 Las Cruces recently completed the arduous process of selecting new chiefs for both the fire and police departments. There were scores of qualified applicants from across the country and in the end, candidates with local experience won out. They not only have a good grasp on the challenges ahead, but they both appear to genuinely care about their community and the individual people who make it up. They understand the importance of a well-trained force with well-defined communication channels and they are experienced with the management aspects of their respective jobs related to budgets and planning. We are fortunate to have such people within our community.
“I believe in accountability, I am customer service oriented and I make sure department employees have the right tools for serving the citizens,” says Las Cruces Police Chief Richard Williams. “I hope to expand and enhance the relationship with the public that we serve, and I will personally strive to be accessible to the public and out in the community, ensuring that resources are deployed where needed. We will have a first class organization the community can appreciate.”
Richard has been in law enforcement since 1991. He served formerly with the State Police as a major and district commander, responsible for operating and capital outlay budgets. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from New Mexico State University in criminal justice.
“Las Cruces has a well-trained force and I will continue to emphasize that officers have to be both tactful and tactical,” states Richard. “They must always be professional and empathetic – willing to listen and serve, while being prepared for whatever might occur.”
“I feel very strongly about being cognizant of the effects crime has on victims. The Constitution guarantees the rights of perpetrators, but too often the psychological, physical and financial effects on the victim are pushed aside. I want to ensure that victims receive our support and we offer the available assistance to help them recover from any criminal act.”
One of Richard’s first challenges will be to review the general orders to ensure that the department is in compliance with best nationally recognized practices. “Third party audits help us identify those practices and achieve consistent ‘best-practice’ results.”
The department already has some excellent programs that Richard intends to continue, including Weed and Seed that roots out problems encountered by young people and seeds in improvements, and of course the DARE programs related to drug and alcohol abuse. “Our youth are under enormous peer pressure and we want to establish relationships that perpetuate the image that we are here to help. Looking ahead, any program that might deliver a positive impact on the community will be considered.”
“I would like to expand the neighborhood watch program, giving citizens reasons to participate with us and showing them results. Patrol units cannot be everywhere at once, and a partnership with the public to extend the eyes and ears of the department makes a significant contribution to public safety. Good communication channels within and between neighborhoods simply make good sense, and I would like to expand the concept to businesses. Immediately sharing information about bad check writers and potential thefts reduces the risk of repeat offenses and creates a barrier against crime for participating businesses as word filters out into the community.”
“In the past,” Richard relates, “we have participated with NMSU and the community in self-defense classes that help develop a general awareness and trust for personal security. People become distracted and opportunist criminals recognize vulnerability. If you feel that something isn’t right, you need to pay attention to yourself.”
“Distractive driving is a huge problem in the U.S. Any program, like the ban on hand-held cell phones, that reduces the distractions from driving certainly helps to prevent crashes. We will continue issuing citations for those who choose to disobey the city ordinance.”
“Diversity is important to the force, it needs to reflect the ethnic makeup of the community. As to gender, the department currently employs 14 females in the field and they are certainly valuable to the organization. The department is authorized for a total of 180 officers and around 60 civilian personnel.”
“Purchases and services always have to be prioritized and even more so during economic downturns. The department will scrutinize its expenditures closely to ensure that we are achieving our goals while allowing only what is absolutely needed to be purchased.”
“Multi-agency partnerships are critical to making the community safer than it already is. Jurisdictions overlap, so information sharing and a spirit of cooperation must continue to be nurtured.”
“I’ve been stationed throughout New Mexico,” Richard concludes, “but absolutely fell in love with Las Cruces. It’s a great community, and working together, we’ll find ways to make it even better.”
“Firefighters have to be trained as well as possible and be actively involved in maintaining and improving both the integrity of the department and the relationship with the community,” says Fire Chief Travis Brown.
A native of Las Cruces, Travis has served with the Las Cruces Fire Department since 1989 and as deputy chief since 2005. He stepped up to interim chief when Adolf Zubia retired at the end of 2009. He has a bachelor’s degree in leadership and management from Warren National University.
“We partner closely with law enforcement, ambulance services and area volunteer departments. The Emergency Response Community learned from 9-11 that no single department can handle everything that comes along. We train and work together – we share the same overall goals. Our excellent relationship with city police creates opportunities for better service to the community.”
The department has a formal inspection program for businesses and apartment complexes, to ensure compliance with the city’s adopted fire code. “Upon request by homeowners, we will also inspect one and two-family residences.”
“New outreach programs are being continuously evaluated, and we are committed to the ones we have. In the Vecino Program, department members make calls each morning to a list of seniors who live alone in the community, just to check up on them.”
Another department program is Youth Fire Setter Intervention, teaching fire-safe behaviors to young people who have been identified as demonstrating fire-setting behaviors. “It is important that we are viewed as community partners, not just responders,” states Travis.
“My priorities include strengthening communications throughout the organization. This will allow us to function as one department, as opposed to separate entities scattered across town, and to develop a strong sense of mission.”
The department has six staffed fire stations, plus an unstaffed one at the airport, and an authorized total strength of 128 positions. Currently, 124 personnel are trained as firefighters with 110 assigned to Emergency Services. Fourteen are serving in administrative, prevention and special programs positions. There are only two women serving in the field at this time, one as a firefighter and one as EMS Battalion Chief.
“Budget restraints have forced us to trim back some of our programs,” continues Travis. “Previously, we were able to provide EMS Standby for many functions, but have cut back to just the major ones, like Special Olympics and the Mariachi Conference. We simply have to evaluate each request more closely, now. We are studying the use of volunteers registered with RSVP for certain programs and administrative tasks.”
The standard vehicle replacement cycle has also been extended somewhat, but firefighting and EMS equipment is maintained in good shape. “It’s a challenge, of course, to keep up with the latest devices, so we are continuously evaluating them to determine if an advance in technology is truly worthwhile. Our firefighters currently utilize thermal imaging equipment to help see through the smoke, and a recent grant allowed us to upgrade our automatic external defibulators with capability for sending information directly to emergency rooms. When the patient arrives, the emergency room is prepared for action, thus providing a significant improvement in service to the community.”
One of the department’s challenges is to improve its rating by Insurance Services Office, which affects rates paid by home and business owners. A fire department’s ability to fight and suppress fires is rated independently on a scale of 1-10, with one being excellent and 10 meaning there is no protection provided. Currently, Las Cruces has a rating of four, with the West Mesa contributing a nine due to its lack of a staffed station.
The city has also requested that the department evaluate accreditation – an option based on a stringent evaluation. Nationally, only 130 fire departments and rescue services, including military, have achieved recognition and to date, none are in New Mexico. “The third party evaluations certainly help us to improve our service to local citizens,” says Travis. “When they catch something we may have missed, everyone wins.”
For the future, a staffed airport fire station is number three on the city’s unfunded capital projects list, and a station in the Sonoma area continues to be discussed.
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