New Mexico county seeking help with jail staffing shortage

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s most populous county is looking for help with staffing shortages at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Bernalillo County commissioners on Tuesday approved an emergency resolution outlining several potential ways to boost ranks at jail, from improving recruitment to requesting outside manpower. That might include seeking assistance from the New Mexico National Guard and exploring the use of medical school interns. Hiring enough correctional officers to fully staff the jail has been a long-term problem for the county that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. County officials said the staffing shortage has “impacted some operations” at the jail but they did not provide details.