OPINION: Honoring our fallen heroes

Editor’s note: The Journal will be running op-eds from all gubernatorial candidates in subsequent Sunday Opinion sections.

With a heavy heart and a profound sense of pride, I would like New Mexico to remember the brave police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty over the past 10 years. Their commitment to protecting our communities and our state will forever be etched into our memories. May God bless each of them, and may they rest in peace.

The heroes we honor include:

1. Officer Timothy Ontiveros — Bloomfield Police Department, May 29, 2025.

2. Patrolman Justin Hare — New Mexico State Police, March 15, 2024.

3. Officer Jonah Hernandez — Las Cruces Police Department, Feb. 11, 2024.

4. Officer Anthony Ferguson — Alamogordo Police Department, July 15, 2023.

5. Sr. Police Officer Robert E. Duran — Santa Fe Police Department, March 2, 2022.

6. Cpl. Thomas Wade Frazier — Artesia Police Department, May 21, 2021.

7. Officer Darian Jarrott — New Mexico State Police, Feb. 4, 2021.

8. Officer Clint E. Corvinus — Alamogordo Police Department, Sept. 2, 2016.

9. Officer Jose Ismael Chavez — Hatch Police Department, Aug. 12, 2016.

10. Officer Daniel Webster — Albuquerque Police Department, Oct. 21, 2015.

Each of these individuals dedicated their lives to ensuring our safety at the expense of their own. Their bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and we remain eternally grateful for their service. As we reflect on their legacy, let us honor their memory by continuing to support and uplift our law enforcement community. Their commitment to safeguarding public safety is commendable, and we must continue to support law enforcement in every possible way.

A concerning trend has emerged: All these officers tragically lost their lives while on duty, often alone and without a partner.

The governor has utilized the New Mexico National Guard in the past. The activation was meant to free up police officers for patrol duties and address the ongoing crime issues in Albuquerque.

My proposal for enhancing law enforcement support is this: Within the New Mexico National Guard, there are established military police units, notably the 226th Military Police Battalion, which consists of two active companies — the 126th Military Police Company based in Albuquerque (with a detachment in Las Cruces) and the 919th Military Police Company located in Farmington. These units offer an opportunity for individuals to join as military police, often developing valuable law enforcement skills such as patrol, crowd control, investigations and crime scene management.

By utilizing National Guard members as “special police officers,” we can enhance their police powers to support our full-time law enforcement officers effectively. This initiative will foster essential partnerships among all law enforcement agencies throughout New Mexico, including the New Mexico State Police, sheriff’s departments and city police departments.

I am dedicated to identifying funding within the state budget to compensate these officers for their additional hours of service on weekends or Mondays. To clarify, these special police officers would be scheduled to work on alternating weekends or Mondays when they are not fulfilling their National Guard duties, thereby ensuring compliance with the Posse Comitatus Act. If certain departments would prefer to allocate these funds toward reducing drug and fentanyl use instead of hiring additional personnel, I am open to that option as well.

Furthermore, I propose revisiting the qualified immunity doctrine and addressing the catch-and-release practices associated with Arnold Tool assessments.

Thank you for considering this proposal to enhance the support and resources available to our law enforcement personnel. My goal is to have a partner for every law enforcement officer in any of our police and sheriff’s departments when requested.