The Military Order of the World Wars is a patriotic nonpartisan organization that was established in 1919 to promote the welfare of the United States that provides an opportunity for officers of all of the federal uniformed services to unite in a strong program to promote national security, patriotism, good citizenship and service to country. The MOWW is comprised of over 120 Chapters across the nation.

On Saturday, February 11, 2012, twenty Police Explorers from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, Motor Transportation Police Explorer Post #2003 competed in the Border Challenge Criminal Justice Competition, sponsored by the Horizon High School Criminal Justice program in Horizon City Texas. A total of 8 teams participated in the competition, which was judged by representatives from the El Paso County Sheriff’s and Constable’s Dept.

The competition consisted of six different events with participants competing in both team and individual categories. The events consisted of low risk traffic stops, high risk/felony traffic stops, fingerprint lifting and identification, obstacle course, robbery in progress response, and SWAT/Hostage resolution.

The one day competition culminated with the awards presentation, where the Motor Transportation Police Explorer Post #2003 walked away victorious by earning the highest combined score in the competition and being awarded the Championship Cup in addition to 1st place in felony traffic stops, fingerprint lifting and identification, obstacle course and SWAT/Hostage resolution and 2nd and 3rd place in the female obstacle course.

Police Explorer Post #2003 is organized under the Boy Scouts of America Learning for Life program and sponsored by the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police in conjunction with the Gadsden Independent School District’s criminal justice program. Open to young men and women between the ages of 14 to 20, Police Explorers are required to attend an 85 hour police academy which challenges each cadet both academically and physically, while instilling pride, discipline and self-confidence. Upon successful completion of training, each cadet earns the title of “Police Explorer” and is awarded their badge and certificate of completion.

Police Explorer Post #2003 is now working toward raising $10,000 to sponsor 15 Explorers to participate and compete in the 2012 National Police Explorer competition which will be held in Denver, Colorado from July 16 to July 21, 2012. This conference not only allows the Explorers the opportunity to network and interact with their peers, but more importantly, it also gives them the opportunity of a week of team and individual competitions, seminars, demonstrations, exhibits, recreation and fun.

Names of participants as they appear in the photograph: Rear Row (L to R): Instructor Ernest Najera, Vanessa Flores, Jesus Medrano, Jorge Velasco, Javier Casares, Jonathan Arrieta, Esmeralda Ochoa, Erik Botello, Vivianne Rutiaga, Jorge Perez, Yuseff Lockett, Cristal Quinonez, Edgar Castaneda, Jeniffer Martinez. Front Row (LtoR): Instructor Samuel Gomez, Edwin Guillen, Vanessa Reza, Zariyah Romero, Jasmin Gutierrez, Jamie Guerra, Arlette Lopez, Yesenia Luna, Instructor Rick Rodriguez.

The driver and illicit cargo were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

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Attached photos are the courtesy of the Motor Transportation Police

For further information contact: Major Ron Cordova, Zone Commander Motor Transportation Police (505) 670-4291

 Deputy Chief Mark C. Rowley
(505)-660-5441
mark.rowley@state.nm.us

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Sosa was arrested in Arizona on June 18, 2010, and was transferred to the District of New Mexico on July 1, 2010 to face the charge in this case. Sosa has been in federal custody since his arrest. On August 31, 2011, Sosa pled guilty to the indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. In his plea agreement, Sosa admitted that he was part owner of Sosa Brothers Trucking Co., and that he intentionally provided a tractor trailer to a truck driver so he could transport approximately 135 kilograms of cocaine from California to Indiana.

The case was investigated by DEA and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Motor Transport Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto D. Ortega.

“It is a privilege to formally recognize the localities and agencies that were selected for the 2011 National Roadway Safety Awards,” said John Porcari, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. “Each one of this year’s entries demonstrated a commitment to saving lives by improving our nation’s roadways.”

“The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) Motor Transportation Police Division is honored to receive this prestigious award for our efforts to improve the safety of our state highways,” Major Ron Cordova, of the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police, said. “This award would not have been possible without the support of our leadership at DPS and the cooperation and support from fellow state agencies including the New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department and New Mexico Department of Transportation. Our Smart Roadside program represents an investment in leading-edge technology that leverages existing infrastructure resources to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our motor carrier safety operations. Our program is fairly new and has lots of room to grow, but we have already yielded verifiable and significant returns to our stakeholders.”

New Mexico’s Smart Roadside Inspection System Program is based on objective free-flow inspection systems and management tools. Traditional inspection is limited by a fixed number of commercial vehicle inspectors screening “unsafe looking” or randomly-selected trucks. Electronic screening is based on objective testing criteria, which helps level the playing field. Multiple roadside sensors allow automated data collection from passing vehicles without creating transportation slow-downs or stoppages, and can be deployed with existing technology.

The Federal Highway Administration and the Roadway Safety Foundation present the bi-annual National Roadway Safety Awards to programs and projects across the nation exhibiting excellence in roadway design, operations and planning.

For additional information on the New Mexico DPS Smart Roadside Inspection System program, contact Major Ron Cordova (505-476-2452), the local point of contact for the project.

Patrolman Rodney Bone will be honored at Gateway Christian Elementary School New Mexico on September 28, 2011 at 9:00 am.

As part of the ceremony for “Hero Day” at Gat student at the school, would like to honor Officer Bone. Officer Rodney Bone was one of the involving two semi-tractor trailer trucks, wherein the officer risked his two truck drivers from the burning wreckage. Officer Bone will be awarded The New Mexico State Police Medal of Valor, the highest award for bravery in New Mexico.

The American First Responder Institute of Herald and medics, which has been tracking this story, has also recognized Officer Rodney Bone as well as State Police Officer Christopher Stimpson driver trapped in the cab of the burning semi.

Wendy Graft Public Information Officer Motor Transportation Police
Cell: (505) 699-7399
Fax: (505) 841-9239
Email: wendy.graft@state.nm.us
www.nmmtdpolice.org

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Tounkara was arrested after law enforcement officers found 663 pounds of marijuana concealed in Tounkara’s tractor- trailer during a routine inspection at the Gallup Port of Entry (Gallup POE). Tounkara was charged with possession of more than 100 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute in a criminal complaint filed on April 4, 2011, and was indicted on that same charge on April 26, 2011.

According to the criminal complaint, shortly after noon on April 2, 2011, an officer of the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police Division, New Mexico Department of Public Safety Department, who was conducting an inspections on commercial vehicles at the Gallup POE, inspected a tractor-trailer driven by Tounkara. The officer’s inspection revealed that Tounkara’s logbook failed to note miles driven and had no bill of lading information. Based on the violations in the logbook, the officer conducted a visual inspection of Tounkara’s tractor-trailer and determined that the trailer’s interior had been modified and that its internal measurements were smaller than the external measurements. After obtaining Tounkara’s consent to search the trailer, officers discovered a concealed compartment in the front wall of the trailer that contained 663 pounds of marijuana. Thereafter, Tounkara admitted that he transporting the marijuana from Phoenix, Arizona to Atlanta, Georgia.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Mexico Motor Transportation Police Division, New Mexico Department of Public Safety Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shammara Henderson.

Santa Fe – New Mexico was recognized as a Top Tier State in the recently released study Predicting Truck Crash Involvement by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). New Mexico placed 2nd nationwide in having the most effective traffic enforcement program aimed at reducing the number of truck crashes. New Mexico had previously received the honor of placing 4th nationwide when ATRI published their 2005 truck crash predictor research.

In an effort to identify those states that have the most effective enforcement strategies, ATRI developed an objective performance measure that relates the relative percent of truck traffic enforcement to the relative percent of truck crashes that occurred within each state. State data analysis indicates a direct correlation of reduced truck crashes with increased traffic enforcement. The top ten tier states identified by ATRI as having the most effective traffic enforcement programs are: Indiana, New Mexico, Washington, California, Arizona, Michigan, Kentucky, Iowa, Maryland and Nevada.

New Mexico has seen a steady decline in serious truck crashes from 24.6 per 100 million vehicle miles driven in 2005 to 15.8 per 100 million vehicle miles driven in 2009. Truck-related fatalities also decreased during this period from 2.04 to 1.37 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven. Enforcement activities increased from 60,226 safety inspections and 29,117 traffic citations in 2005 to 129,408 safety inspections and 55,190 traffic citations in 2009.

“New Mexico’s declining truck crash rate may be attributed not only to increased overall traffic enforcement but to identifying those specific factors that are the primary contributors to motor vehicles crashes and concentrating on addressing those contributing factors in selective traffic enforcement planning, said MTPD Deputy Chief Mark Rowley.” “We must understand which commercial driver behaviors are most likely to lead to future crash involvement if we are going to have an effective crash reduction program. ATRI has demonstrated through extensive research that driver behaviors such as improper passing, failure to signal, speeding over 15 mph, failure to obey traffic sign/signal, improper lane change and following too closely significantly increase the likelihood of being involved in a crash. Improper passing violations alone increased the likelihood of being involved in a crash by 88 percent. Prior convictions for failure to use/improper signal increased the likelihood of a future crash by 96 percent. Consequently, driver behavior statistics supplied by ATRI coupled with data obtained from past crashes are essential in planning an effective crash reduction program.”

New Mexico’s successful traffic enforcement program incorporates the four (4) components identified by ATRI:

• Center on aggressive driving apprehension programs/initiatives.
• Target both commercial motor vehicle and non-commercial motor vehicle behavior patterns.
• Utilize both highly visible and covert enforcement activities.
• Incorporate an internal performance-based system for managing enforcement by specific crash types, driver behaviors and locations.
• Read the Congratulatory Letter from ATRI

“The decline in New Mexico’s truck crash rate is also a result of the motor carrier industry taking a proactive approach in managing driver behaviors,” said Secretary Gorden E. Eden, Jr. “The motor carrier industry in New Mexico is very safety conscious and has developed proactive measures and strategies to ensure that their trucks and drivers on our highways are safe.” “Selectivity in hiring, safety incentive programs, safety awareness programs, driver reviews, continuous training and emphasizing company goals and expectations are attributes found in safety-oriented trucking companies.” “It is essential for law enforcement and the motor carrier industry to work together as partners in managing and enforcing driver behavior to effectively reduce truck crashes.”

The complete report from ATRI may be found by visiting: http://www.atri-online.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=69, clicking on the “Predicting Truck Crash Involvement: A 2011 Update” icon and requesting a copy of the report.

Additional information on New Mexico motor carriers may be found by visiting the New Mexico Trucking Association website at: http://www.nmtrucking.org/

Additional information on commercial motor vehicle safety and security may be found by visiting the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) website at: http://www.cvsa.org/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—A federal jury has convicted a 39-year-old Jamaican citizen arrested in Gallup and charged with marijuana trafficking. Norman Washington Berry faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, but could be sentenced to up to 40 years. Sentencing has not been scheduled.

A grand jury indicted Berry in June 2007 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Court proceedings were delayed because Berry fled the United States. He returned last November after waiving formal extradition from Canada.

New Mexico motor transportation police inspected the tractor-trailer rig Berry drove into the Gallup port of entry in May 2007 after they noticed discrepancies in his log book. An officer found marijuana when he opened a box that wasn’t logged.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the 46-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He faces a mandatory 5-year prison term and could receive as much as 40 years. His sentencing has not been scheduled.

Coleman has been in custody since he was arrested on April 2, 2010, at a state entry checkpoint in southwestern New Mexico. A search of his trailer led to the discovery of 759 pounds of marijuana in duffel bags hidden between pallets.