Todd Garrison

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

My name is Todd Garrison. I am a lifelong resident of Dona Ana County, extending six generations.  I have been married to Kim Garrison for 43 years, and together we have six children and 20 grandchildren, and co-own Garrison Family Farms. 

In 1985, at the age of 21, I became a New Mexico certified law enforcement officer, working for the City of Las Cruces. In 1999, I began working for the NM State Police MTD Division, and in 2005, I became the sheriff of Dona Ana County, retiring in December of 2014 after completing two elected terms as sheriff due to term limits.  

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?

I believe the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office must improve its relationship with the citizens and communities of Dona Ana County, and with its neighboring agencies. One of the first things I would change is to work with the office and its employees to redefine our goals and objectives, to become a more professional, transparent organization, restoring the faith of the community in the Sheriff's Office and our service to them.

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

The supervisors/deputies under my leadership will be involved in a community style of policing, attending community meetings to assess with residents what they feel are the most pressing needs in their area, and working with them to solve these concerns.  

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

Success would be measured by the residents of the various communities feeling their assessed needs were being resolved. Also, it would be a win to have deputies feel a renewed sense of purpose by serving the communities in this way. Additionally, in an effort to be transparent, I would make all statistics available to the public.

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?

As the sheriff, I believe we can use training to help juveniles and their parents better understand the dangers of firearms, and what misuse of a firearm can lead to. We have new laws that deal with firearms being secured in homes so that juveniles aren't able to obtain them. Training would be beneficial for parents, as well as their children.

When dealing with juveniles who have been arrested for or charged with a gun violation, I would work with the courts and juvenile probation to make sure that everything that can be done to prevent repeat offenses is being done.

I believe our law enforcement officers are doing a good job, abiding by these laws, making arrests and completing reports as required. More must be done through the courts and probation offices when these laws are violated and hold the individuals accountable for their actions.

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 that my 31+ years of experience working with the city, the county and the state have given me a great understanding of law enforcement in Dona Ana County. I was the sheriff of this county from 2005-2014, during which time, through my leadership, this office became one of the leading agencies in the state of New Mexico. 

I have a proven record of success, and I would like the opportunity to work through the Dona Ana County Sheriff's office, with its employees, other related law enforcement agencies, and the residents of this county, to once again be that leading agency in the state of New Mexico. It would be my honor to serve our community in that capacity.