Richard Rumpf is sworn in for his six-year term as Magdalena’s mayor by Municipal Judge Simon Armijo.
Submitted photo

 

In its final meeting for 2021, the Magdalena Village Board of Trustees on December 28, approved the expenditure of $15,562 requested by the Marshal’s office to be part of a crime reporting system.

The National Incident-Based Reporting System is used by law enforcement agencies across the country to improve the overall quality of crime data collected.

According to the FBI, the system captures details on each single crime incident – as well as on separate offenses within the same incident – including information on victims, known offenders, relationships between victims and offenders, arrestees and property involved in crimes.

It says the nationwide implementation of NIBRS has been deemed a top priority because it can provide more useful statistics to promote constructive discussion, measured planning and informed policing.

Magdalena Marshal Michael Zamora says the software will be used routinely by his office,

“We got a notification that all agencies were required to report data, crime statistics, to the FBI,” Zamora said. “So as a mandate, we had to get this new database software.”

He said it was much improved over previous reporting systems, “because of its ability to provide circumstances and context for crimes like location, time of day and whether the incident was cleared.”

The NIBRS software was acquired through EFORCE, a vendor out of Utah.

“They gave us a good discount on it since we’re such a small office.

“So now we’re recording everything for the FBI,” he said. “And not only does our data go into the system, but every agency throughout the state and the nation is also recording their data. Now, if there’s something that happens here in New Mexico that’s related to something happening in California, the FBI can tie it together. It establishes a new baseline that more precisely captures reported crime in a community.”

Zamora said it would also be a good tool to keep track of people running narcotics along Highway 60 from Arizona.

Mayor Rumpf said the board is looking at the upcoming legislation in regards to the village’s funding requests for 2022.

Once the legislature meets later this month, the village will be requesting Capital Outlay funding:

  • $3,500,000 for asbestos abatement and removal of BIA dorms
  • $1,200,000 for construction of water line replacement
  • $800,000 for constructing a new 100,000-gallon water storage tank.
  • $250,000 to replace aging street lights.
  • $217,000 to purchase and equip a multifunctional street grader
  • $15,000 to renovate Kids’ Science Cafe

“Things are on track, and we’re looking forward to 2022 being a phenomenal year for Magdalena,” Rumpf stated. “Hopefully they’ll get the (Trujillo) well rig up and running on schedule.”

Stewart Brothers Drilling Co. was given the nod in November to do initial work on the new supplemental well project. The well will be located approximately 350 feet from the Trujillo Well. In 2013 the Trujillo Well was rehabilitated following its failure in June of that year.

In recent business:

The board voted to support Socorro County for potential broadband application.

Approved the disposal of obsolete library computers and other equipment.

“A lot of good things are happening,” Rumpf said. “There’s a lot of positive energy in the village and we hope to maintain that through the year.”

The Village Board meets again on January 10 at 5 p.m.