Work within the DNA Unit of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Forensic Laboratory in Santa Fe can be highly challenging and not just in a scientific way. There’s a mental health aspect to the job that many have experienced including Roslynd Archuleta, DNA...
DPS Press Releases
‘People Profile’
Our inaugural Q&A story on a New Mexico Department of Public Safety employee features Anna Gurule, Criminal Justice Information Services auditor. DPS: Hi Anna. Tell me about your job at the Department of Public Safety and what makes you passionate about what you...
‘Duty to mankind’: New Mexico Department of Public Safety Controlled Substances Unit takes pride in public trust, serving citizens
Deadra Caleb has had a long-standing interest in forensic science. It first caught her attention in her high school chemistry class and then there was a moment in college when she was watching Law & Order and the medical examiner commented about there being a...
Objective science, safer streets: Inside the Firearm and Toolmark Unit at the Forensic Laboratory in Santa Fe
From left to right: Kevin Streine, Steve P. Guerra, Chad Smith and Alina Sanchez - the Firearm and Toolmark Unit at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Forensic Laboratory in Santa Fe. Several years ago, there was a triple homicide in Las Cruces. Almost...
Forensic Laboratory Latent Prints Unit, providing impartial evaluations, comparisons for criminal cases across the state
Identical twins and triplets share the same DNA, but no two people, even identical twins, share the same fingerprints. This makes fingerprints a powerful tool in identifying who may or may not be associated with a crime, according to Latent Prints Unit personnel of...
State Law Enforcement Academy announces new leadership
SANTA FE – The Department of Public Safety’s New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy is ushering in a new era in 2026, with leadership changes poised to benefit law enforcement and communities throughout the state. Leading the way for the academy will be newly promoted...
Criminal History Clearinghouse, working non-stop to ensure safety of all New Mexicans
Around the clock, the Criminal History Clearinghouse under the Law Enforcement Records Bureau for the Department of Public Safety is doing their part to keep New Mexicans safe. They do this three ways: by managing ‘threat to life’ calls such as bomb threats, domestic...
License Plate Readers save lives; lead to ‘precise policing’: On anniversary of Officer Justin Hare’s ‘execution’ by Jaremy Smith, state reflects on how LPR technology could have saved his life
When it comes to solving crimes, time is of the essence and information is power. With that power of information comes the opportunity to save lives. On the anniversary of Officer Justin Hare’s death on March 15, 2024, New Mexico State Police Chief W. Troy Weisler...
DPS Cabinet Secretary statement on death of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant
SANTA FE – Cabinet Secretary Jason R. Bowie issued this statement following the line-of-duty death of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Michael Schlattman: “I am heartbroken by the line-of-duty death of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Michael...
Statement from Cabinet Secretary Jason Bowie
“The New Mexico Department of Public Safety mourns the passing of Ruidoso Downs Police Chief Mark Collins Hargrove on January 27, 2026. Chief Hargrove served New Mexico with distinction for decades, including leadership roles spanning municipal policing and county...