Police chief and officer both lose right to carry guns after committing crimes, leaving a K-9 as the only certified member of New Mexico town's police force

[Jenna]

A drug-sniffing dog now is the only certified member of the police force in the small eastern New Mexico town of Vaughn.

Police Chief Ernest "Chris" Armijo decided to step down Wednesday after news stories reported that he wasn't allowed to carry a gun because of his criminal background.

A second police officer in Vaughn, Brian Bernal, was hired in the spring, but he had his own legal problems: In January of 2011, Bernal pleaded guilty to assault and battery against a household member, which prohibits him from owning a firearm by federal law, KOB.com said.

But Romero said not having an officer qualified to carry a gun didn't put Vaughn at risk. "England doesn't allow police officers to carry guns," he said. "Sometime the strongest weapon in law enforcement is communication."

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...o-the-dog?lite

[Xiphos]

I guess they'll have lots of practice figuring out how to revamp their hiring process...