Newly-elected sheriff spends second day deputizing deputies in Doa Ana

The newly-elected sheriff in Doña Ana County recommissioned deputies Tuesday – her second full day on the job.

In New Mexico, every newly-elected sheriff has to recommission his or her staff. Kim Stewart, elected in the 2018 midterm elections, was sworn in last Friday.

Stewart said she came in early Tuesday morning to meet as much staff as she could.

“It is clear to me that we have an energetic and very highly skilled staff and i’m so appreciative to be able to inherit that,” Stewart said.

Stewart told ABC-7 she wants to make sure she fills all the positions already funded, which will help improve response times.

“We really need to implement a full community policing organization,” Stewart said, “I would look forward to being able to say, at the end of four years, that we’re well on our way to a true partnership with our community, which we haven’t had.”

Stewart is also the first woman ever elected to lead the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department. “That’s not something that I ever even think about. People looking at me think more about that than I do. This was historic, but it was what I do from this day on that is the truly historic part.”

Stewart told ABC-7, DASO will start recruiting once the County Manager approves it.