Doña Ana County Undersheriff Chuck Franco is a big proponent of treating everyone with respect, even those he is placing in handcuffs or taking to court. To date, his gracious character trait has changed a lot of lives.

“We will be out in public and see someone he arrested at one point, who is now out of prison, and they will come up and shake his hand,” Susana Martinez, Chuck’s wife and current district attorney says. “That is one of the most positive things about him. He treats everyone with respect and they turn around and show him the same kind of respect.”

Chuck says the way he treats people comes naturally.

“I learned long ago, treat people the way I want to be treated in the same situation,” says Chuck, 53. “Sometimes I am dealing with people who are in trouble but they don’t want to be. They are in a situation that I can help them through with dignity.”

Many of the people Chuck encourages are the children and young adults within the community. For years he has been involved with A. Fielder Memorial Safe Haven Weed and Seed and participates in almost anything that offers guidance and mentoring to youth.

“I am a very strong advocate on anything that involves mentoring children and young adults,” he says. “If we don’t provide mentoring and career advice to our children and young adults, we have failed them.”

Chuck has a strong history in the community. Born and raised in Las Cruces, he served 17 years with the Las Cruces Police Department, two years with the New Mexico State University Police Department, two years as a Weed and Seed officer, three years as a magistrate people’s court judge, three years with the Sheriff’s Department and has served the past four years as the undersheriff.

Now, Chuck works mainly on the administrative side of the law, securing the right tools for fellow officers to do their job safely. Recently, he secured funding for a robot used for SWAT situations.

“It’s rewarding to see them use this robot,” Chuck says. “It does not put our officers in harm’s way and allows us to get the people we need to get.”

His work in law enforcement has helped his marriage to Susana, 49, in more ways than one, and the relationship between the couple helps their work within the community.

“That’s the nice part of our relationship, we can come home and talk about our jobs and not offend each other,” Chuck says of Susana, whom he married in 1991.

Susana moved to Las Cruces in 1986 after graduating from Oklahoma University Law School and worked with the Children, Youth and Families Protective Services Department. She served as the assistant district attorney before being elected district attorney in 1997.

“I really think what has made our relationship work is both of us being in law enforcement. He can give my perspective to his officers and I can give his perspective to my attorneys,” says Susana, who is actively involved in La Piñon Sexual Assault Recovery Services, La Casa, Weed and Seed and the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico.

The two do what they can to maintain a normal lifestyle despite their interactions on a near daily basis with drug dealers, murderers and abusers. The two have lunch together nearly every day and on Friday nights they get together with the neighbors. Susana also maintains care for her 51-year-old sister with special needs, Leticia, who lives with the couple. As much as possible, they watch educational television together – both tuning into “48 Hours” and all three of the “CSI” shows.

“We watch CSI so we know what people think we can do,” Susana says. “We like 48 Hours because it is real. Real cases and real investigations.”

Chuck is partial to old war movies and anything with Clint Eastwood in it, although the war movies have become a little harder to watch with his son Carlo, 21, a Las Cruces High School graduate, serving as a Special Weapons Combatant Craft Crewman with the Navy Special Forces.

“What makes me really appreciate him is what I see everyday,” Chuck says of the son that was at home with he and Susana on the weekends. The remainder of the week Carlo spent with his mother and stepfather, Sylvia and Nick Nickerson. “I’m very proud of him, and was one of the fortunate parents that never had any problems. It makes me wonder what some of these kids would be like if they had better opportunities.”

For now, Chuck will continue his role as an advocate for children and young adults while providing respect to everyone he meets.

“Every time I deal with someone I have a chance to make a difference, either a good difference or a bad difference,” Chuck says. “I want to always be the one making a good difference.”