Sgt. Javier Vigil said the Santa Fe Police Department’s use of armored vehicles has increased in recent years. He defended the department’s request to buy two of the vehicles as necessary in case one were out of commission for repairs.
Sgt. Blake Buford speaks about the Santa Fe Police Department’s BearCat outside the police station Monday. Multiple councilors suggested purchasing just one new armored vehicle and a bomb disposal vehicle, instead of the three requested by the police force.
Andrew Wilkins, park superintendent, uses a moisture reader to take a reading of the grass at the MRC Soccer Valley to determine when and how often to water as part of an initiative to converse more water on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Leonardo Guzman juggles a soccer ball to warm up before doing some shooting on one of the goals the morning of Monday, Aug. 12, 2024 at the MRC Soccer Valley. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Andrew Wilkins, park superintendent, takes notes on moisture readings collected at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Raven explores the grassy field at the MRC Soccer Valley alongside her owner Arturo Montes as he collects data with a compaction meter at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Jourdan Romeo cuts the grass around a light post while working with a team to maintain the fields at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Sgt. Javier Vigil said the Santa Fe Police Department’s use of armored vehicles has increased in recent years. He defended the department’s request to buy two of the vehicles as necessary in case one were out of commission for repairs.
Sgt. Blake Buford speaks about the Santa Fe Police Department’s BearCat outside the police station Monday. Multiple councilors suggested purchasing just one new armored vehicle and a bomb disposal vehicle, instead of the three requested by the police force.
Andrew Wilkins, park superintendent, uses a moisture reader to take a reading of the grass at the MRC Soccer Valley to determine when and how often to water as part of an initiative to converse more water on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Leonardo Guzman juggles a soccer ball to warm up before doing some shooting on one of the goals the morning of Monday, Aug. 12, 2024 at the MRC Soccer Valley. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Andrew Wilkins, park superintendent, takes notes on moisture readings collected at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Raven explores the grassy field at the MRC Soccer Valley alongside her owner Arturo Montes as he collects data with a compaction meter at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
Jourdan Romeo cuts the grass around a light post while working with a team to maintain the fields at the MRC Soccer Valley on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Infrastructure improvements approved by the City Council Wednesday night include $1.4 million for the Municipal Recreation Center Soccer Valley expansion project and an additional $1.5 million for new irrigation pond liners at the MRC.
City councilors approved 30 funding requests presented to them at a meeting Wednesday, including voting to approve a controversial purchase of three new police vehicles after 11 p.m.
Most of the one-time items, which focus on a wealth of areas including funding for deferred maintenance on city streets and sidewalks and totaled $37.6 million, passed without discussion as part of the council’s consent agenda. However, a few public safety-related items, notably the proposal for money for armored vehicles for the Santa Fe Police Department, drew more debate, which a number of members of the public speaking against it during public comment.
The city began looking into spending down its cash reserves after it passed its 2025 fiscal year budget in May. The council held a special meeting in late May to solicit public feedback on how to spend the money, though the final list of budget adjustment resolutions introduced in early August was nearly identical to the draft list included in the agenda documents for the May meeting.
The item that got some people riled up was $1.1 million for three new police vehicles.
Police said the two armored vehicles and a explosive ordnance disposal vehicle — two “BearCats” and one “BombCat” manufactured by Lenco Industries — are necessary to keep officers safe, but the price tag drew skepticism from some councilors.
Some residents who wrote to councilors and spoke during public comment objected to what they described as militarization of the police. Police officials have said the vehicles are specifically designed for police and are not military vehicles.
About 10 people spoke against funding the vehicles during public comment on Wednesday, while several others said they supported the item.
“It’s the city of Holy Faith, not the city of a militarized zone,” said Roberto Roybal. “We don’t have a war zone; we don’t want a war zone.”
Nikhil Ananda said if the city wants to improve public safety it should prioritize making sure the city parks and open space, transit and other departments are fully staffed and have the resources they need.
“The thing we need to invest in is not armored vehicles. … It’s people,” he said.
A proposal by Councilor Michael Garcia to amend the proposal to purchase just one of the BearCats was unsuccessful. Councilors Alma Castro and Signe Lindell were the only two to vote against buying the vehicles.
“I’d prefer for these vehicles not to be used because that would mean they were not needed,” said Councilor Jamie Cassutt. “But when we do have to use them, it’s important they are there.”
Another item proposing $750,000 for a six-month pilot program for contracted security services in the downtown area also drew criticism from several councilors who said they thought the resources were more needed in other areas of the city, though it ultimately passed.
The city created the pilot at the request of downtown business owners, who have expressed frustrations with theft and other problem behavior in and around their stores, Tourism Director Randy Randall said at the meeting.
Cassutt, who voted against the measure, said she could not support dedicating extra resources to downtown while other parts of the city struggle with the same issues.
“I am not in favor of putting extra security resources in the downtown area given the number of crime and other challenges” in the Cerrillos Road corridor and other parts of her district, she said.
Randall pushed back against the idea the pilot is directed towards the interests of tourists and not local residents, though he also said it was a “stopgap” to prevent the city from developing an image problem which would be detrimental to the tourist economy, one of the city’s main economic drivers.
Castro voted for the measure but said she was concerned more patrolling of downtown would push homeless people into other areas of the city which are already feeling overburdened.
