Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 124, No. 83 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
April 7, 2015
Tuesday
www.rdrnews.com
Las Cruces Police Dept. to get body cameras LAS CRUCES (AP) — The Las Cruces police department will be the latest law enforcement agency in New Mexico to outfit officers with body cameras in the coming weeks. Police officials said they expect to put 72 cameras on traffic and patrol officers. “Our primary focus with this new camera program is to protect the officer,” Deputy Chief Justin Dunivan said. “Our second thing is to protect the department, reduce overall liability and
enhance our accountability.” Some officers have been using the cameras, which are only about 3 inches tall and weigh less than an ounce, for the past year. They can be worn on shoulder lapels, helmets and sunglasses. The 72 Taser Axon Flex cameras cost about $320,000, Dunivan said. The department is using money from its general budget and will spend it over a five-year period, the Las Cruces Sun News reported.
Las Cruces police have tried using body cameras since 2011. The department was using 120 lapel cameras made by surveillance company Scorpion in 2012 until officers reported technical issues, Dunivan said. The police then began testing different camera systems in January 2014 and settled on the Taser Axon Flex cameras. City and police officials are still determining policy on camera use and how long to store video. Officers are required to download
video at the end of a shift to an online data management system. For now, they will save footage even after they exceed storage space. “They will save it. But we have to make a decision on what video needs to be destroyed,” Sgt. Rob Benavidez said. “And we have to follow New Mexico state retention laws when it comes to physical evidence, video evidence and records recording.” Calls for body cameras have risen in several U.S. cities
where high-profile fatal shootings involving police occurred. The Albuquerque Police Department, which was the subject of a scathing U.S. Justice Department report last year, now requires all officers to wear lapel cameras in interactions with the public. In its report, the Justice Department blasted Albuquerque police’s rollout of the cameras, saying it had been so hasty that officers had not been properly trained.
SO investigates fatal shooting
A bird’s eye on the courthouse
Staff Report
Shawn Naranjo Photo
Justice may be blind, but owls can see at night. This great-horned owl was seen roosting for several weeks on a tree along Fourth Street at the Chaves County Courthouse. The bird would roost in the same tree every day, but on different branches. The great-horned owl is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range, primarily eating rodents and other small mammals.
ENMU regent from Roswell dies
The Chaves County Sheriff’s Office is attempting to locate individuals who may have witnessed a fatal shooting on Saturday in the 4700 block of Cass Street. The CCSO said Manuel Montez, 34, of Midway, suffered at least one fatal gunshot wound. At approximately 8:15 p.m., deputies responded to the location on a reported shooting incident. Upon arrival, deputies could see what appeared to be a person on the ground near the front of the residence. While securing the scene, deputies found one other person on the property who had to be secured before they could check on the person in the yard. The person in the yard was
determined to be Montez. His body was sent to the Office of the Medical Investigators in Albuquerque, where an autopsy was scheduled to be performed Monday. The other man found on the property told the deputies he acted in self-defense when he fired his weapon at Montez. The circumstances surrounding this shooting are still being investigated and no arrest has been made. Sheriff Britt Snyder said the CCSO has reason to believe other people were on the property when the shooting took place and they are attempting to locate those individuals for questioning. Anybody who believes they may have informaSee SHOOTING, Page A2
The day the sun rose twice
Staff Report PORTALES — Brett Leach, a member of the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents who lived in Roswell with his wife Andi, passed away on Friday in Roswell after a lengthy illness. He was 67. Leach was past president of the Roswell Sunrise Rotary and the Chaves County CASA Program, where he served on the board of directors for 15 years. “He was a loyal, steadfast and passionate advocate for abused children in this community,” said CASA Executive Director Carrie-Leigh Cloutier. He served as president of CASA’s board of directors for three years. During that time he led CASA into a period of substantial growth and formed the basis of the strong business model that See REGENT, Page A3
Leach
Gov Martinez signed measures Monday to help border town
SANTA TERESA (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed two measures Monday aimed at helping the booming border town of Santa Teresa. One measure extends the overweight cargo zone in Santa Teresa and two other New Mexico ports of entry, a move officials say could attract more companies to the area. The other bill brings New Mexico’s weight limit for oversize load permits in line with federal standards and neighboring states at up to 80,000 pounds. Previously, the limit was 67,000 pounds, which had not been updated since the 1940s. The newly extended cargo zone will include the new
Westpark Logistics Center and the Union Pacific Intermodal Facility. Martinez also announced that MCS Industries, a picture frames manufacturer, will relocate its printing operations from Pennsylvania and construct a 215,000 square-foot facility in the Westpark Logistics Center. The company plans to invest $11.1 million to expand its warehousing and distribution facility. “I am proud that MCS continues to be a partner in diversifying our economy and growing the private sector in New Mexico,” Martinez said. “Results like these make a strong case that New Mexico is becoming more competitive, creating
more jobs for our families.” Santa Teresa was competing with El Paso, Texas, for the MCS expansion, officials said. The Westpark Logistics Center will be the largest industrial park in New Mexico, and the closest to the recently opened $400 million Union Pacific Intermodal Facility. Santa Teresa is seeing rapid growth as state officials plan more projects. Last year, for example, Martinez announced the creation of a 70,000-acre, master-planned community around the Santa Teresa-San Jeronimo border See BORDER, Page A3
Timothy P. Howsare Photo
Daily Record Editor Timothy P. Howsare on Saturday visited the Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was detonated nearly 70 years ago on July 16, 1945. The monument pictured above marks Ground Zero. Throngs of people from all over the country visited Saturday, taking “selfies” or photos of family members in front of the monument. The site is on the White Sands Missile Range and the public only is allowed to visit two days a year, once in April and once in October. Howsare also visited the McDonald-Schmidt ranch house, which is located two miles from Ground Zero. It is where scientists worked feverishly to assemble the bomb. A full story with more photos will be published Sunday. In the meantime, turn to page A4 for Martin Kral’s column about New Mexico’s role in ushering in the Nuclear Age.
Today’s Forecast
Today’s Obituaries Page A6
HIGH 87 LOW 48
• Agustin Horton • Barbara Kuper (McQuirk) • Alfred Orosco Valenzuela
Index Classifieds...........B8 Comics..................B5 Entertainment. ....A8 Financial..............B4
General...............A2 Horoscopes.........A8 Lotteries. ............A2 Nation..................A6
Opinion.................A4 Sports. ................B1 Weather...............A8