(Deming) – The Luna County Crime Stoppers organization has 
expanded its program to allow for anonymous texting tips.

Luna County Dispatch Director Jon Mooradian said they are now utilizing  TipSoft, a service for people to anonymously submit crime-related tips through  the internet, a text message, or by downloading the TipSubmit app to their  mobile phone.

All tips are routed to Canada, stripped of any identity such as a phone  number or email address, given a tip number for
reference, and routed back to  local law enforcement.

State Police Captain Robert Gomez said the process takes only  seconds.

Previously, tips were submitted by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at  546-7800.

Mooradian said the tip line remains open, but now all calls to it are  being routed to a call center out of state where the information will be entered  into the Luna County TipSoft database.

Mooridian said it is difficult to remain anonymous in a small town when  the tips are being received by local dispatchers.In fact, there was an incident last year  where a local
dispatcher was accused of leaking an anonymous tip to a suspect.

 He said the TipSoft system has a high threshold for anonymity, which he  hopes will result in more tips being communicated to help combat crime in Luna  County.
Anonymous tips can be submitted by visiting www.lunacountynm.us or by texting LUNATIP plus your message to CRIMES – or 274637.

Residents also can sign up for TipSoft Alerts that allow local law  enforcement personnel to send emergency information straight to their cell phone  or email.

Log on to www.tipsoft.com and look for the public alert link.

(Las Cruces-Deming) The verdict is in for a Deming family accused of selling guns to a Mexican Drug Cartel member. 
KOB-TV is reporting that the parents and two sons, owners of local Deming business New Deal Shooting Sports, have been found not guilty of gun smuggling charges.  

Rick Reese, his wife Terri Reese and their two sons Ryin and Remington Reese were charged for selling weapons and ammunition from the family gun store in Deming.  One of the sons, Remington Reese has been acquitted on all charges.

However, Rick, Terri and Ryin Reese were found guilty on much lesser charges including making false statements.  But again the family has been found NOT guilty on the most serious gun smuggling charges.  Additional information will follow.
*photos from Luna County Detention Center - Las Cruces Sun News

(Deming) – The Deming Police  Department has been given an “F” when it comes to preventing racial profiling, but Chief Michael Carillo says the grade is unfair.     

Deming is listed among   the 78% of law enforcement agencies in the state that reportedly have not complied with regulations established by state  law to prevent racial profiling, according to a report released  Thursday.

The report, published by the  NAACP of New Mexico and  immigrant advocacy group Somos Un Pueblo Unido, revealed  that the majority of New Mexico’s departments are not complying with the basic  requirements established by the law approved in 2009.
 
Those requirements make police  departments update their rules, publish them and have them available to the  public.
Also, departments must keep forms  available so people can file complaints if they feel they’ve been the victims of  racial
discrimination.

But Carillo said not  only has the Deming Police Department had a policy against racial profiling for  some time… but that policy was recently updated with the department’s efforts to  become accredited by the New Mexico Municipal League.     
Carillo said he submitted information and forms on the departments’ process for dealing with complaints about officers in April to the two groups… and told the representative that the Deming department was in the process of revising its policy against racial profiling and he would submit that once completed.

Carillo submitted the  completed revised policy by fax on June 6th… and said the grade of  “F” is unfair.

(Deming) – Misdemeanor charges have been filed on two local dispatchers for allegedly releasing Crime Stoppers information to non-law enforcement
personnel.  
     27-year-old Julie Avila and 30-year-old Michelle Flores have been charged under a confidentiality statute that applies to unlawfully and intentionally releasing confidential information gained through a program relating to criminal
activity.
     The state statute appears to be specifically aimed at maintaining the integrity of anonymous crime prevention and intervention programs such as Crime
Stoppers.
      A statement of probable cause  filed in Luna County Magistrate Court says Avila and Flores released  confidential information obtained through the local Crime Stoppers tip line to  non-law enforcement personnel.
      The Crime Stoppers line – 546-7800 – is billed as being anonymous with calls never recorded or traced.  It is set up to allow persons to report crimes without
repercussions, and sometimes with a financial reward incentive.
     The two dispatchers reportedly have been let go of their jobs at Central Dispatch.