The Mesilla Marshal’s Department has been under a new administration and a new philosophy for the past year. Marshal Jeff Gray, Mayor Nora L. Barraza and Board of Trustees have been instilling a belief that the Town comes first. The Marshal’s Department believes that with this new direction Public Safety will be at the top of the list. The department currently has 6 certified law enforcement officers and 1 reserve officer. The Marshal’s Department has been implementing grants totaling approximatley $230,000.00 from Safer New Mexico, Dona Ana County Health and Human Services and The Department of Homeland Security. These grants will make it possible for the department to place additional officers on the streets with additional equipment to help deter drinking and driving and as a second tier of the Border Security. This will allow the department to activily support Operation Stongarden and assist the Customs and Border Protection in the areas of drug and human smuggling coming out of Mexico also with illegal weapons and money entering Mexico. The grants have assisted the department in purchasing much needed equipment that has not been avaliable such as video equipment, computers, radars and protective gear. Additionally these grants will also allow the department to pay for the up-keep of the current fleet. All of these factors, the dilegence of the officers and the support of the town government will make Mesilla a safer place for it’s residence and for the visiting community.
The department will continue to run patrol operations 24/7 to include traffic enforcement, investigations, a dedicated School Resource Officer and to assist the Safe Routes to School program. For Police and Fire assistance anyone can call 911 for emergencies or 575-526-0795 for non-emergencies 24/7. The Mesilla Public Safety Building located at 2670 Calle De Parian and is encouraging the public to please contact the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority with calls for service including reports, crash reports, release of vehicle tows and animal control concerns. The public safety building no longer has secretarial services, however the office number is 575-526-4138 and messages may be left.