45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

REQUESTING A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF FUNDING ISSUES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN NEW MEXICO.

WHEREAS, Section 29-7-12 NMSA 1978 provides that the training and recruiting division of the department of public safety shall not charge local public bodies and New Mexico Indian tribes and pueblos for any expenses associated with providing basic law enforcement training to prospective officers for those entities; and

WHEREAS, despite the statutory language in Section 29-7-12 NMSA 1978, funding for the training and recruiting division is not sufficient to allow the division to provide basic law enforcement training, at no charge, to prospective officers for local public bodies and New Mexico Indian tribes and pueblos; and

WHEREAS, Section 29-3-4 NMSA 1978 provides that the university of New Mexico, the human services department, the department of health and all other state departments shall, free of charge, cooperate with law enforcement officers of the state and the New Mexico state police, and render to them services and assistance relative to microanalysis, handwriting, toxicology, chemistry, photography, medicine, ballistics and all other criminal forensic services needed for the identification and prosecution of criminals; and

WHEREAS, the salary structure for state employees makes it difficult to hire and retain forensic scientists who are needed to perform the criminal forensic services necessary for the identification and prosecution of criminals; and

WHEREAS, state criminal forensic services, while free, are not timely, and law enforcement agencies are often required to contract with private firms for criminal forensic services; and

WHEREAS, in many instances throughout the state, sheriffs are paid a significantly lower salary than their undersheriffs; and

WHEREAS, Section 29-13-6 NMSA 1978 provides different rates of distribution from the law enforcement protection fund to municipalities, counties, universities and New Mexico Indian tribes and pueblos, including a lower distribution rate for the tribes and pueblos;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a committee, including the secretary of public safety or his designee, three representatives from municipal law enforcement agencies, three representatives from county sheriffs departments, three representatives from New Mexico Indian tribe or pueblo law enforcement agencies, one representative from the scientific laboratory division of the department of health and one representative from the metropolitan forensic service center, meet during the 2001 interim to study the fiscal issues identified in this memorial; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislative finance committee no later than November 1, 2001; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of public safety, the executive director of the New Mexico municipal league, the executive director of the New Mexico association of counties, the director of the New Mexico office of Indian affairs, the director of the scientific laboratory division of the department of health and the director of the metropolitan forensic service center.