LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The mayor of a troubled New Mexico city has fired its police chief but will keep him until a replacement is named.
The Las Vegas Optic reports Las Vegas, New Mexico, Mayor Louie Trujillo confirmed this week he told current Police Chief David Bibb he will be replaced.
Trujillo has chosen a replacement for Bibb, but he said he won’t make a formal announcement until he presents the candidate to Las Vegas City Council. That announcement could come as early as the next regular meeting, which is scheduled for July 15.
The city has struggled to retain a police chief in recent years, and Bibb has only been on the job for 19 months. He was appointed by former Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron in November 2017 to replace Jerry Delgado, who resigned just days after starting the job.
The shakeup follows similar shifts in other high-profile positions within the city following Trujillo’s election victory.
Last year, New Mexico’s attorney general charged Gurule-Giron with six felony bribery and abuse of power counts after prosecutors said she steered contracts to a construction firm owned by a man they allege she was romantically involved with.
