8-07-2024 12:58am

Alamogordo Police Hire 2 New Officers Plan Crime Watch Meeting

Chris Edwards Editor

New Officers Sworn In - Police Chief L-R Chief David Kunihiro, Officer Angel Medina, Officer Pierson Villa, Judge David Overstreet

At a recent Alamogordo City Commission meeting Alamogordo Police Chief David Kunihiro answered questions about crime rate increases and committed to engaging the public in a community crime watch program. The APD has now set a date and time for a public information meeting to be hosted at the Willie Estrada Community Center. The meeting is scheduled for August 14th, 2024 at 6:30 pm. A discussion od what is required to create a community watch and the packages to create one will be presented. The goal of the police is to create multiple citizen driven community watch zones. Alamogordo previously had a community watch program with up to 22 community watch captains but over the years it fell to the wayside and crime has peaked as a result of a lack of community engagement and a disconnect with local authorities.

Under the leadership of police chief Kunihiro who was hired for the role of chief approximately a year ago the department has progressed in hiring additional staff, he secured salary increases and incentives from the city commission to improve hiring and is now attempting to better engage wirh the community via recruitment of citizen involvement via community watch programs.

The cheif also reported the hiring this week of two new officers; Officer Pierson Villa and Officer Angel Medina joining thr team.
Officer Villa is a current APD employee, transferring from a position as a Police Service Aide to a Police Officer. He will soon attend the academy to become certified.
Officer Medina joins the department as a New Mexico certified officer from Las Cruces.

The Alamogordo Police Department under chief Kunihiro has committed to more engagement and transparency to partner woth the community and lower crime.