of heroin overdoses in Northern New Mexico. Ever wonder why we don't have a lot of Meth labs in Northern New Mexico? Because the Meth is brought in from Mexico along with the Heroin trucked in to New Mexico from Mexico.

Someone close to me was upset about my stand on immigration because they felt that the building of walls and the increased security would put a dent in the drug trafficking also. I still feel the main problem with legalization of even small amounts of narcotics will not deter crime related to drug addiction and remove a major avenue for those addicted to get treatment. Most people who get some type of treatment do so through the courts after charges are filed by law enforcement.

Joe Monehan and Julia Goldberg each mention how boring the primary elections are so far. I don't know, it is not boring to me. From the signs blowing away in the winds or otherwise coming to their demise,to the nasty comments from opponents. (Are Patricia Madrid and I the only ones getting negative campaigning from our opponents?) The election cycle is in full swing. With five weeks to go the radio ads, newsprint ads, forums, endorsements, and the fight for them are closing in. Oh well, 6-6-06 will come and pass pretty quickly. What a date for an election! You can see why I always throw in the zero.

In some unrelated good news my wife and I became Grandparents this last weekend. My Granddaughter Marilyn Judy was born Saturday. I still don't think of myself as a Grandfather and I don't think I am ready for the "Grandpa" license plate or t-shirt. Nonetheless I am very happy for my son and his fiancé. I am still hopeful that the world will be a better place for her and my Great Grandchildren. Isn't that what we all strive for in our own way? Whether its news reporters performing their service, or most politicians and especially those who believe in them and work for their election, all the way to those who just work hard every day just to pay the bills and give their children the basic necessities. We all hope for a better life for our children and their children. Its the basic premise of life in America.

Attorney General's, and Sheriff's Race

The state wide Sheriff's Conference has ended and it was a real good conference. The social events ended up really interesting with the different Sheriff's from New Mexico's 33 Counties discussing their various races in an honest and casual atmosphere. This being an election year that was the main topic of conversation outside of the training and meetings.

A forum was held for the Attorney General Candidates. Candidates Lemuel Martinez, Geno Zamora, and Jim Bibb all attended. Notably missing was candidate Gary King, he was reportedly in Geneva Switzerland giving a speech. The forum went well with all candidates coming across knowledgeable and speaking well. I will withhold my opinion on this race except to say that as a staunch democrat I will have no trouble supporting any of the democratic candidates as they are all very qualified and should do a great job. Jim Bibb was young and did somewhat impress me and I am sure we will see more of him (maybe we can get him to change party's). Jim Bibb did seem to emphasize his tour in Afghanistan just a little too much. He deserves much respect for his service but I am not sure that relates to the job of Attorney General.

A big topic at the forum for Attorney General Candidates was the State Treasurer Robert Vigil's Trial. Each candidate took a strong stance on corruption and the investigation and prosecution of government officials involved in corruption. Which brings me to some kudos for The Santa Fe Reporter and their story this week uncovering the connection between Guy Riordan and Con Alma. It was a fact that remained uncovered by all the other news media. They also actually spoke to Eric Serna on the issue which was another exclusive in itself. I wonder if Con Alma will survive the scandals and still be around in a year or two. They do fill a need in New Mexico and do many worthwhile donations and grants.

Two of the three local papers have called to set up meetings for endorsements in the Sheriff's Race. I am hopeful for a home run with all three endorsements. The media in past years has always emphasized freedom of the press issues and access to government records. I can't think of another police agency that is more open than mine. In three years we have never even had a Freedom of Information Act Letter sent to us because I always release information with just a phone call and if I don't release the information I make very clear why and the reporters have always understood. All the media has my cell phone which I answer 24/7 and my home number is even listed in the telephone directory so all constituents can call me at home or at the office. Try looking up my opponents home phone number, you will not find it. I have always tried to be as accessible as I can given my hectic schedule. Endorsements are nice to have but all candidates realize that they don't take the place of hard campaigning and gaining the support of the voters. Due to early and absentee voting many voters have either voted or made up their minds by the time endorsements come (usually the week or weekend before the election). Have a safe weekend!

County Commission Passes DWI forfeiture Ordinance

The Santa Fe County Commission passed the DWI forfeiture Ordinance yesterday. The ordinance allows the seizure of a suspect’s vehicle on the third DWI arrest when they have two prior convictions on their record. A vehicle may also be seized if the driver is driving while their license is revoked for a DWI arrest. Commissioner Harry Montoya carried the ordinance after I proposed that the county consider passing such an ordinance. I really want to thank the County commissioners, our excellent legal staff and all the DWI prevention proponents who assisted in getting this passed. A special thanks to the Santa Fe New Mexican who really kept this issue at the forefront of the newspaper and on their web site. I also want to thank the other media who also keep this issue on people’s radar screens.

Seized vehicles will either be sold at auction or the county may allow an innocent owner to sign an agreement which will allow the vehicle to only be booted for 30 days. The owner pays the cost of the boot and the vehicle will not be forfeited. An ignition interlock may also be installed as part of the agreement. The agreement also states that if the same offender is caught driving the same vehicle while either on a revoked drivers license (revoked for D.W.I.) or while actually driving while intoxicated, the vehicle will be subject to immediate seizure and will be sold.

This ordinance will give families a tool to use when their family members want to use the car and they have a history of drunk driving. They can refuse to lend or allow use of the car and tell their family members the reason is that they do not want to lose the family car. It puts more pressure on family's to not let their family member drive drunk.

Currently drivers convicted of D.W.I. have no reason to drive on a revoked drivers license. Anyone who has had their license taken away for D.W.I. can get their license back if they install an Interlock Device on their vehicle. With that provision there is no reason that someone should be driving on a revoked license for D.W.I.. Therefore we have given them the means to legally drive and not be subject to having their vehicle taken and if they choose not to follow the law then the consequences are their own fault. The ordinance will take effect July 1, 2006.

In other news aside from returning to Santa Fe for the county commission meeting, the State Sheriff's and Police Conference is going well. The training has been excellent and the networking as always is a great tool to see what is happening in other parts of the state. As another great side note they have door prizes and I won an IPOD given away at the conference. My 13-year-old daughter has been asking for one and I will probably give it to her for her 14th birthday, which is in June.

The winds are playing havoc with my campaign signs for the re-election. No matter how carefully we secure them we are losing quite a few each day. I hope the winds die down otherwise we will have to place another order for more signs. Signs are a necessary evil and the most inexpensive form of advertising. They also can be the most frustrating part of a political campaign. Signs are routinely thrown down, blown down, run over, vandalized and mysteriously disappear. Candidates and their supporters begin to blame the other candidates and their supporters for the missing and damaged signs. After two campaigns and now being in the midst of my third I can say that most of the time it’s just the elements (wind, rain, etc) or people not related to the other candidates damaging or throwing down signs.

Now for a plug on my re-election campaign. If you would like a yard sign or have property where you would like us to install the sign call 505-470-4731 and we will get one to you or install it for you. If we install it we also keep a list and take it down when the election is over. You can also fill out a form at my campaign web site to ask for bumper stickers, buttons, and signs as well as volunteer to help the campaign. Other than signs in the wind the re-election campaign is going well. Unfortunately my opponent is getting increasingly negative in her campaign however, I will not follow suit. I vow to stay positive and just campaign on my record and the issues.

State Cops Conference Time

This week I am at the New Mexico State Sheriff's and Police Association Conference in Albuquerque New Mexico. It is a week long Annual Conference and it includes many hours of training. I am a Vice President of the organization so we are in for a busy week.

The training this year includes Marijuana growing information, Interview, Interrogation and Investigative Strategies, Clandestine Lab Manufacturing Awareness Trends, Terrorism Intelligence, Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance, Avian Flue and Bio Weapons, Fugitives in Mexico, Current Trends in Meth Trade, Taggers, Legal Updates, Intelligence Preparations to Operations and combating Terrorism, and Right Wing Extremists and Hate Group training. There will also be a few non-training discussions on various topics. Whew, that was a lot to list. On top of all that we also have meetings with all the Sheriff's just to share information on what each of us is dealing with in our respective 33 counties.

So you can see that when New Mexico's Sheriff's get together for a conference it is far from a junket or all party. Although there is fun stuff also, Golf and Pistol Tournaments, dinners, award ceremonies and other social events. So this week I will try and fill you all in on the weeks training and events. Maybe I can even through in a few pics of our conference. The Golf Tournament was Sunday April 24th and I did not attend (I must admit I am one of the few politicians I know that has never played golf). I checked into the hotel late tonight and as you can see I am still up past midnight finishing my online Community College homework and blogging.

This week I will travel back and forth to Santa Fe for some items I cannot miss. Tuesday is the first public hearing on the DWI Forfeiture Ordinance. I hope this passes and I do not expect much public resistance. The City is moving forward on this also and I want to thank City Councilor Patty Bushee for getting the ball rolling on this.

Several Times during this week I have NDI practice. NDI is the National Dance Institute which is a children's self esteem building program in Santa Fe. Each year they put on a show with 500 kids in one show and myself, some other deputies and some City Police Officers will join them in the show. Last year Kathy De La Torre a New Mexican Photographer caught me in mid air during this show and while I got a lot of ribbing, the photo was chosen as one of the top 10 of 2005. Some friends photoshop'ed (is photoshop'ed a word?) the pic and added a ballerina and tutu just to have fun with me. I actually enjoy a good joke and it was funny. The kids (and yes there are 500 in one show) really get a kick out of it and it allows them to see cops in a non-stressful situation and get to know them as friends. Usually when kids see cops it is only when something bad is happening you can see I have a busy week but I will try and keep you up to date as the week progresses. Good luck to our new Chief of Police, I know he will do a great job!

Red Light Camera's

One item that has come up in Santa Fe County recently is the use of Red Light Cameras at Santa Fe County intersections. The use of these cameras to issue official criminal traffic citations is illegal in the state of New Mexico. State Law requires citations to be given by a uniformed certified officer who must witness the infraction. The only exception is in the case of an accident when the officer can rely on evidence at the scene and witness statements to issue the citations. So how does Albuquerque use the Red Light cameras to issue citations? They do this through a civil action.

The citations issued are civil summons issued by the city. The only cause of action if you do not pay the citation is for the city to take civil action and boot your vehicle under civil forfeiture ordinances until you pay. If you do pay the citation then the only penalty is the cash you send to the city. No matter how many citations you get for running red lights by the cameras you will not receive points on your M.V.D. records. Your insurance companies will not know you even received a citation. The penalty is cash and or impoundment. Violators are fined $100 the first time, $250 plus a 30-day impound of the vehicle for the second time. For subsequent offenses, there is a $500 fine plus a 90-day impound. The city saves on storage fees by impounding your car in your own driveway by booting the vehicle.

The number of cameras in Albuquerque that will catch those running red lights has doubled in the last month and will increase five times in a year. Critics say that the city is expanding the program not to prevent red light accidents but rather because the cameras are huge moneymakers for the City. In February of 2006 a traffic camera at Coors and Paseo del Norte caught 1,353 motorists driving through the intersection after the light turned red. Assuming that all citations were first time violators the city raised $338,250 in one month at one location.

A real disturbing trend is the local media searching the records of who was cited and publicizing politicians, government workers, police officers and other notables who are caught running the lights. I am someone who really does not media bash or blame the media for all the worlds ills however, how many searches have been done for media workers who are caught by the camera's. If you make a mistake and are caught by the camera is public embarrassment for the select few who work for the government or whom are public figures an intended punishment of which only those individuals should be subjected? Granted everyone’s driving record is public record but its not as likely that you will ever see a public officials citation written by a regular officer published on the front page or on the ten o’clock news.

I really see a problem when traffic citations are used as a revenue source. Unlike the view of many cited motorists, there are no quotas. We do not raise the Sheriff's Office Revenue by issuing citations. The public would probrably not re-elect me nor should they if we had quotas. These promote abuse and bad citations issued by deputies who just need to pull over citizens in order to reach their quota. We do receive $1 (one dollar) for every citation that is plead or found guilty in court. Most are not, usually people go to driving school or get a deferred sentence and we do not get the dollar. Last year I believe we got about $10,000 from the thousands of citations we issued. This was out of a taxpayer provided budget of just under seven million dollars.

The bottom line is we give citations as educational tools, not to raise money. They final question I have is do we approve that the owner of the vehicle should pay the price no matter who is driving when the red light is run? Drivers are not usually identified so the car and the owner are cited not the actual driver. So what do you think? Do the problems of red light runners and the high amount of accidents they cause justify the use of the red light cameras? Feel free to comment on this post.

Happy Easter Eggs !

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This holiday I felt I would not post anything controversial, at least not as controversial as my April Fools Day Post. How many of you knew that your software, DVD Movies, Games and other items have Easter Eggs? Well they do ! Just like any good Easter Egg, you have to hunt for them.

Easter eggs have been cropping up in computer hardware and software for at least a couple of decades now. No one's certain exactly when this practice started. In 1977, Many cartridges for the Atari 2600 game system contained Easter eggs. Early Apple Macintosh and Commodore Amiga's also were known to have some eggs hidden in their system software. Since then, nearly every major operating system and software program has been home to at least one egg. Some companies are strict about putting Easter Eggs in their products and others companies are less strict.

Here is what Bill Gates said in an Interview to New York Times : "We don't mind including credit screens in a product, as long as they don't burn up too much development time or require many resources of the consumer's machine. A lot of work and pride go into creating a software product, and it's understandable that the people involved enjoy getting credit. Unfortunately, the credit list can never be comprehensive because so many people contribute."
Other companies don't have much use for eggs of any kind. Developers at Intuit, say they'd rather spend time fixing bugs than adding eggs. Nico Mak, maker of WinZip, states that his team would rather add more features to the product than waste time with eggs.

Not every egg is simply a scrolling list of programmers. These computer goodies range from a dull, scrolling cast list of the developers to cool, 3D video games. Click here to start exploring some of the best known Easter Eggs, available to date.

And from The Sheriff, let me wish you all a very Happy Easter!

P.S. (see if you can find the Hidden Easter Egg in this post!)

The "War on Drugs"

I am taking classes at the Santa Fe Community College (mostly on line) in order to finish a degree in Criminal Justice. One of my classes is Composition and Rhetoric. The class was assigned the task of a one page essay on the cause and effects of legalizing drugs. I thought I would take some excerpts from that paper and post it here. The entire essay seemed long to post here so hopefully my butchering it will still leave it readable and on point.

The legalization of narcotic drugs in the United States is a constantly debated topic. When you separate the hype and political rhetoric from the facts you will find that legalized or not drug addiction and the crime associated with it will not go away.

One of the problems with this issue is “what some call the war on drugs”. I believe that the catch phrase is part of the problem. The criminal aspects are no different than other serious crimes law enforcement deals with every day. We try to reduce burglaries, homicides, and auto accidents, yet we don't call those efforts a “war”. The fact is people who are in drug treatment get there by way of the courts and law enforcement. Legalizing drugs will not stop people from being addicted. It will not lower the drug related crimes either. Those addicted will still have to pay for their addiction. Addicted persons tend to be unproductive and will still be unable to hold down a job. They will resort to crime to pay for their addiction.

Movies such as Traffic, made in 2000 highlight the many factors that make the drug problem one that has no easy answers. In the Movie Michael Douglas plays a conservative judge who is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is an addict. He is forced to examine his core beliefs about the drug war and just who the drug addicts are. To many those with drug addictions are the homeless, downtrodden who have “created their own situation”. What this movie forced its main character to come to grips with was the fact that those addicted with drugs are our own brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren, and even our mothers and fathers.

In Santa Fe County I have worked in what some call the war on drugs for about 12 years. I grew up at an early age just across the street from one of Santa Fe’s Community Housing Projects. Most of the kids I grew up with are in prison or dead. The prevailing factor has been drugs. Go to any drug addiction treatment facility and ask people why they are in treatment. The overwhelming majority of patients will tell you they are court ordered. How does one get court ordered to treatment? Through arrest or charges filed by law enforcement. It is primarily through law enforcement efforts that people receive treatment. Society does not look at law enforcement in that manner.

Many say the cost of illegal drugs will drop if legalized. Why would drug companies lower costs on a captive audience? Have alcohol prices dropped since prohibition ended? Politicians would put a high sin tax on drugs just as they do with cigarettes and alcohol. The high cost of legal drugs will allow for a black market and the illegal drug trade to continue. Restrictions on the sale of drugs to felons and to those with addictions will be passed also. This would further the black market and illegal sales.

The majority of inmates in prison are not incarcerated for drug charges; the fact is they are incarcerated for crimes committed in order to pay for their addiction or for violence committed during drug transactions. The average criminal is arrested and convicted three to four times for felony offenses before they are sent to prison. These are individuals who have failed to avail themselves of the opportunities for treatment and the chances to turn their lives around with each arrest. Legalizing drugs will not change any of these factors. Individuals will still become addicted. Once addicted, they will not be productive members of society with the ability to pay for their addiction. They will turn to crime as a means to obtain or pay for the drugs. My opinion is to strengthen an all-inclusive approach to the drug problem. We need a good balance of law enforcement, treatment, prevention and education.

Phone Jamming Records Point to White House.

I was up late (yes its midnight) reading news articles when I came across this article. It only shows the lengths the current administration will go to further its political agenda. It is scary and one wonders who would even have thought up this scheme.

A small excerpt:

Democrats have suggested in a court filing that another subject was discussed: a GOP scheme that jammed phone lines to keep state Democrats from being encouraged to vote.
The phone-jamming operation has led to three federal convictions and a pending indictment. Prosecutors have not raised questions in court about the White House conversations _ but records of the calls were available to them as criminal court exhibits.

Controversy and Immigration

My stance on this issue has created some controversy especially on the New Mexicans comments section of their website. I have received some very hateful and vicious emails and calls and some very supportive. The supportive calls and emails has been about three to one which is nice. The biggest bone of contention seems to be the belief that some have that I cannot enforce the laws while speaking out against them at the same time. I truly believe that in America laws are drafted and changed through a democratic process that involves speaking out and letting our elected officials know how you feel on an issue. The fact that I am an Elected Official and a Law Enforcement Officer does not preclude my right and responsibility to seek changes in our laws while still enforcing them.

That said, I want to make very clear that we as local Law Enforcement Officers do not enforce immigration laws. We cannot arrest someone strictly on the basis of their immigration status. If someone commits a crime and also happens to be undocumented then the arrest is made and immigration officials, if they are interested in the case will take up the immigration portion of the case. Just a note: many, many misdeameanor cases such as D.W.I., shoplifting etc. are ignored by immigration officials and they will not deport based on these arrests simply because they are over taxed and do not have time to deal with these individuals.

Now, what I am advocating is not that we do not deal with the immigration problems but rather that we advocate legal means for these workers to come to our country and work legally. I support working towards a meaningful immigration policy that makes sense and is enforcable. It is obvious that the current system does not work. Another note: Some of the people who have called me, hire or have used undocumented workers themselves, yet they disagree with my beliefs on this issue. On the one hand they want to take advantage of the workers while they are here but on the other hand they say we should not allow them to be here illegally. I find this highly hypocritical and is at the root of this problem.

I truly feel that we can deal with homeland security issues and immigration issues while still bieng compassionate and giving of the people coming to America to make a better life for themselves and their family's.

Human Rights and Immigrants March

Today I attended the Immigrants Rights Rally and March organized by Unsomos Pueblo Unido and others. It was definitely the largest rally and march of its type I have ever seen in Santa Fe. Hundreds of immigrants and locals joined with union leaders, politicians, members of the NAACP and many other oganizations to march for peace and immigrants rights. I have worked with immigrants rights groups on many issues and I was asked to give a speech. Here are excerpts from the speech I gave. I have doubts about spelling on the Spanish portions.

Buenos Tardes, Me llamo es Gregorio Solano, el Sheriff en Santa Fe. (Good afternoon, my name is Greg Solano the Sheriff of Santa Fe.)

Me habla muy poquito espanol, pero me corazon es puro Hispano Americano. ( I speak very little Spanish however my heart is pure Hispanic American.)

At one time our president demanded Russian President Gorbichof to "tear down that wall". Now some in the Republican Party and in Congress wish to build a great wall on our borders.

This will change the very nature of America and the principles it was built on. The call from the statue of liberty itself. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. " Outlined what America is all about.

We must work together for legalization of undocumented immigrants and a guest-worker program.

We must oppose laws that crack down on illegal immigrants and laws that would punish those who help them.

We have a god given mandate to care for our brothers and sisters and show compassion for the poor.

We must stand united, this is not a Mexican verses an American thing, this is a human rights issue. Often we go to other countries and fight for the human rights of others. There is a human rights struggle happening here and now in our own country.

It is not easy for some to stand up and speak out. But I defer to the late great Dr. Martin Luther King who put it best when he said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

So to all the politicians out there who are trying to stay politically correct, to those who are silent in this issue, I say speak out. It's a not just a political issue, it's the right thing to do.

Gracias, vallen condios ( Thank you , May god go with you)

Attack of the Republican Consultant

In a move usually reserved for statewide candidates or candidates of higher office Whitney Cheshire, President of Cheshire Communication Strategies, a Republican and conservative campaign attack dog, has blasted me for my April Fools Post. On her unabashedly Republican blog Wednesday Morning Quarterback she has taken the typical Republican attack strategy straight out of the their Michael Paul Astorga play book and gone as far as to say that on the night I posted my April Fools post I should have been out looking for Michael Paul Astorga. Wow, that one floored me. I truly feel she dishonored law enforcement in general and all the efforts in particular of my fine deputies and detectives, who spent countless hours participating in the man hunt. She also felt I had ruined my relationship with the presidents security detail. What this really is about is a Republican attack on a staunch Democrat. Since she does not allow comments on her blog I emailed her.

Here is a excerpt:

I can guarantee that I have an excellent working relationship with the Secret Service and this didn't even register a blip on their screen. Do you really think that the Secret Service is worried about where the President is not going to be? I personally have worked with two Presidents Administrations and one Vice President (Clinton,Gore and Bush) and have met both Presidents and the Vice President on their visits to Santa Fe County and I am sure I will continue to do so. I was very careful not to do anything that would endanger or hurt anyone in this and your insinuations that I somehow hurt homeland security or put the president at risk, or even brought shame to the county or state is really out there. Oh well, Blogs including yours and mine are about opinions and I respect yours even though I disagree. I allow comments on my blog and I wish you did on yours also.

Biggest Visitor Days Ever

The April Fools Day Prank has lead to the largest number of visitors I have ever had to this Blog. There has been over 200 visitors to this blog since April 1 and the biggest day ever was Monday April 3, 2006 with 116 visitors. The last biggest day was 51 visitors on March 30th. Most average days prior to this was 20 to 30 per day. I am not sure what it says that my prank attracted more visitors then my regular ramblings. Hopefully you all will stick with me as a regular reader. I offer the ability to comment on my posts, please take advantage of this I would like to see this become more of a dialog on issues I bring up rather than just my thoughts and opinions. Until next time be safe and have a great day!

April Fools Day is Over

Ok, I had a lot of fun with the last post. If any of you did not click on the more information link then you still may not realize it was an April Fools Joke. I received no less than 15 calls from various reporters and new organizations including two of the three Major T.V. Stations in New Mexico. Some called just to congratulate me on a good joke, Some called trying to get more information on President Bush's Visit to Santa Fe. One reporter thanked me for angering his editor, he thought that was the really funny part. Apparently his editor did not think my joke was that funny. I really thought that any newsperson would want to know more about the story and click on the more information link right away and learn it was a big April Fools Joke. I was surprised that some reporters began running with the story before clicking on the link which would let you know it was an April Fools Joke. Anyway, I had a lot of fun and hopefully some of you did also. A big thanks to Henry who unwittingly gave me the idea for this prank. Now back to serious stuff.