The chief of the Roswell Police Department has pitched a satellite police academy in the city, a KOB 4 news report said this week. 

The New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board was receptive to the idea of establishing a new academy. There was formerly an academy in Roswell, but it was shut down in the 1980s. 

“It will be beneficial to our recruits, and our recruiting efforts and to sustain our agency if we have the recruit academy here in Roswell." Phil Smith, Roswell police chief, told KOB 4. “The sooner we can get it up and going, the better as far as I am concerned."

Smith also noted that it would be simpler to train more police recruits and get better trained officers into the force at Roswell if they were to start a new satellite academy in the area. At present, police recruits have to travel hours away in order to be trained at a satellite campus, and starting one closer to Roswell would allow for more recruits to be trained. 

Aside from board approval for a new police academy, the department would require money, facilities and training personnel in order to carry out the daily operations of the academy, as well as meet the minimum standards of the state of New Mexico.