The New Mexico Mounted Patrol is an all-volunteer state law enforcement agency. Mounted Patrol Troopers complete an intensive night/weekend academy and must meet the same strict requirements as any peace officer in
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. State statutes dictate that the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
may call the Mounted Patrol to duty in case of emergency. Unless called out by the governor, troopers assist state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies and assume the same authority as peace officers in that agency.
History
In
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
, the Mounted Patrol was the only form of non-federal law enforcement. As police needs increased, the Mounted Patrol was renamed the New Mexico Mounted Police in 1905 and became the state's first law enforcement agency when New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912.
Criminal elements of the state government repeatedly attempted to get rid of the Mounted Police and even succeeded in defunding the agency from 1913 to 1917.
The Mounted Police gained a reputation as a very effective law enforcement agency following the attack on
Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, about north of the Mexico–United States border, Mexican border. It is considered a place of historical interest, as the scene of Battle of Columbus (1916), a 1916 attack by Mexico, ...
by
and his men. Criminal elements in the legislature again focused on abolishing the agency and finally succeeded on February 15, 1921.
In 1933 the state created the New Mexico Motor Patrol, which became the
New Mexico State Police
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
in 1935.
A group of citizens realized that the newly formed State Police was poorly equipped and often outnumbered, and decided to resurrect the Mounted Patrol as a volunteer organization in 1937. The organization grew in the following years and Governor John Miles took an interest in the organization. He pushed to make the Mounted Patrol an official state law enforcement agency and on April 16, 1941 the organization in its present form was created.
[http://www.nmsp.dps.state.nm.us/index.php/history/]
Organization
Headquarters:
Mounted Patrol Board - The internal control, management, supervision and power of the organization is vested in a board of directors composed of not less than one member from each troop of the NMMP elected by the members of the organization.
The chief of the mounted patrol is elected by the members of the NMMP, with the deputy chiefs appointed by the board of directors and the district captains and state staff appointed by the chief.
North Zone
* Northwest District - Metro - Albuquerque / Rio Rancho / Moriarty / Española / Grants / Gallup
* Northeast District - Las Vegas, Raton, Roy, Santa Fe
South Zone
* Southeast District - Clovis, Lovington, Roswell, Artesia
* Southwest District - Alamogordo
Las Cruces Deming, Silver City
See also
*
List of law enforcement agencies in New Mexico
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of New Mexico.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 146 law enforcement agencies employing 5,010 s ...
*
Colorado Rangers
The Colorado Rangers Law Enforcement Shared Reserve (known publicly as the Colorado Rangers) is a governmental police agency in the U.S. state of Colorado. Colorado Rangers are sworn, Colorado P.O.S.T. Certified police officers who serve as forc ...
*
Arizona Rangers
The Arizona Rangers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, noncommissioned civilian auxiliary that supports law enforcement in the US, state of Arizona.
In 2002, the modern-day Arizona Rangers were officially recognized by the State of Arizona when the Leg ...
References
External links
New Mexico Mounted Patrol State WebsiteNew Mexico Mounted Patrol - Las Cruces Troop 10 Websitepolice.NMMP.us - New Mexico Mounted Patrol Recruiting PageNMMP Southwest District WebsiteNMMP Southeast District WebsiteNMMP Northwest District WebsiteNMMP Northeast District Website
{{authority control
Volunteer groups in the United States
State law enforcement agencies of New Mexico