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LAS CRUCES - Loren Neumann didn't think he was moving into a drive-through when he took up residence on the family's property at the paved end of Holman Road, "nine miles of no stop signs" north of U.S. 70, he says.
But in just six weeks, three drivers have crashed into the family's fence posts, mailbox and gates. One was a hit-and-run. Two got arrested, one charged the day after Christmas with reckless driving and one just Tuesday, who careened up and over a gravel berm, through landscaping, ending up just feet from the windows in the front of the mobile home and doing an estimated $2,000 in damage.
"(The third driver) knocked down I don't know how many feet of fence and almost hit our propane tank. There's quite a bit of damage," Neumann said. "He went onto our property, he followed my fiancée into the yard and started pushing her car - with three kids in the car, including a newborn - took a drink of his beer and peed on the property, then tried to run the (sheriff's deputy) over."
Sheriff Todd Garrison said he's heard lots of variations on Neumann's story from residents across the county - and he's hoping to keep that communication up. As part of the Do-a Ana Sheriff's Office's effort to move to a neighborhood-centric community policing model, Garrison said he wants to start having monthly meetings with county residents, sort of like a location-shifting city council meeting, where residents come to speak with law enforcement about suggestions, requests,
The sheriff's office is also applying for grants to purchase mapping software - which ranges up to $100,000 - that would show clusters of complaints, citations and other problems, like frequently tagged walls or back roads repeatedly used by drunk, swerving drivers.
"We're trying to pull ourselves into the current century," Garrison said Friday.
Some goals will be unattainable, Garrison admits, but there's definitely room for progress, especially in crimes that affect quality of life.
"If we have a certain problem going on in a certain area and can come up with a solution, create a task force or a strike force, address those issues, or if it's ongoing like tagging, we can gather more intel, or have more communication with judges, (to say) 'Look, we've caught this guy five times,' or get the parents to pay for (the damage). Change something."
A frustrated Neumann says he's tried multiple times to see if the county roads department could help him with the intersection of Holman and Leebarry Lane, which he says gets "as busy as Lohman" during morning and evening rush hours.
"I've asked for stop signs, 'children playing,' 'road ends,' even a speed bump, because nobody stops at that stop sign," he said. "They slow down to turn, but they don't stop at all. I've even seen the (school) buses keep going, like it's nothing."
But Garrison said it's his office that needs to tackle Neumann's situation.
"We had a deal in Las Alturas, where residents were complaining about speeders," Garrison said. "We worked it for about a week. (Drivers) got quite upset because they got so many tickets."
Their presence appears to have had a deterrent effect, something the sheriff's office wants to replicate. Garrison said they're even working on setting up a dedicated phone line and website for residents to report non-emergency issues and pass them to the next incoming shift.
"We are working toward something where eventually, we'll have communication," Garrison said, offering Friday to get Neumann in a meeting with sheriff's deputies to discuss the issue more. He added, "We've got to be out there."
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5400.
