While much of the Bayard City Council’s Monday meeting was spent in discussion with the city’s auditor and with state Sen. Siah Correa Hemphill and state Rep. Luis Terrazas, the council also approved significant pay raises for members of the city’s Police Department, sparking protest from other city employees. Additionally, the council approved a $20,000 contract with Daigle Law Group to draft policies and procedures for the Police Department.
Over the last several years, it has become increasingly difficult for Mining District communities to maintain fully staffed police departments, and even with the rare full staff, employee turnover and misconduct among officers have been common.
While Bayard Mayor Chon Fierro and councilors have repeatedly emphasized the importance of restaffing the city’s department, finding certified applicants has not been easy. At the moment, the department has but one officer: Sgt. Jesse Lopez.
In light of a limited applicant pool and the rate at which former officers were either fired or moved on to work for other agencies that could offer better pay, the council decided it needed to “stop barking,” as Councilor Eloy Medina put it, and take definitive action toward securing a fully staffed department.
Councilors Frances Gonzales and Medina both proposed increased salary ranges, but the council ultimately voted to approve Medina’s, which were higher.
“For chief, I’d like to see him at $34 an hour,” Medina said. “I want to work on patrol....
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