The Santa Fe New Mexican reports documents obtained under a public records request found that 22 of the 27 DWI checkpoints conducted by the Santa Fe Police Department were dispatched in the in the south and southwest areas.
That’s an area of the city where poorer residents and Mexican immigrants live as opposed to the more affluent areas of the city.
Documents show another eight checkpoints were planned in those poorer areas but canceled because the department didn’t have enough officers to meet minimum staffing requirements.
Police Capt. Marvin Paulk says the department isn’t discriminating but that the data tells police the poorer areas are where the checkpoints should be staged.