Rio Rancho traffic unit earns statewide award for roadway safety work

Rio Rancho police traffic officers spent thousands of hours on impaired-driving enforcement, child passenger safety and targeted speed patrols last year, producing results the department says helped the unit win statewide recognition for roadway safety work.

The Rio Rancho Police Department’s Traffic Unit was named large agency of the year at the New Mexico Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division and SAFER New Mexico Law Enforcement Coordinators Symposium. The department is presenting the award as more than a trophy case item: it is pointing to crash reduction, DWI prevention and the enforcement of safer driving habits on city streets that continue to carry more traffic as Rio Rancho grows.

The biggest enforcement push came through ENDWI, where officers logged 1,888 patrol hours, ran six checkpoints and made 340 DWI arrests. That work also produced 5,299 additional citations. A separate STEP enforcement effort added 1,165 patrol hours, 18 misdemeanor arrests, 32 felony arrests, one drug-related arrest and 2,612 additional citations. Together, those numbers show a traffic unit working far beyond routine citation writing, with a steady focus on impaired driving, speeding and other high-risk behavior.

The department also leaned on occupant protection. Officers devoted 557 patrol hours and another 76.5 hours to child passenger safety through car-seat clinics and fitting stations tied to the BKLUP initiative. In that effort, the unit reported 10 misdemeanor arrests, two felony arrests and 1,342 citations. The safety clinics matter because New Mexico’s driver manual requires appropriate restraints for children under 12, and approved safety devices for children under 24 months or under 60 pounds.

State transportation officials say that kind of enforcement fits a broader traffic-safety model built on performance, evidence and data. The New Mexico Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division says its programs cover impaired driving, occupant protection, police traffic services, motorcycle safety, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and driver education and safety. It also funds law-enforcement liaisons to help coordinate traffic safety efforts statewide, pairing enforcement with high-visibility media and public-awareness campaigns.

Rio Rancho has added its own layer of enforcement since 2011 through the Safe Traffic Operations Program, which uses 10 mobile speed-monitoring units rotated according to police speeding data and citizen input. The city says violations begin at 11 mph over the limit in most places and at 5 mph over the limit in school zones. The program is violator-funded and uses Verra Mobility for equipment and maintenance.

For Rio Rancho drivers, the message is clear: more traffic enforcement is likely to remain visible on local roads, especially where speeding, distraction and seatbelt compliance have become recurring problems. Residents can also report illegal street parking or speeding through Report Rio Rancho, while the city continues to manage traffic pressure tied to growth and major events across Sandoval County.