Sheriffs praise progress, support continued modernization at New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy

New Mexico Department of Public Safety leadership, including representatives from the Law Enforcement Academy, recently attended the 2026 Sheriffs' Association Conference in Ruidoso, where they shared updates, heard directly from sheriffs, and strengthened partnerships focused on law enforcement training and support.

In her opening ceremony remarks, Deputy Cabinet Secretary Sylvia Serna emphasized the importance of collaboration across New Mexico's public-safety system. That commitment carried throughout the conference, as several sheriffs joined Serna, Law Enforcement Academy Director Fabian Valdez, and Deputy Directors Jessica Arballo and Jason Foster for a question-and-answer session focused on academy modernization, the department's Forensic Laboratories, and the Law Enforcement Records Bureau.

From left to right: DPS Deputy Cabinet Secretary Sylvia Serna, LEA Director Fabian Valdez and LEA Deputy Director of Training Jason Foster.

"No law-enforcement agency can succeed alone," said Serna. "State Police, sheriffs' offices, local agencies, courts, prosecutors, forensic professionals, and other partners all form a single public-safety system."

Serna highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen academy training, modernize curricula, improve instructor standards, and ensure coursework reflects current law, constitutional standards, and real-world policing. She also discussed efforts to strengthen forensic laboratory capacity and records systems, including a new statewide missing-person portal expected to launch in 2027.

"We're committed to strengthening the support behind the badge, so New Mexico's law-enforcement professionals have the people, resources, information, and systems they need to serve their communities lawfully and effectively," said Serna.

Jessica Arballo, deputy director of operations for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy speaks during the Q&A session at the 2026 Sheriffs' Association Conference.

Sheriffs back direction

Sheriffs expressed support for the academy's progress and for efforts already underway for modernization of the overall training curriculum and processes.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said his agency has been pleased with the preparation its cadets have recently received.

"We've sent multiple cadets through the DPS Academy, and we've been very satisfied with the training that they've come out with. There's very little follow-up training that we need to do with them," he said. "It seems like they're acclimated, they're ready to go - street ready. Putting in different aspects and different points of view, and different professions, like judges and attorneys (as instructors for the legal block) - will only benefit the cadets. I think it's a good thing.

"I would really encourage other sheriffs to engage with DPS and maybe go to the training academy to see what they're doing there."

The academy recently announced and implemented a new 68-hour legal training block focused on criminal and civil law applications. The training is part of the more than 700-plus hours of classroom and practical instruction required of police officers, with cadets from police and sheriff's departments along with the New Mexico State Police already completing the new block.

McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano III.

"That was one of the areas that we asked be addressed," said McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano III of the legal block at the academy. (Previously) "When they (officers) got to court they didn't know how to testify on a traffic ticket, they didn't know how to do a police officer prosecuted case on a misdemeanor that the district attorney's office wasn't going to pick up.

"They've got to know how to prepare their evidence. They've got to know how to provide discovery, and then they need to know how to present their own case and testify to their case or possibly even question a witness for those petty misdemeanor cases. Seeing them being able to do that is at the top of our list."

Mora County Sheriff Americk Padilla.

Mora County Sheriff Americk Padilla agreed:

"The law is basically the foundation," he said. "The law is what law enforcement is founded on, as well as the Constitution. "I just had a conversation with the new director (of the academy) and others and like I told them, 'if we can come with 200 problems, and without one solution, we're failing ourselves, and we're failing the system.' I came into the discussion with some challenges and we discussed some solutions. That's what I like to see - brainstorming and strategizing a way that we will be able to fix it.

"Once you are out there, you're dealing with every day-life scenarios. If you're unable to take what you learn at the training facility out to the real world, we're just doing a disservice not only to our cadets, but to the community members or constituents as well, so those adjustments and problem-solving is very important."

With plans to modernize other classes/curriculums at the academy, county sheriffs in New Mexico are pleased overall with the direction.

Sierra County Sheriff Joshua Baker.

"I supported the training bill that went to the legislature this last session so we could keep our reoccurring training up-to-date and get away from some of the same classes we've been taking for 20 years now," said Sierra County Sheriff Joshua Baker. "We need to keep moving in that direction."

As for the legal block, that transition has already taken place in partnership with Central New Mexico Community College, and Baker is excited about the progress.

"I think it's critical especially with the trends we're seeing, with the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and the increase in liabilities. Everything's getting filed under that now, and it's kind of the Wild West in the civil litigation area right now. I think the better trained and the better educated our officers are across the state, the more we can mitigate those liabilities."

From left to right: Hidalgo County Lieutenant Joseph Flores and Hidalgo County Sheriff William Chadborn.

Hidalgo County Sheriff William Chadborn added: "We must stay in touch with the new changes in the law, because if we don't, we can get in trouble. It's very important. Our deputies that just recently went through the training seem well prepared."

Lincoln County Sheriff Mike Wood, who attended the Santa Fe academy in the 1990s, said he was encouraged by the department's commitment to strengthening its training program.

From left to right: Lincoln County Undersheriff Alex Trujillo and Sheriff Mike Wood.

"It was promising to hear the (Deputy Cabinet) Secretary say that they're working on the curriculum at the LEA. That's huge for us and for any agency in this state," said Wood. "To me, the Santa Fe Academy is hallowed ground - where it should be. We have not farmed it out or sent anybody to any other academy."

Story by New Mexico Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer John Heil. Photos by DPS Media Relations Unit - Payton Santillanes.