By Chris “Badger” Thomas at Breaking First
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Rio Rancho’s Police Department waits to see how the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act will affect officers’ work and safety.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the act, Senate Bill 5, into law Tuesday. It authorizes law enforcement to file a petition in state court to suspend access to firearms if a suspect is believed to be an imminent danger to themselves or the public.
RRPD Capt. Andrew Rodriguez said there is a lot of speculation across the state from different agencies about the law.
“We will follow the law, whatever the law of the land is,” he said.
RRPD will develop policies and protocols in compliance with the act. Developing new policies will come from observation of and interaction with the law, Rodriguez said.
“There is actually a lot to review within the extreme risk protection order. In the act, to really assess, we have to put it into play. We have to see how our officers have to deal with it before we really know if it’s going to be a challenge to us,” he said.
Rodriguez said RRPD strives to be in compliance with state and federal law and does not want to make any speculation. New Mexico is the 18th state to enact an extreme risk protection order.
Chris “Badger” Thomas is a Veteran who served our country as an Army Combat Medic.
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