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The ColumBEAT
Op-Ed by: Addison B.
Bachman Feb 6th 2012
Fleecing Policing
In a recent article
appearing in the Las
Cruses Sun-News
titled: Columbus
residents eager to
have their own
police department,
Luna County
Sheriff's Department
Capt. Arturo Baeza,
(a spokesman for
Sheriff Cobo's) said,
"Columbus would
most likely be a
permanent part of
the sheriff's patrol
because I don't see
them ever getting a
police department
ever back on its
feet." I find
this admission to be
particularly
interesting, because
from what I can
tell, the Village of
Columbus was
always supposed to
be a permanent part
of the Sheriff's
beat, we're in the
county right?
It also looks to me
like Sheriff Cobo's
has made it his
business to ensure
the Village can't
reestablish our own
Police Department.
Much like the Deming
Public School
District milking
millions in Federal
and State funds that
are offered for
"educating" (in this
case, failing to
educate, according
to the States recent
D's & F's grades
given to the Deming
Public School
District), the
children of Columbus
and Palomas (because
they are minority,
poor, and living in
hardship), but not
spending all those
awarded monies on
the Columbus/Palomas
children. Sheriff Cobo's
department is also
making bank
from Federal and
State funds on the
back of the village
of Columbus.
Thanks to a reader
of my last
ColumBUST entry
regarding Sheriff
Cobos, I was
directed to read
some particular
minutes of the
Luna
County Commissioners
Meetings. Let me
share a few points I
think important
regarding the good
Sherriff's "care and
concern" for the
Village of Columbus.
Starting as far back
as
May 15th, 2008
the commission was
speaking about the
new *sub-station to
be occupied by
Columbus PD, Sheriff
and Border patrol.
In this discussion
the then county
Manager, Scott
Vinson said
concerning the
Sherrif's department
patrolling the
Village:
"through the
Governor's "Stonegarden"
program there is one
officer assigned
from the Sheriff's
Office for each
shift, however with
days off and
vacation time there
could be a lapse of
coverage. Two other
officers are
assigned to
Columbus; however
they are in Deming
and are available on
an "on call"
schedule."
So if the
Stonegarden monies
are paying for a
Sheriff's deputy to
be assigned to each
shift around
the clock in
Columbus, why did Cobo's take all our
Police equipment and
vehicles to help pay
his department for
just one officer to
work a single shift
5 days a week?
Vinson went on to
say: "Sheriff
Cobos has shown a
willingness to
assign a full time
officer that would
reside in Columbus
and be available
around the clock. He
will ask him to
pursue that option."
It's curious to note
Cobo's promised this
same thing to
Columbus as a
condition of
dismantling our
police department,
and rendering all
equipment and
vehicles to him, in
exchange for a
deputy Sherriff
residing in and
patrolling the
Village. We all know
now that Cobos made
this promise under false pretense,
and later blamed the assigned
deputies wife who
refused to move to
Columbus.
*Speaking of the
sub-station, the
meeting minutes from
May 12th, 2011
(Just 2 months after
the arrests of
the Columbus 11.),
note the following:
"The Sherriff's
substation in
Columbus has
received the
certificate of
occupancy"
Why didn't Cobos
occupy the
half-million dollar
substation built for
his departments use
in the Village? (We
learned recently the
Border Patrol will
now take over the
facility.) Why
did he make it
another line item in
the MOU contract to
patrol Columbus,
that the Village
must give him office
space and pay for
all maintenance?
Less than one month
since the arrest of
the Columbus 11, on
April 7th, 2011
(Click date to read
entire testimony.
It's chilling!)
Cobos attended a
meeting held by the
Department Homeland
Security. Cobos
testified at this
meeting regarding
Border Violence and
safety. Keep in mind
DHS is the funding
agent of Stonegarden
funds. Cobos is
making his case as
to why these monies
AND MORE are needed
by his department to
patrol Columbus.
Here's one of his
statements I find
interesting:
"Constant patrol
of the border area,
constant patrol
of the Columbus
Village area is the
key to deterring the
street violence we
see across the
border.
Monitoring public
events in and around
Columbus and
maintaining high
visibility is a
major part of the
Sheriff’s Department
ongoing Border
Security Mission."
WOW! CONSTANT PATROL
of the border area
AND Columbus
Village is the key?
Does "Constant" mean
24 hour coverage? I
think so! This
statement begs the
question: Where was,
and where is this
constant patrol and
high visibility? And
again, why did Cobos
need to make it a
line item in his
contract with
Columbus to take all
our police equipment
and vehicles in
order to help pay
for just one officer
working 8-5pm five
days a week when
CONSTANT PATROL &
HIGH VISIBILITY IS
THE KEY?
At the July 10th,
2011 Village Council
Meeting, the council
voted to dismantle
the Columbus police
department and
accept the
Memorandum Of
Understanding (MOU)
drafted by the
Sherriff's
Department to take
over the Village
policing. In the MOU
draft, among other
promises, was a line
item stating the
Sherriff would
provide 24/7 patrol
of Columbus. (After
all it is "THE KEY"
to preventing border
spillover violence.)
Continued above at
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