Los Alamos police schedule public swearing-in ceremony Friday

The Los Alamos Police Department brought its latest staffing milestone into public view Friday morning, holding a swearing-in ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Magistrate Courtroom at the Justice Center. Magistrate Judge Catherine Taylor presided over the event, and the department invited residents to attend, turning a routine personnel step into a public-facing moment inside one of the county’s most formal government spaces.

That setting mattered. A courtroom oath does more than mark a change in assignment or rank. It shows who is joining the department, who is stepping into new responsibilities, and who will be carrying county authority on the next traffic stop, neighborhood call or school-day safety issue. In a small community like Los Alamos, staffing changes can ripple quickly through patrol coverage, response times and the level of visible community policing residents expect when they dial for help.

The ceremony also fit the way the department presents itself publicly. The Los Alamos County Police Department says its mission is to provide proactive law enforcement services that promote safety and security while protecting constitutional rights. Its guiding principles include professionalism, integrity, accountability, respect, teamwork and communications. Chief Dino Sgambellone, who became Los Alamos police chief in 2013, has led the department through CALEA accreditation, and the county says Los Alamos has seen some of the lowest crime rates in its history under his leadership.

Friday’s event was not an isolated gesture. LAPD held another swearing-in ceremony at 11 a.m. on March 19, 2026, and in late March the department recognized Cmdr. Benjamin Irvin, Sgt. Samantha Terrazas and Cpl. Ronaldo Ulibarri in the same magistrate courtroom. In October 2024, the department used a similar public setting to swear in Commander Christopher Ross and new officers Mary Barela, Perla Castanon and Melford William Hurd. The department has also used public ceremonies to recognize service in other ways, including its February 28 awards banquet at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center, where seven officers, civilian staff and community partners were honored.

The repeated use of public ceremonies makes the message clear: police staffing is not just an internal matter. It is part of how Los Alamos County explains who is wearing the badge, who is accountable for the work and how the department expects to serve residents in open view. For information, the department listed 505-662-8222.