Who needs gun carrying police anyway?

If we see a police officer carrying a gun, we automatically think that something really BIG is ‘going down’. To the point where when you travel to the US it seems very frightening to see guns all the time.

I’m not going to get into a gun debate, that’s not what I’m writing about. What I am writing about is the small town of Vaughn in the state of New Mexico. It’s about 100 miles or so East of Albuquerque (which I have heard of) and with a population of about 450 it’s even smaller than my wonderful home town.

Hence, it doesn’t really need a huge police force.

Which is just as well really as the Vaughn Police Department Chief, Chris ‘Ernest’ Armijo resigned on Wednesday. This leaves Brian Bernal who isn’t a trained or certified police officer and Nikka a Belgian Malinos.

Uncertified police officers cannot make arrests or carry guns, which leaves the only trained police officer with full credentials to be Nikka the dog.

Luckily for the town of Vaughn the State Police and Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office handle the area also…..just in case there is a crime that Nikka can’t deal with.

I’m not going to make fun of the drug sniffing Nikka or Armijo who hadn’t completed the certification to handle her and apparently owes thousands in child support in Texas and faces charges of selling town-owned rifles and keeping the cash, or Bernal who pleaded guilty to assault and battery charges. It is very tempting to have a cheap laugh at the expense of the town, but I know what its like to stay in a town that people like to make fun of.

Here’s to Nikka, the only cop on the police force without a criminal record! Wonder if we look close enough at our police forces in the UK what we would find?