A contentious series of public comments at the July 21 Las Cruces City Council meeting focused on an ethics complaint and competing public perspectives about the police department and council conduct.

What happened: Juan Garcia told the council he had filed an ethics complaint after Mayor Pro Tem Bencomo accused resident Tim Jenkins of posting council members’ addresses online at a May 19 meeting. Garcia said the outside investigator who reviewed his notarized complaint concluded there was “nothing to see” and found no violation of the municipal code of ethics. He characterized the investigator’s review and the city’s response as a lack of transparency intended to protect an elected official.

Chief of Police Tim Jenkins and other speakers responded: Jenkins, speaking during public comment, thanked supporters of a recent Police Appreciation Day and said some council members were “boldface lying” about him by alleging he had posted councilors’ addresses. “Certain members of City Council can lie in council chambers and say whatever they want and never be held accountable,” Jenkins said. Other attendees voiced contrasting views: Jim Hurst said police need more accountability and criticized settlement payouts; Fred Huff read portions of a post shown at an earlier meeting and said it contained material Jenkins “probably never saw.”

Why it matters: The remarks reflect a broader community debate over police oversight, council conduct, and the handling of ethics complaints. At least one commenter said an ethics complaint was filed and later dismissed by an independent reviewer; the dismissal and the underlying allegation were both described during the public-comment period.

Discussion vs. decision: The matters were raised during public comment. Garcia said he received an official response on July 14 that the independent review counsel found no ethics violation. No formal council action or motion related to the complaint was recorded during the meeting.

Clarifying details: Juan Garcia said the alleged council accusation occurred May 19 and that his notarized ethics complaint was forwarded by the city clerk to an outside investigator; he reported the investigator’s final determination was that the complaint was without merit, and he said the investigator did not contact him or the other cited resident during the review. Chief Jenkins referred to the May 19 incident and to a petition to bring Realize Las Cruces to a resident vote that was the subject of an earlier meeting. Commenters referenced a Santa Fe New Mexican op-ed by Mayor Pro Tem Bencomo; speakers cited social-media posts discussed in prior meetings but disagreed about whether those posts published councilors’ addresses.

Ending: The council did not act during the meeting on the ethics matter. The exchange during public comment underscored tensions among some residents, police supporters and critics, and council members; speakers on both sides asked for accountability as well as transparency in the ethics-review process.