Director's Office

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The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) was established by legislation in 1987. This cabinet level agency brought together various law enforcement agencies that had previously been independent entities. The former New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy became the Training and Recruiting Division, now one of six divisions in DPS. This Division has twenty (20) full-time employees who are dedicated to fulfilling the Division’s mission. The Training Academy is organized into three (3) Training Bureaus:

1. Basic Training Bureau;
2. Advanced Training Bureau; and
3. Critical Incident Response Training Bureau.

The staff assigned to these Bureaus work enthusiastically to meet the needs of our customers – the citizens and law enforcement officers of this Great State of New Mexico.

The Director’s Office consists of the Director, Assistant Director, Deputy Director, an Executive Secretary, Financial Administrator, Clerk Specialist, and Receptionist. The Director’s Office has the responsibility for the administrative operations of the Division, accreditation and certification of training, law enforcement officer and tele-communicator misconduct investigations, and compliance with state statutes and administrative rules affecting the employment and training of law enforcement officers and tele-communicators.

Director's Office Staff Information

Arthur D. C. Ortiz, Director

Gilbert Najar, Deputy Director

Gilbert Najar is a native of New Mexico and was born and raised in Albuquerque. He began his career in the field of law enforcement in 1971 as a Police Service Aide (PSA) under the Federal Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP). In 1974 he joined the US Army and served three years as a military police officer and was honorably discharged in 1977. Mr. Najar has a Bachelors of Science degree in Criminology from the University of Albuquerque, an MBA from the New Mexico Highlands University where he is an active alumni. Mr. Najar is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Staff and Command. Mr. Najar began his career as a police officer in 1979 with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and retired with almost 23 years of service, 5 of those as a sergeant and 13 as a lieutenant and division commander. His career at APD included assignments in all major areas of the department including, Patrol, Traffic, Police Academy, Recruiting and Selection, In-service Training, Planning and Research, Field Investigator, Internal Affairs, Inspections and Audit, Domestic Violence, DWI, and Computer/Information Systems. Mr. Najar has been a basic academy instructor in Police Ethics, and Community Policing and an advanced training instructor in First-line Supervision, Diversity, Cultural Awareness, Verbal Judo, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Law Enforcement Response to Terrorism. After retiring from APD, Mr. Najar joined the Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department (APS). He worked at APS for 2 ½ years, starting as a graveyard patrol officer, and then as a Sergeant assigned to the Youth Corp Program at Valley High School where he worked until joining the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. Mr. Najar enjoys teaching and mentoring youth and has been active in his parish as a religious education instructor for over ten years.

Monique Croker, Interim Executive Assistant

Michelle Montez, Executive Assistant

Michelle was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She attended Capital High School and graduated in June of 1995. While attending the University of New Mexico, Michelle pursed an education in journalism, then later changed her major to education. Currently she is attending the Santa Fe Community College and hopes to someday became a nurse and work with abused children. Before beginning her career at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy she worked as a bank teller for three years, then as a teller trainer for two years. She has worked at the Law Enforcement Academy for seven years. She started her career as the secretary for the Critical Incident Response Training Bureau. She was then promoted to Clerk Specialist for the Deputy Director’s Office. While on her off time, she spends most of it with her boyfriend and her three beautiful children, Dionna age 9, Derrica age 5, and Andres age 6 months. Although attending school, work, and, taking on the challenges of being a mother of three, she loves to go on bike runs, watch movies, and travel.