Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
The department was audited, staff tested on 220 standards on Nov. 8.
PORTALES — After a three-year process, the Portales Police Department is once again a state-accredited facility — a distinction that brings a smile to Chief Pat Gallegos’ face.
According to Gallegos, the accreditation was awarded Dec. 8 by the New Mexico Municipal League at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Conference in Albuquerque and serves as official proof that the department has a solid set of standards with which all officers and staff are in compliance.
When he became police chief three years ago, Gallegos said the department began revising policies and procedures to comply with state standards.
“After the policies are implemented, there’s training of the officers on different topics to make sure we’re abiding by the policies,” he said.
After the department was on solid ground, auditors with the New Mexico Municipal League visited on Nov. 8 to perform assessments, testing staff on 220 standards that must be implemented into the policies.
According to Gallegos, the standards included budget issues, purchasing, dispatching and patrol.
“One of the biggest ones that we had accomplished was the evidence room. They actually went in and checked the evidence. They kind of did a mini-audit kind of deal where they asked for so much evidence, and our evidence custodian had to go in there and provide proof that we still had maintained that, and, if we didn’t have it, what record shows why it got disposed,” he said.
Gallegos added that the most difficult part of the accreditation process was implementing new policy and instilling it in employees across all levels of the department.
“You’ve got to make sure that every officer knows the policy and is abiding by the policy, and you’ve got to make sure the sergeants know the policy and are making sure that the policy is followed,” said Gallegos.
He expressed relief at the fact that the department had finally earned the accreditation, but he said the process of maintaining adherence to the new policies has just begun.
“Now it’s time to maintain that accreditation and make sure we’re following policies every day,” he said, adding that the men and women of the PPD were responsible for attaining such a high standard.
