Cops can’t get folks to be cops

Santa Fe Police Department's officer shortage is a self-perpetuating problem

Nobody wants to be a cop

Recruitment efforts by the Santa Fe Police Department are "running on fumes" ($ TNM), and a report by the National Police Foundation says it will be a self-perpetuating problem. Officers who are doing too much work to make up for 31 vacancies in the department (which would ideally have 173 officers but that could need as many as 192) don't have any time to do necessary things that would get folks to submit their applications, "such as community outreach, attending hiring events, and developing a more robust recruitment plan."

Can’t fix it if you don’t know about it

Descartes Labs, the data analytics firm that recently set up shop at the corner of West Alameda and Guadalupe streets, will help the state start tracking methane emissions in the Permian Basin, where an oil boom is … well, booming. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has a goal of reducing New Mexico's greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next 12 years; "to do that, New Mexico needs detailed information on how much methane is being emitted and exactly where it's coming from, something Descartes Labs is uniquely positioned to compile." The firm will track emissions through through public and private sources ($ TNM) such as satellite data, aerial platforms and ground sensors, something that pretty much hasn't been done until now.

Pour the wine

Well, that backfired: After former Lt. Gov. Diane Denish called for a boycott of an Albuquerque winery that hosted a Latinos for Trump gathering, the business has seen a sudden surge in sales. The day after it hosted the event (and the day Denish told folks to stay away) "was the biggest Wednesday in our history," said John Calvin, owner of Casa Rondeña.

Tighten it up

Water advocacy group Amigos Bravos and the Western Environmental Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the EPA over water pollution downstream from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The group is asking the EPA to regulate urban stormwater runoff from LANL, the Los Alamos and White Rock, runoff includes mercury, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls and gross alpha radiation.

Colorblind court?

Your Friday long-read from SFR comes via writer Katherine Lewin, who reports on upcoming changes (or lack thereof) at Santa Fe's Municipal Court. Notably, Judge Virginia Vigil says that the court currently does not track the race or ethnicity of its defendants, and that as a result, "it's not possible for (the) court to prey on minority neighborhoods." Justice advocate Christine Cole calls the view "naive at best."

Names released

The FBI has at last released the names of two men found dead in Taos Pueblo three months ago, and is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to their killer. If you or someone you know has info about the deaths of Antonio "Tony" Romero and his son Buck Romero, call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or use the online form at tips.fbi.gov.

Candidates get talking

Housing and development dominated the conversation at a Q&A with Santa Fe City Council candidates yesterday evening. Even the questions that weren't directly about housing turned back toward the subject; when asked about taxes, candidates quickly referenced that short-term rentals and part-time residents should see their rates hiked. The environment was also a popular topic.

It was all (not) yellow

It's cooling off in our neck of the woods for the weekend and the first part of next week, with temps for the weekend predicted in the high 70s. Also, has anyone else noticed that not a single tree is starting to go yellow yet? What's up with that?

Thanks for reading! The Word is currently wearing fuzzy slippers and sitting in a kitschy cabin in Red River, New Mexico … and if you aren't jealous, you absolutely should be.

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