Law enforcement carries out bench warrant raids

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Federal, state and tribal law enforcement combined resources Friday and arrested nearly 75 people before noon.

A bench warrant operation spearheaded by New Mexico State Police Friday targeted 155 McKinley County suspects.

Bench warrants are issued any time a criminal suspect fails to meet his or her legal obligations to the state, such as failing to appear at a court hearing ... or if a probationer fails to meet the conditions of his or her release. A bench warrant can be issued for something as minor as an unpaid ticket, if the recipient failed to appear in court in lieu of paying the ticket outright.

“The most important thing is to clear pending cases,” New Mexico State Police Lt. Eric Garcia said Friday. “The judicial system is very backed up right now.”

State police District 6, which includes Grants and Gallup, accounts for about 1,800 of state police bench warrants, according to Garcia. But Friday’s operation targeted specific offenses: narcotics offenders; sex offenders; probation and parole absconders; and DWI absconders. A total of 93 people were arrested, 20 of whom apparently heard about the operation beforehand and turned themselves in Thursday night, according to Garcia.

“It’s embarrassing to be arrested in front of your friends and family,” Garcia said.

In order to execute the operation, state police enrolled Gallup Police Department, Navajo Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshal Service. A total of about 95 officers started work at 5 a.m. Friday, by knocking on front doors of people known to have an outstanding warrant.

Capt. Steve Silversmith with Gallup McKinley Adult Detention Center said Friday that about 240 people were incarcerated at the jail before the operation; maximum occupancy is about 360. Police said men and women arrested on bench warrants Friday were being allowed to go before a judge for immediate arraignment and bond-setting, as magistrate judges became available between regularly-scheduled cases.

“This was an excellent multiagency operation,” Gallup Police Detective Lt. Rick White said Friday.