Roswell Daily Record
RPD hopes to start 2014 fully staffed THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 122, No. 295 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell Police Chief Phil Smith announced during the Police Committee meeting Monday that the RPD hopes to have full staff in place by January. Currently, the police have 11 openings, However, there are five officers who should start within the next 30 days, an additional two who may be able to start in the next 30 days, two in the process of evaluations, and seven who passed testing last month. Crime statistics indicate that homicides are up with six recorded last year in December and nine this year. However, Smith noted that the homicides are not ran-
December 10, 2013
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dom events. Robberies are down, with 42 reported last year at this time and 30 in December 2013. Nonviolent crimes against persons are down with 600 last year versus 418 recorded this year. Burglary and larceny have increased. Motor vehicle theft has doubled this year while graffiti is down almost 50 percent. Smith believes that with a return to full staff that RPD forces can work toward the goal of preventing crime. He also provided an update on last week’s mass arrests of 30 people on charges of drug trafficking. He reported that following the arrests one person turned himself in to authorities. “Only four escaped our nets, but we arrested six additional people.” He told the committee that the
drugs and guns collected were incidental to the arrests. The primary goal was to get criminals off the streets and send a message to the community. City Councilor and Police Committee chairman Savino Sanchez expressed concern that the recent raid would reinforce the impression that Roswell was an unsafe to live, although he agreed that it sent a strong message to the community that Roswell was tough on crime. “We have to change that image,” said Sanchez and he mentioned the recent Neighborhood Watch meeting as a step in the right direction of creating a positive image. Smith concurred, saying: “We have to be pro-active and stop
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crime before it happens. Mayor Del Jurney added: “So many of the crimes we have are repeats. We’re interested in the deferment of crime.” The committee discussed the influence of the new police attorney, Paul Sanchez, and Councilor Sanchez asked if the RPD felt they needed to expand his hours. Deputy Chief Brad McFadin said the attorney’s efforts had already had a positive influence and he agreed that increasing Paul Sanchez’s hours from half time, twenty hours a week, would help considerably. Two representatives of local towing services, Rudy’s and Remco, spoke to the group to discuss the harm done by unlicensed metal recyclers, who often
have a number of cars in their compounds which still have active liens. It was pointed out that there were five licensed recycling centers and nearly double that number of unlicensed recycling centers. Buddy Dickman of Remco Towing asked the city to pay close attention to the licensing status of any group. He said that if the tow truck came to the scene of an accident and did not have the name, address and license number on the side of the vehicle then they were operating illegally Nick Mendez of Rudy’s Towing said that they have a VIN inspector on their lot who can assess the status of any vehicle brought into their facility. Both felt the committee needed
P&Z Committee to consider medical pot shop ban today JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
AP Photo
This undated file photo made available by Google shows the campus-network room at a data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. With the cooperation of foreign allies, the NSA is potentially gaining access to every email sent or received abroad, or between people abroad, from Google and Yahoo’s email services, as well as anything in Google Docs, Maps or Voice, according to a series of articles in the Washington Post.
Tech companies lash out at snooping WASHINGTON (AP) — Silicon Valley is escalating pressure on President Barack Obama to curb the U.S. government surveillance programs that vacuum per-
sonal information off the Internet and threaten the technology industry’s financial livelihood. A coalition that includes Google, Apple, Ya h o o , F a c e b o o k a n d
Microsoft lashed out in an open letter printed Monday in major newspapers and a new website, http://reformgovernmentsurveillance. com.
The crusade united eight companies that often compete fier cely against each other, but
See SNOOPING, Page A3
The city’s Planning and Zoning Committee will consider recommending changes today to a city ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits. If approved, the change would be forwarded to City Council for approval Thursday. Staff reports released Monday show that last month committee members and Councilors Jimmy Craig, Jason Perry and Savino Sanchez discussed federal and state regulations, and concerns about marijuana possession laws. According to the draft minutes taken at the Nov. 5 meeting, Planning Director Michael Vickers told the committee allowing medial marijuana distribution centers as special uses may violate state regulations because special uses are required to be advertised, while medical marijuana distribution centers must remain anonymous. City Manager Larry Fry told members it would be difficult to sanction an activity deemed illegal by the federal government. City Attorney Barbara Patterson said they could be placed under a compatible agricultural or storage use. “The committee members stated they were in favor of removing medical marijuana distribution centers from the ordinance,” according to the draft minutes. Robert Pack, of the Southeast New Mexico Medical Cannabis Alliance, said a dispensary in Roswell would directly benefit the estimated 300 to 400 rural patients in the region. “The Southeast New Mexico Medical Cannabis Alliance
Congress renews Daughter prays for return of mother’s ashes undetectable gun ban
WASHINGTON (AP) — Narrowly beating a midnight deadline, Congress voted Monday to renew an expiring ban on plastic firearms that can evade airport detection machines. But Republicans blocked an effort to toughen the restrictions — the latest defeat for gun-control forces in the year since the grade school massacre in Newtown, Conn. President Barack Obama signed the law before midnight, using an auto pen as he traveled to Africa for ceremonies honoring the late South African President Nelson Mandela. The device Obama used to sign the bill has been used for the signatures of traveling presidents since the administration of President George W. Bush. By voice vote, the Senate gave final congressional approval to a 10-year extension of the prohibition against guns that can slip past metal detectors and X-ray machines. The House voted last week for an identical See BAN, Page A3
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Deborah Calderon hopes police can confirm if they have recovered her mother’s ashes that were stolen from a minivan last week. “I can’t sleep at night,” Calderon said. “I’m praying she’s not in a dumpster somewhere.” Her sister’s vehicle was parked at the Motel 6 at 3307 N. Main St. when Calderon said a thief stole the ashes, which were kept in a black box. The minivan was unlocked. Two video games were
See P&Z, Page A3
also stolen. “I assume they probably thought it was a Christmas present,” Calderon said. The deceased, Sondra Slooten, died in June 2008. Calderon, of Roswell, is the oldest of Slooten’s four children. They planned to eventually take her remains to libSee ASHES, Page A3
Jill McLaughlin Photo
Debra Calderon stands with her son on Monday. Her mother's ashes were stolen from her sister's minivan last week.
As a young student, President Obama drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela WASHINGTON (AP) — The comparisons ar e perhaps inevitable. President Barack Obama and for mer South African leader Nelson Mandela each served as their nation’s first black president, living symbols of struggles to overcome AP Photo
President Barack Obama, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, waves prior to boarding Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday, before traveling to South Africa for a memorial service in honor of Nelson Mandela.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
• ANTHONY BLOISE • SHERI HEINE MAGILL
deep-seated racial tensions. Each was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But as Obama pr epar es to honor Mandela at a memorial service Tuesday in South Africa, people close to the U.S. president say he is well-aware that his rapid rise through America’s political ranks pales in comparison to Mandela’s 27 years in prison fighting against a repressive government that brutally enforced laws that enshrined racial discrimination. Rather than view himself as a
• JUSTON L. PATTY • MADELINE WHITLEY ISON
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B4
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 GENERAL ...............A2
counterpart to Mandela, Obama has said he sees himself as one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Mandela’s life. “Like so many ar ound the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live, I will do what I can to learn from him,” Obama said in somber remarks after Mandela died last week at the age of 95. See MANDELA, Page A3
INDEX HOROSCOPES .........B6
OPINION .................A4
NATION..................B4
WEATHER ..............A8
LOTTERIES .............A2
SPORTS .................B1