New Mexico National Guard outlines operation to assist Albuquerque police

No guns. No fatigues. No authority.

The New Mexico National Guard said it is preparing for “Operation Zia Shield,” in which dozens of guardsmen will assist Albuquerque police in carrying out lesser roles to keep more officers on the street fighting crime.

The operation, previously described as a “pilot project” by city and police officials, will have 60 to 70 guardsmen in non-law enforcement duties: blocking traffic, securing courthouses and document filing, among other assignments.

“This type of mission isn’t new to us,” Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, adjutant general for the state and a retired State Police officer, said in a news release Thursday. “During the wildfires in Ruidoso, our first task was augmenting law enforcement and manning security checkpoints. ... Many of the same soldiers and airmen who provided security and rescued New Mexicans during the fires and floods this past year are part of the new mission in Albuquerque.”

Hank Minitrez, a New Mexico National Guard spokesperson, said no officers from the Albuquerque Police Department or New Mexico State Police or deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office will serve as guardsmen in the operation.

He said the guardsmen have begun an “intense 38-day training program” to support APD with “ongoing public safety challenges in the city, particularly along the Central Avenue corridor.” Minitrez said the training is being done in classrooms in Santa Fe and covers first aid, law enforcement radio operations, and other lessons.

APD Chief Harold Medina said the help from the guard could free up 20 to 30 officers at a time to patrol the streets, do proactive enforcement and investigate cases.

On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared an emergency in the city to release $750,000 for the deployment.

The governor’s order came after Medina sent a letter to the governor at the end of March requesting National Guard assistance, while noting that crime levels were on the decrease as arrest numbers were up. He said the assistance would help improve those statistics even more.

Medina said Aguilar contacted him in February to offer help, an offer he discussed with Mayor Tim Keller. Together, a plan was hatched and the help accepted.

“At the direction of the governor, we are eager to work with our law enforcement partners in Albuquerque as part of a collective effort to make the community safer,” Aguilar said in the news release. “... We’re working hard to get our soldiers and airmen trained for this important mission.”