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Sheriff’s office reports 1,400+ welfare checks after county’s $250,000 overtime allocation
Summary
Sheriff John Allen and undersheriff reported to the Board of County Commissioners that $250,000 in overtime funding has supported deputies’ welfare checks at schools, clinics and places of worship and other community engagement efforts, producing 1,434 welfare checks, 4,114 hours of work and 233 school sporting-event presences to date.
Sheriff John Allen and the undersheriff updated the Bernalillo County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 11 about how $250,000 the commission allocated in the FY2024 budget was used to fund overtime for community engagement activities.
The sheriff’s office said the funds supported deputies assigned to welfare checks at schools, clinics and places of worship and to increased presence at school sporting events and in high-crime areas such as Old Town Albuquerque. The undersheriff reported the program produced 1,434 welfare checks, 4,114 hours of duty and 233 school sporting events attended since the funding was made available.
Why it matters: The county provided a targeted allocation to increase law-enforcement presence at youth events and other community sites. Commissioners said the proactive presence helps make families and youth feel safer and can deter crime at public gatherings.
Details presented: Undersheriff Haredino (presenting for the sheriff’s office) said deputies conducting welfare checks are required to leave their vehicles and, if the facility is open, enter. He explained that deputies performed multiple checks in two-hour blocks to cover clinics, churches and schools. The sheriff’s office described arrests, recovered stolen vehicles and an Old Town operation as outcomes of the extra patrols.
January activity and data: The undersheriff told commissioners that January alone included 41 welfare checks and 545 hours spent on the initiative; the office also noted 238 sporting events in its aggregate counts and said many of the sporting-event presences were school-related.
Commissioner response and next steps: Commissioners thanked the sheriff’s office and asked staff to remember the program when the county prepares its upcoming budget; finance and county-manager staff were asked to consider whether funding should be continued. No formal action or appropriation was taken at the meeting.
Ending: Commissioners praised deputies for the work and asked county budget staff to consider funding options as the initial allocation nears exhaustion.
