BERNALILLO COUNTY’S METRO DETENTION CENTER WILL SOON HAVE A NEW CHIEF. COUNTY MANAGER JULIE MORGAS BACA APPOINTED THE MDC’S DEPUTY SECURITY CHIEF, RALPH FERNANDEZ, TO TAKE OVER THE POSITION WHEN CHIEF GREG REES RETIRES ON NOVEMBER 2ND. THE PAY FOR THIS JOB IS 150-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
THE COUNTY COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BACA’S APPOINTMENT THIS WEEK. FERNANDEZ HAS 24 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. HE’S WORKED AT THE STATE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT FOR 21 YEARS, RETIRING AS A SECURITY CAPTAIN. HE WAS THEN HIRED BY THE MDC AS A USE-OF-FORCE CONSULTANT, THEN NAMED DEPUTY CHIEF OF SECURITY IN SEPTEMBER 2017.
