Jamie Quezada

Provide a short bio of yourself and tell us how you got into public service?

I was born and raised in Doña Ana County and have dedicated my life to serving this community. I am an Army veteran with an honorable discharge, a retired Las Cruces Police Department officer with approximately 25 years in law enforcement, and I also served as Undersheriff for the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office.

Public service was never just a job to me; it was a calling. I grew up believing that leadership means protecting people, treating others with dignity, and standing up for your community during difficult times. Over the years, I’ve worked patrol, supervision, administration, and leadership roles, and those experiences taught me that public trust is earned through accountability, professionalism, and consistency.

I’m running for Sheriff because I believe the people of Doña Ana County deserve experienced leadership focused on unity, public safety, deputy support, and rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the community.

What is one thing the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office is not doing well right now—and what is the first thing you would change?

One of the biggest challenges right now is staffing and morale. Deputies are being stretched thin across a very large county, and when staffing becomes critically low, it impacts officer safety, response times, proactive policing, and ultimately public confidence.

The first thing I would focus on is rebuilding stability within the department by improving recruitment, retention, training, and internal communication. Deputies need to know their leadership supports them, listens to them, and is willing to work alongside them to solve problems.

At the same time, the public deserves transparency and visible leadership. My administration would focus on strengthening relationships both inside the agency and throughout the community so we can move forward together instead of operating divided.

What would your deputies do differently on the street under your leadership that the public would actually notice?

The public would notice more visibility, more engagement, and more professionalism through consistent community-oriented policing.

I believe deputies should not only respond to calls but also build relationships with the people they serve. Under my leadership, I want deputies more engaged with neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and community events so people feel comfortable approaching law enforcement before problems escalate.

The public would also notice a stronger emphasis on communication, accountability, and proactive policing. That means addressing crime trends early while still treating people with respect and fairness. I want residents to feel that deputies are present, approachable, and genuinely invested in protecting the community.

How would you measure whether your department is succeeding—and what numbers would you make public?

Success should be measured through both public safety outcomes and public trust. Some of the key areas I would track and make public include:

• Response times
• Staffing and vacancy levels
• Deputy retention rates
• Crime trends and clearance rates
• Community engagement efforts
• Training hours completed
• Use-of-force statistics
• School and youth outreach programs

Transparency matters. The public deserves to know how their sheriff’s office is performing, where improvements are needed, and how taxpayer resources are being used.

At the same time, success is not measured by statistics alone. It is also measured by whether the community feels safer, whether deputies feel supported, and whether relationships between law enforcement and the public are improving.

We’re seeing more incidents involving young people and guns—what specifically would you change in how the sheriff’s office handles juveniles with firearms and what is the role of the office in relation to city and state police?

This issue requires both accountability and prevention. We cannot ignore juvenile firearm offenses, but we also cannot arrest our way out of every problem involving youth.

The Sheriff’s Office should work closely with local police departments, state police, schools, probation, community organizations, and families to identify at-risk youth earlier and intervene before situations become tragedies.

I strongly support expanding youth outreach programs, school resource partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and programs that reconnect young people with positive role models and structure. At the same time, serious firearm offenses involving juveniles must still be addressed firmly and consistently to protect public safety.

The Sheriff’s Office should serve as a collaborative partner with city and state agencies. Crime does not stop at jurisdictional lines, and effective law enforcement requires communication, cooperation, and unified leadership across all agencies.

In a field this large, why are you the one candidate who should consolidate the vote—and what makes you different from the others in the race?

I believe my experience, leadership background, and approach to unity set me apart.

I have experience serving at multiple levels of law enforcement, from patrol operations to executive leadership, and I understand both the challenges deputies face on the street and the responsibilities of managing an agency.

What makes me different is that I am focused on bringing people together. This campaign is not about division or attacking others. It is about restoring trust, improving morale, strengthening public safety, and moving the Sheriff’s Office forward in a professional and accountable way.

The people of Doña Ana County deserve a Sheriff who is experienced, approachable, transparent, and willing to work with everyone, including deputies, county leadership, other agencies, and the community itself. I believe my record of service, leadership experience, and commitment to unity make me the candidate best prepared to lead the department into the future.