Judge orders sheriff’s office to stop targeting Hispanics

Carolyn Hileman - The Voice* | September 24, 2008

CHAPARRAL, N.M. — Some residents of one Otero County community no longer have to feel intimidated by local authorities. There have been allegations the Otero County Sheriff’s Office is targeting Hispanics in Chaparral. Although the sheriff did not return ABC-7’s calls, he did speak with ABC-7 when complaints began to surface in 2006. “At no time do we say, this person is Hispanic, so we are going to pull him over. We work under the color of law. I’ve made it very clear we don’t tolerate anything the law says we can’t do,” Otero County Sheriff John Blansett said.

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