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After public hearing, council keeps police and fire reporting to city manager and retains 'Community Health and Safety' name
Summary
Following a public hearing with dozens of public comments, the Santa Fe governing body voted to adopt changes clarifying department alignments but amended the ordinance to keep the Community Health and Safety department name and to preserve direct reporting lines from police and fire to the city manager.
The Santa Fe governing body on Feb. 26 held a public hearing and finalized an ordinance that clarifies departmental reporting for police and fire while preserving the Community Health and Safety department name. The council adopted the ordinance as amended after a lengthy public comment period and debate.
Why it matters: Several residents and local advocates urged the council not to reduce community oversight or create perceived distance between police and civilian oversight. Council sponsors said the ordinance’s objective was administrative clarity — to align the city code with how the departments have been operating in practice and to ensure the city manager retains direct oversight over police and fire.
What happened in the hearing: Dozens of members of the public spoke, including residents and local advocates who urged the council to retain or even strengthen civilian oversight of policing.…
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