Doña Ana County Sheriff cleans house, but not the way you may be thinking

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- The Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office has been cleaning house, doing a full inventory of every piece of equipment they have.

It has taken 12 months and needed 4 people to do the job. But even after all this work, they are still only 80% done.

“It takes management and that's all my command and me and the under-sheriff being involved very closely in not only how were spending money but then what is our future what's our vision and how do we marry the money with the vision so were really trying to be responsible stewards of this taxpayer funds,” Sheriff Kim Stewart said.

Old weapons, interior of car doors and even dog kennel were cleaned out.

The equipment found was all sold at public auction, bringing in close to $230,000 which will be placed back into the sheriff's office expenditure accounts.

The money will be used to help fund things like new radios deputies desperately need.

“Our goal was to say can we make this a win win is there something in here where taxpayer money could be not just totally put in a cabinet and locked up and forgotten can we make something out of this,” Stewart said.