- New Mexico Mounted Patrol
-
New Mexico Mounted Patrol Abbreviation NMMP 
Shoulder Patch of the New Mexico Mounted Patrol 150x150pxThe badge of the New Mexico Mounted Patrol Agency overview Formed April 16, 1941 Volunteers 02 Annual budget Unfunded Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Jurisdictional structure Size 121,665 square miles (315,110 km2) Population 1,969,915 (2007 est.)[1] Legal jurisdiction New Mexico with a commisioned DPS State Officer(state police,motor trans. police, special investigations divisions of the NM DPS) General nature - Law enforcement
- Civilian agency
Operational structure Headquarters Edgewood, NM (trailer) Agency executive David Website NMMP Website The New Mexico Mounted Patrol is an unfunded, 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. State statutes dictate that the governor 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.
Contents
History
In New Mexico Territory, 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[2].
Criminal elements of the state government repeatedly attempted to get rid of the Mounted Police and even succeeded in defunding the agency from 1913-1917. The Mounted Police gained a reputation as a very effective law enforcement agency following the attack on Columbus, NM by Pancho Villa and his men. Criminal elements in the legislature again focused on abolishing the agency and finally succeeded on February 15, 1921 [3]. The organization eventually became the New Mexico Rangers, which also exists today as a volunteer agency.[4][5]
In 1933 the state created the New Mexico Motor Patrol, which became the New Mexico State Police in 1935 [6].
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.[7]
The outstanding reputation of the organization has been sullied in recent years due to charges of official malfeasance and criminal activity amongst the senior staff. Recruitment and official activities have been severely curtailed pending ongoing investigations by various state and federal agencies.
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 duly 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 - Farmington, Española, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Grants, Moriarty
- Northeast District - Las Vegas, Raton, Roy, Santa Fe, Tucumcarri
South Zone
- Southwest District - Ruidoso, Clovis, Hobbs, Lovington, Roswell, Artesia
- Southeast District - Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Deming
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in New Mexico
- New Mexico Rangers
References
- ^ 2007 Population Estimates
- ^ NM Mounted Patrol Operations Manual, 2007 Printing
- ^ http://164.64.161.58/history.php
- ^ NM Mounted Patrol Operations Manual, 2007 Printing
- ^ NM Rangers Official Website - http://www.nmrangers.org/
- ^ http://164.64.161.58/history.php
- ^ NMMP History Factsheet - http://nm.nmmp.us/NMMP_FS2_2008-07-01_History.doc
External links
Highway patrol/State police in the United States See also: Law enforcement in the United States and Highway patrolStates Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming • HawaiiFederal District Insular areas Categories:- Law enforcement agencies of the United States
- Volunteer Law Enforcement Agencies
- State law enforcement agencies of New Mexico
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