By Roger Rael
The Raton Range
When comparing apples to oranges, you first have to understand that they are not the same thing. And when it comes to the Colfax County Sheriff’s race, I believe the public needs to take a hard look at what leadership actually means because what it means to Beto Dominguez and Bill Cody Ayon it’s an entirely different meaning. Dominguez goes along to get along; Ayon is here to get the job done the right way, the first time.
This election is about more than a uniform, a familiar face, promises, or a candidate’s circle of friends showing loyalty. That’s dangerous because people need to open their eyes and see what’s at stake. What is important is the future of a department that serves an entire county, a community that deserves professional law enforcement that’s not selective, and residents who expect accountability and transparency when something goes wrong.
Norberto “Berto” Dominguez is presenting himself as a candidate with an extensive law enforcement background. Experience matters. But experience alone does not answer the most important questions: What did you accomplish? What leadership responsibilities did you hold? What improvements did you bring to the department? What investigations did you successfully lead? What programs did you establish? And what kind of accountability did you demonstrate when things went wrong?
Those are not unfair questions. They are questions every candidate seeking command of a law enforcement agency should expect.
I have reviewed records from the Raton Police Department and the Colfax County Sheriff’s Office. I have serious questions and concerns about what those records that demonstrate regarding Dominguez’s leadership, accomplishments, and professional responsibilities. If there are significant programs, investigations or departmental initiatives that demonstrate his qualifications, the public deserves to hear about them. There are no programs or major accomplishments listed in his file. Keeping up with mandatory recertification does not save Beto or make him a great asset to law enforcement.
There are also allegations and incidents involving past police work that deserve careful examination, which the Raton Range is investigating. Reports of citizens being discouraged from pursuing property crime complaints by Beto, his link to Dr Aragon and prescription drugs illegally obtained that led to a major scandal in Raton, questions regarding the legitimacy of a Sheriff’s Department standoff, a court battle where two people were charged, a husband and wife, with brandishing a weapon that never happened, and Dominguez has personal debt collectors pursuing him through legal remedies. Dominguez has a career and still can’t pay his bills?
Then there are concerns about the handling of the Joseph Dean Cordova investigation. Beto conducted several interviews that were pathetic and a gross display of his demonstration of interrogation. This case really matters not only because it’s becoming a a cold case but because no one’s gotten any answers. This case should not simply disappear because an election is approaching. All these cases mentioned have had Beto Dominguez tied to them and all are unsolved and referred to as a cluster fucks to this day.
And then there are questions surrounding the use of a Taser during an arrest. If an officer deploys a Taser repeatedly, 11 times to be exact, on a man who is handcuffed and has leg irons on, the circumstances, department policy, medical findings and any subsequent investigation deserve scrutiny.
A man, Jesse Saenz, died while in Dominguez’s custody because Dominguez was putting his body weight on Saenz’s back while hogtied face down in the back of a Raton police car. Ironically, 19 years later, almost to the date Dominguez wants to be awarded a gold star? What if that was your kid, your loved one, or you having to witness the screams from Saenz begging for the punishment to stop? Read the police report.
People who defend Dominguez were in Pampers or lived somewhere else when this situation divided Raton. Families and friends on both sides lost. Everyone stayed quiet for all these years, but it’s about time Beto knows how much of a POS he really is.
Law enforcement officers have difficult jobs. Nobody disputes that. But a badge does not place anyone above accountability. If the public is expected to trust an officer with authority over their liberty and safety, that officer must be willing to answer for the exercise of that authority.
Faith is another matter worth discussing.
I respect Christianity. My faith is important to me, and I believe God belongs at the center of my life. But there is a difference between practicing your faith and using religious affiliation as a measure of someone’s qualifications for public office.
A church congregation is not a law enforcement qualification. A pastor’s support is not a professional credential. And a person’s religious identity should never replace an examination of their actual record.
The separation of church and state matters. No candidate should expect religious loyalty to substitute for public accountability. The sheriff’s office serves Christians, non-Christians, and people of every background. Its responsibility is to all of them.
What good is salvation when you give the flesh of your salvation to the demons and the bones to God?
One thing I have learned as a correctional officer is that people find the Lord in times of desperation but forget about him when the storm passes. Beto and politicians are no different.
Now, consider the other candidate, Cody Ayon.
Ayon has presented a different set of qualifications and a different record for the public to examine. His educational background, including his master’s degree, his family and community involvement, and his efforts to bring opportunities to young people deserve consideration.
Just the way Ayon communicates makes you feel like you’re talking to a cop, not some cop who thinks he can walk on water and make pathetic videos asking for support.
If a candidate is worth it, he won’t have to stoop to such low tricks to manipulate Christians in their own church to vote for him out of obligation. Search the records, do your due diligence, and make up your own mind. Ask yourself what Dominguez and Ayon have done outside the badge for the betterment of our community.
Ayon has one example that sticks out because it’s more like a miracle for Raton. Ayon brought the wrestling program to Raton High School. Anyone who understands the challenges of getting new programs established in a small community knows that building opportunities for young people takes time, commitment, and relationships.
That kind of community involvement matters.
Programs that give young people direction, discipline, mentorship, and something positive to work toward can have an impact long after the original organizers have moved on. The same should be true of leadership within a sheriff’s department.
The public should also examine Ayon’s military record, including any military decorations he has received, and understand the service and responsibilities behind those accomplishments. If the Bronze Star is among his decorations, its circumstances and significance deserve accurate explanation rather than campaign slogans.
But this race should never become a contest over who has more friends, who attends which church, or who has the better political connections.
It should be about qualifications, judgment, integrity, leadership, and accountability.
Colfax County does not need a sheriff’s office operating on personal relationships or political loyalties. It needs an organization where citizens are taken seriously, complaints are investigated, evidence is handled properly, officers are held accountable, and investigations receive the attention they deserve.
The Joseph Dean Cordova case is one example of why transparency matters. A family deserves answers. The public deserves confidence that serious investigations receive the attention they require. And any unanswered questions should be addressed through facts, records, and responsible investigative work.
We cannot continue treating accountability as an inconvenience.
I also want to make something clear: I am not impressed by a polished uniform, a campaign photograph or a collection of endorsements. I am interested in what someone has actually done with the authority and opportunities they have been given.
A sheriff is not simply the highest-ranking person in a department. A sheriff is responsible for setting the standard for everyone wearing that badge.
We need a Sheriff who is not tied to large families in the area, which makes enforcement that much more difficult because of the friendship circles we have in our community. We deserve a sheriff who will lead his department like he’s led his soldiers on the battlefield to victory. Beto can’t lead because he is not a leader. He goes along to get along.
The next sheriff will inherit a department with challenges, public expectations, and a community that needs to regain confidence in its law enforcement leadership.
That responsibility deserves serious consideration.
Colfax County is not anybody’s personal kingdom. The Sheriff’s Office does not belong to a political circle, a church congregation, a group of friends, or a particular family.
It belongs to the people it serves.
And the people deserve leadership that understands the difference.
This election deserves more than campaign promises. It deserves answers, documented qualifications, and an honest examination of the record. It is in my own personal opinion that Beto Dominguez is not qualified to handle a lawn mower, much less a homicide investigation, or assume the role as a law enforcement official.
If he is elected, his days in office will be filled daily with public scrutiny because his weakness will be noticeable, and constituents will be left to clean up the mess once again, while Beto escapes transparency and accountability. Beto Dominguez is a really bad choice for Colfax County
Truth without fear.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE COLFAX COUNTY ELECT BILL CODY AYON SHERIFF OF COLFAX COUNTY
Leave a Reply