Hobbs police and fire chiefs respond to newspaper allegations; police department earns state accreditation

Police Chief August Fonz told the commission he "vehemently disagree[s] with any allegation that this organization is racist or exclusive in any way," calling recent newspaper articles about the Hobbs Police Department "one-sided" and urging anyone with questions to contact the department directly. Chief Fonz said HPD's mission and values require professionalism and accountability and described steps the department takes when standards are breached.

City Manager Gomez said the commission received a debriefing from Roberta Baca, the assessment team leader, and reported that the Hobbs Police Department earned reaccreditation from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Standards Council through the New Mexico Municipal League for another three years. Gomez said the statewide accreditation program began in 2002 and covers more than 219 standards across administration, operations, personnel and training.

A representative of the Hobbs Fire Department also addressed the commission and reaffirmed the department's commitment to transparency and service. The fire remarks urged residents to seek information directly from the department and said firefighters take pride in "preservation, education, and professionalism."

Why it matters: public confidence in policing and emergency services is a high-salience civic issue. The accreditation and the chiefs' public statements respond directly to recent media reports and were presented during the commission meeting to inform the public and the commission.

Fonz criticized a three-article series published in the Hobbs News-Sun (author Christina Holt) headlined on Dec. 29, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, which he summarized as alleging a "culture of racism," a "good old boy system" and a "history of leadership issues." He called those characterizations "simply not true" and described officers' community service, training and outreach work. "We are a professional organization with highly trained men and women committed to the city of Hobbs," Fonz said.

Gomez said the accreditation process aims to strengthen crime prevention, ensure nondiscriminatory personnel practices, and boost confidence in agencies. He thanked the assessment team for a "glowing evaluation" and noted the department met more than 220 standards that were reviewed.

The chiefs' remarks drew supportive comments from commissioners who said they respected the work of both departments. No formal actions were taken on the matter during the meeting.