Police Officer Lucas Martinez is proud to protect the residents in Taos, New Mexico. It’s a unique place, filled with history, art, culture and lots of diversity.
Martinez has deep roots in Taos. He was born and raised there, and his family has lived in Northern New Mexico for 11 generations.
“It’s more than just enforcing laws. It’s about serving the community and protecting those who can’t protect themselves,” he said about his career in law enforcement. “Each one of us chose this profession because we really do care about the community and making a difference here.”
Despite their dedication, the pay for Taos police officers is lagging — and it’s hurting recruitment and retention.
Earlier this year, Martinez and his colleagues decided to organize with AFSCME Council 18. They formed their new union with unanimous support.
“We realized we should’ve done this a long time ago,” he explained. “Getting competitive pay would help us recruit and retain more officers, which means we can be a more effective police department.”
As the 15 members of the unit get ready to negotiate their first contract, their top priority is setting up a competitive pay scale with training incentives.
“The more trained an officer is, the better they are at handling anything you throw at them,” Martinez said. “The community benefits from that. They’re getting a better quality of work, which builds on that trust and accountability.”
Public safety professionals are turning to our union to build power. AFSCME members in corrections, law enforcement and emergency response are proud to protect our freedoms and our communities.
Visit the AFSCME Public Safety website to get involved.