Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 124, No. 02 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
January 2, 2015
More New Mexico agencies getting lapel cameras
H OB B S ( AP ) — L a w enforcement agencies in southeastern New Mexico are joining the movement to require body cameras for officers. T he L ov i ng ton P o l i c e Department recently purchased nine lapel cameras r i gh t b ef or e t h e h i g h l y publicized police shooting in F e rgu so n, M is s ou r i , Lo v in g to n P o li c e C h i e f David Rodriguez told the Hobbs News-Sun. Another 20 officers will get them
next year, he said. Eunice Police Chief Jimmie Jones said his department has used the tiny cameras for four years, and they have helped with investigations. The equipment has been n o th i n g b u t a b e ne f it , J o n es s ai d . “ ( T h e ca meras) are only as good as the person using them, or remembers when to activate them,” Jones said. Jal police also use the cameras, and ar ound a
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dozen or so Lea County d epu ties also h ave t he tiny recording devices. Nationally, of ficers in one of every six departm e nt s n o w pa tr o l wi th t i ny cam er as on t h eir chests, lapels or sunglasses , an d t h at n u mbe r is growing. President Barack Obam a wan t s t o spen d $ 74 m il li on t o eq uip another 50,000 with them around the country. Most civil libertarians support their expansion
despite concer ns about the development of policies governing their use and their impact on privacy. Rank-and-file officers worry about being const an tly u n de r wa tch or that an errant comment may be used by a supervisor to derail their careers. T a t u m P olice C hi ef Shaun Fisher said that in spite of misgivings some of ficers in law enfor cement have with the camer as , t h ey c an h e lp in
making police work more transparent. T atum’s three-person police force has used the cameras for three years. Having the devices record what goes on during a call can be very useful, Fisher said. “We record every incident from traffic stops to a 911 call,” Fisher said, adding that the footage captured by the cameras is “pretty indisputable evidence in court.”
New Mexico Court of Appeals Judge Miles Hanisee, left, administers the oath of office to Gov. Susana Martinez, right, with first gentleman Chuck Franco, center, holding the Bible, in a private ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Santa Fe on Thursday. Martinez started her second term as governor at midnight.
First body from AirAsia crash identified; 8th body found
SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) — A passenger aboard AirAsia Flight 8501 became the first victim of the crash to be returned to her family Thursday, one of many painful reunions to come, as search crews struggled against wind and heavy rain to find more than 150 people still missing. Hayati Lutfiah Hamid’s identity was confirmed by fingerprints and other means, said Col. Budiyono of East Java’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit. Her body, in a dark polished casket topped with flowers, was handed over to her family at a brief ceremony at a police hospital in Surabaya, the Indonesian city where the plane had taken off. A family member cried as she put both hands on the coffin. After a Muslim cleric said a prayer for the deceased, the casket was immediately taken to a village and lowered into a muddy grave,
following Muslim obligations requiring bodies to be buried quickly. An imam said a simple prayer as about 150 people gathered in the drizzling rain, and red flowers were sprinkled over the mound of wet dirt with a small white tombstone. Flight 8501 crashed into the Java Sea on Sunday with 162 people aboard. Eight bodies have been recovered, including one brought Thursday to Pangkalan Bun, the nearest town to where the wreckage was spotted Tuesday. In the thick of Indonesia’s rainy season, the weather has frequently prevented helicopters and divers from operating while strong sea currents have kept debris moving. Singapore’s navy sent in an unmanned underwater vehicle capable of surveying the seabed to try to help pinpoint the wreckage and
the all-important “black boxes” — the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Indonesian equipment in the search includes a minesweeper, a private survey ship that specializes in sea mapping and a vessel that can conduct 3-D imaging and detect pings from the black boxes. Aircraft capable of detecting metal also were deployed. We are “focusing on finding the body of the plane,” Indonesia air force spokesman Rear Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters. “There was something like a dark shadow once seen from a plane, but it cannot yet be proven as wreckage.” The seven bodies were recovered from an area off Borneo island, about 100 miles from the site where bodies were first spotted. Remains are being sent iniSee CRASH, Page A3
Champion Motorsports on West Second Street was named one of the winners of the 2014 Top 100 Dealer Awards, presented by Western Power Sports. The dealership first opened in a 5,000-square-building in Roswell in 1980.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
Martinez, the nation’s only Latina governor and a rising star within the Republican Party, told an audience at a ceremony inside the House chamber that the election was over, and it was time for both parties to put aside differences to find solutions to help transform one of the poorest states in the country. The governor officially
began her second ter m after being sworn in during a private ceremony at the gover nor’s residence at midnight. She was joined by her family and closest friends. Martinez was sworn in by Court of Appeals Judge Miles Hanisee, a Republican who narrowly beat his Democratic challenger, Albuquerque attor ney Kerry C. Kiernan, in the November general election. Hanisee had twice been appointed to the judgeship by Martinez, once in 2011 and again in 2012. “It was an incredible honor to swear in as goverSee MARTINEZ, Page A3
RPD honors Coon
Submitted Photo
Roswell Police Department Chief Phil Smith, right, presented a plaque to retiring Chaves County Sheriff Rob Coon Tuesday in recognition and appreciation of Coon’s 41 years in law enforcement. Also pictured is Coon’s wife, Pam. The presentation was made during a retirement gathering for Coon at the County Administrative building. The RPD wishes Coon well in his retirement and thanks him for his many years of service to this area. Coon was with the New Mexico State Police for 25 years before joining the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office about 16 years ago.
Champion Motorsports among nation’s top 100 dealers
STAFF REPORT
Timothy P. Howsare Photo
Officials in Eddy Count y, Ot er o C ou n ty, an d Chaves County said their of fices p l an on b u yin g lapel cameras in 2015.
Martinez starts 2nd term as New Mexico governor
SANTA FE (AP) — Striking a bipartisan tone and promising to push for education reform, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez took the oath of office for a second time Thursday during a public inauguration celebration on New Year’s Day.
AP Photo
N ew M exico’ s largest city, Albuquer que, now r equ ir es all of ficer s t o wear lapel cameras. The m ove cam e aft er A lb u qu er qu e p olice faced scrutiny for a high numb er of p olice sh oot in gs since 2010.
Dealernews, the premier business infor mation resource for North American powersports retailers, announced that Champion Motorsports of Roswell was among the winners of the 23rd Annual Top 100 Dealer Awards, the motorcycle and powersports industry’s largest, longest running and most prestigious retail competition. The 2014 Top 100 Dealer Awards is presented by Wester n Power Sports (WPS).
Based in Boise, Idaho, WPS is the fastest growing nationwide delivery system of powersports industry products, with regional warehouses in California, Idaho, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Champion Motorsports is located at 2801 W. Second St. and carries brands such as Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and E-ton. In October 1980, Champion Motorsports opened its doors in Roswell as a Bultaco and Honda dealer in a modest 5,000-square-
• MARK GLEN HALEY • NANCY EVELYN WILLIAMS • CALIXTO HEREDIA MARTINEZ
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6
foot facility. In 1982, the store applied for and was approved to become a Harley-Davidson dealer. Rather than resting on its laurels, Champion Motorsports continued to grow. In 1986, the shop moved from its small building to a larger one. Not long after that move, Kawasaki was brought on board in the summer of 1989. Business continued as normal with the dealer selling motorcycles, parts, accessories and apparel, along with servicing motorcycles. In 1996,
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7
COMICS .................B5
ENTERTAINMENT .....A8
Yamaha was brought into the mix of product offerings. Realizing again that continued growth was causing the business to burst at the seams, in May 2001, Champion Motorsports opened its doors to a new 26,000-square-foot facility. After moving into the current facility, business grew rapidly. In April 2004, Champion acquired the one and only Japanese brand it was lacking, Suzuki. More than 30 states and See CHAMPION, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8