January 22, 2010
Trying to reduce skyrocketing burglaries, the Valencia County Sheriff’s Department will begin a new program in 2010 to advise people one-on-one about how to protect their homes and businesses from crime. During 2009, burglaries were up more than 71 percent throughout the county. Late last year Sheriff Rene Rivera hired three new deputies who have [...]
January 21, 2010
The Valencia County Detention Center continues to operate at nearly double the number of inmates it was built to hold, according to a report provided to the county commission last night by the detention center’s director. “We’ve been operating at peaks of 180, and last week we were in excess of 200 inmates,” said County [...]
December 11, 2009
Valencia County Sheriff Rene Rivera this week touted falling crime rates throughout the county that he says is a result of having newly hired deputies more active throughout the county. In late October, Rivera hired three new deputies. “The burglaries and so on have dropped quite a bit,” he said. “It’s working really good.” As [...]
November 20, 2009
A 21-year-old man was arrested yesterday at Anna Becker Park in Belen after allegedly using his vehicle to run over another man. Belen Police Department Detective-Sergeant Joe Portio said the man, whose name hasn’t being released, got into a verbal altercation at the park with the other male. The other male and a blonde female [...]
November 18, 2009
Bosque Farms Police Department Det. Ron Haley told the Peralta Town Council tonight that theft is down in Peralta. “Due to a number of arrests, I have seen a decrease in the last month, I believe, in the number of burglaries,” he said. Haley said an increase in viable neighborhood watches are helping, too. He [...]
November 13, 2009
The Valencia County Sheriff’s Department is investigating what it’s calling a clear case of vandalism at the law office of James L. Sanchez, the attorney for the plaintiffs in the Valencia County hospital lawsuit. “It’s clearly an act of vandalism and criminal damage to property,” said Valencia County Deputy Chris Trujillo, the department’s public information [...]
November 06, 2009
Students from the School of Dreams Academy (SODA) who were picking up trash during a school project stumbled across a meth lab hidden in brush, using the experience to help inspire a cleaner Valencia County. “It was just disgusting. It was also a huge health hazard,” said Stormie Sanchez, a SODA student. “It’s so sad [...]
October 21, 2009
Sheriff Rene Rivera said last night that he plans to hire three new deputies, placing them in Rio Communities, El Cerro Mission and Jarales. “The commission gave me permission to hire three more deputies,” he said to applause at a Rio Communities Association meeting. While Rivera has been gradually increasing the size of his police [...]
October 09, 2009
The Los Lunas Police Department has established a new patrol for drugs passing through village highways, part of a new grant the department received. “One of the things I’ve learned in my first seven months as police chief is that the crime rate’s too high, the violent crime rate’s too high and our traffic accidents [...]
September 09, 2009
Bosque Farms Police Chief Joe Stidham is being accused of embezzling $2,500 from an Albuquerque security firm, according to KRQE. KRQE says: Detectives also alleged Joe Stidham, currently the police chief of Bosque Farms, also stole $2,500 from the business by signing over company checks to himself. Neither Baca nor Stidham has been charged with [...]