Formally, New Mexico Mounted Patrol will celebrate its 70th year of service to the State of New Mexico at the Convention in 2011. Actually, Mounted Patrol has been in existence for some 75 years since the agency was working several years before it was created as an unfunded state agency by Statute. During those years Mounted Patrol Troopers have donated, each year, the equivalent of an average of 23 full time, trained and equipped officers to New Mexico police agencies. Troopers have been working beside local and state police agencies during snow storms, State Fairs, rodeos, plane crashes, hazardous material spills, prison riots, pursued escaped felons, the anti-war riots in Albuquerque, and every weekend assisting agencies with the daily police duties. Troopers even went to New Orleans after Katrina.
New Mexico Mounted Patrol was created, at the request of Governor John Miles, by state statute in 1941 and is directed to assist all law enforcement agencies in the state. When requested by a law enforcement agency, the Trooper has the same authority as the requesting agency. Mounted Patrol is governed by a Board of Directors elected from the 19 Troops. Each Troop elects a Director to the Board and elects its own Troop officers. An application for membership is made to the Troop nearest where an applicant lives. After a complete background investigation, selection is made by the Troop.
Mounted Patrol is made up of volunteers of all ages and professions. There are doctors, lawyers, retired or former police officers, ministers, salesmen and owners and employees of large and small businesses. All cadets without prior law enforcement experience attend an academy course approved by the Law Enforcement Academy Board. The course outlines used are provided by the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.