Matthew Bridger

Review of Valencia County Sheriffs

Very unprofessional officers. My 70 year old mothe...

Very unprofessional officers. My 70 year old mother was being assaulted by her granddaughter in her own home and the deputies that responded to the call called my mother a liar even though she had visible bruises on her chest. The officers made her wait out in the cold as they questioned her 21 year old granddaughter inside my mothers nice warm home. When I asked for a coat for my mother they refused. 30 minutes later they asked us to leave while the granddaughter and her boyfriend packed up their belongings to leave. We refused to leave as we had told the officers that multiple items had gone missing from her home while the granddaughter had lived there. They acted like they were making a special exception for us to wait in my truck in the driveway to observe what was being removed from her home. When I mentioned we could get a lawyer to handle any eviction issues the officer forcefully told us not to get a lawyer. Hmmmm a law enforcement officer directing a citizen not to get a lawyer in time of legal need. A few days later the civil officer was complaining about finding a residence to serve orders of protection. This is the guy who serves warrants for the department. You d figure that a deputy would be familiar with the county he serves in. We gave him addresses on all the persons involved. He later complained when I told him that the accused would be by my mothers home for the rest of their stuff. He was angry that I did not consult him before making plans to get their stuff out. Does he want everyone to do his job for him? Valencia county must dredge the bottom of the barrel when hiring deputies. Where s another Nick Sanchez? That man was an amazing sheriff. On 5/20/20 I observed 2 deputies entering and exiting the roadrunner gas station without wearing masks. They greeted and shared niceties with three unmasked men out front before leaving. No leadership by example in Valencia county. What a complete and total lack of professionalism. They were not responding to a call as they were fueling their cruiser and left the store with snacks and drinks in hand. SARSCOV 2 is real.