The beginnings of Columbus P.D.

During the history of Columbus there had always been a Village government, but never a Village police force. Law enforcement responsibility had been provided by the Luna County Sheriff's Office that consisted of a resident deputy who lived in Columbus, but Columbus was such a rough little town that the drug trade elelment usually ran the deputy off, or bought him off which had happened on more than one occasion.

Columbus had always been a thorn in the side of law enforcement, a problem child in the county. Village citizens were insistant that the rampant lawless be stopped and so finally the Village Council decided it was time to develop it's own police department. Assitance in doing so was gladly provided by the then Sheriff Fred Gifford who was more than willing to solve one of his biggest headaches. Gifford helped write the initial grant proposals that provided the funding to allow a Chief to be hired and a Patrol vehicle to be purchased.

The Village government is comprised of a Mayor who can vote in a tie, and six council members. The Mayor of the Village at that time was Ramon Garcia, a Columbus native who in my opinion was one of the greatest people I knew. The council consisted of an artist, a homemaker, a spinster, a liberal intellectual (her words), a merchant (with thinly concealed ties with the drug runners). and an older rock solid retired man. When the Village Council hired me the vote was four to two in favor, with the opposing vote being the merchant/drug dealer and the liberal intellectual. So we began the period of our association I call the honeymoon phase in which I was given carte blanche to form, and operate my little one man police department.

Having dealt with small town mentalitiy before, I knew that during this phase I would have to move fast to accomplish building the department before we fell out of love with each other (inevitable),when the first clouds of evil rose on the horizon because of my desire to enforce the law where there had been no law before.

I did not take the job to be a baby kisser, or a Barney Fife. I came to Columbus to make a difference in the lawless conditions prevalent there, and to take a chunk out of the backside of the drug trade who controlled the area under the guise of a benevolent shadow government.

Yeah, I know how "Captain America" this statement sounds, but I admit to being a bit foolish when it comes to my ideals and Columbus would become a great test of my moral fiber and character.