SB 13 PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT BUREAU

Sen Antonio "Moe" Maestas

Actions: [1] SCC/SJC/SFC-SCC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 Senate Bill 13 (SB 13) creates the Public Safety Recruitment Bureau (PSRB) of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA); provides powers and duties; provides for the development of a centralized public safety recruitment website to advertise employment opportunities; provides for the development of a media campaign to recruit law enforcement and telecommunicator career candidates; creates an advisory committee; requires law enforcement agencies to have plans to recruit more women into law enforcement and to provide mentorship and peer assistance programs for newly trained and other law enforcement officers; includes telecommunicators in the law enforcement retention fund; provides funding for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Standards and Training Council (NMLESTC) to develop new curricula for telecommunicators; and makes appropriations. 

 Senate Bill 13 (SB 13) creates the Public Safety Recruitment Bureau (PSRB) of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA); provides powers and duties; provides for the development of a centralized public safety recruitment website to advertise employment opportunities; provides for the development of a media campaign to recruit law enforcement and telecommunicator career candidates; creates an advisory committee; requires law enforcement agencies to have plans to recruit more women into law enforcement and to provide mentorship and peer assistance programs for newly trained and other law enforcement officers; includes telecommunicators in the law enforcement retention fund; provides funding for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Standards and Training Council (NMLESTC) to develop new curricula for telecommunicators; and makes appropriations.

The Law Enforcement Retention Fund (LERF) is to provide retention differential disbursements for telecommunicators meeting certain levels of tenure. The fund was previously only for law enforcement officers. Related requirements and restrictions are detailed.

Definitions of “law enforcement officer”, “safety agency”, and “telecommunicator” are added and/or refined.

The PSRB is created to assist in recruitment and retention. Agencies are required to advertise employment opportunities via web site, and rules for the web sites are established. The RSRB is also charged with developing a comprehensive media campaign to attract applicants.
The Secretary of Public Safety is to appoint an advisory committee to advise the RSRB on its web site and media campaign developments. Committee member composition is prescribed.

The RSRB is to develop mentoring guidelines and assist agencies in developing their own mentoring, coaching and peer assistance programs.
All law enforcement agencies must prepare a plan to recruit from underrepresented groups to ensure diversity.

Certification of law enforcement training facilities must be certified with the approval of the Law Enforcement Certification Board (previously approval came from the NMLEA board of directors.

The following amounts are appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety, for these purposes:

•	five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for PSRB salaries and benefits; and office space, equipment, furniture and supplies; 

•	two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the development and implementation of the centralized law enforcement and telecommunicator recruitment web site. 

•	five million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($5,250,000) for the development and implementation of the recruitment media strategy, including media consultants and advertising purchases; 

•	three hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($325,000) for the public safety recruitment bureau to work with law enforcement agencies and school districts to plan and offer outreach programs and field trips to the NMLEA to encourage female high school students to pursue law enforcement careers; 

•	two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the PSRB to adopt guidelines and assist law enforcement agencies to implement mentoring, coaching and peer assistance programs; 

•	five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to expand the LERF to include public safety telecommunicators; and 

•	three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the NMLESTC to develop new basic and in-service training for telecommunicators.
 

 The PSRB does not currently exist. The goals of the proposed bureau will not be met if the bill does not pass or will have to be met via other means. Further, the additional recruitment support for telecommunicators will not be authorized; the certification authority for law enforcement training facilities will not be updated/changed; and specific requirements for recruitment will not be added. 

 Senate Bill 87 (SB 87) - Law Enforcement Retirement Changes