New Consolidated Center

The brand-new Valencia County (NM) E-911 Regional Dispatch Center will open Dec. 19th, consolidating public safety communications now handled by four PSAPs. But there are some union and space issues, dispatchers say. The merger of the county center with the towns of Belen, Los Lunas, Bosque Farms took 10 years, and was the result of the state’s requirement to reduce the number of PSAPs they fund. The sheriff’s comm van is being used at Belen PD while it equipment is moved to the center in Los Lunas. Some county dispatchers say the new center is too cramped, and that dispatchers were only consulted about the center’s color scheme. Also, they had to re-apply to work at the new center, rather than being simply moved to the center. Read more about the personnel issues here.