Frequently asked questions

What should I do if an officer stops me?

Pull your vehicle over to a safe location, prepare to provide your drivers license registration and insurance, the officer will inform you of why you have been stopped, if you are cited the officer will explain your options which include a court appearance or a penalty assessment. If you are stopped for speeding it is not required for the officer to show you the radar, if you contest the citation the officer will schedule a court appearance where you case will be heard in front of a judge.

Do the police have to have a search warrant to search my car or home?

It is in the best interest of justice for an officer to obtain a search warrant whenever possible, there are exceptions to obtaining a search warrant and the officer must be able to articulate the reasoning for not obtaining a warrant.

What if I have a complaint or would like to commend an officer?

Contact the police department and ask to speak to a patrol supervisor, we ask that you try to provide as much information as possible regarding the incident.

If I have failed to appear for my court date what happens?

The Judge can either issue a warrant for your arrest or issue an order to show cause as to why you failed to appear, your New Mexico or out of state drivers license will be suspended and you will be required to pay additional court fees.

 I was arrested for Dwi, why did the officer take my drivers license?

Under New Mexico law, the officer is required to take possession of your drivers license and issue you a temporary permit, you have so many days to request a hearing with the motor vehicle division requesting that your drivers license not be revoked, should you have your driving privileges revoked you are not to operate any motor vehicles anywhere in the state, if you are caught driving you will be immediately arrested.

Is the department doing anything to combat the Drug, Dwi and Domestic violence problem?

We have a zero tolerance policy for all three violations in place, there are constant enforcement operations occurring and we are working with different agencies to provide a network to ensure that all local law enforcement officers have the same information.