This bill is a memorial that requests collaboration among key stakeholders to address the recruitment and retention challenges faced by instructors at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy. It calls for a designee from the Department of Public Safety, the Director and Deputy Director of Training for the Academy, and a representative from the Public Employees Retirement Association to study these issues and provide a consensus recommendation to the legislative interim committee responsible for reviewing investments and pensions by September 15, 2025. The bill highlights the significant barriers posed by the current retirement eligibility requirements, which make it difficult for the Academy to attract and retain qualified instructors.

The memorial emphasizes that the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy is struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels for instructor positions, currently at only forty percent capacity. It points out that the disparity in retirement plans—where academy instructors must serve twenty-five years to retire with comparable benefits, compared to twenty years for municipal police officers—creates a significant obstacle for recruitment and retention. The bill underscores the importance of resolving these issues to enhance the overall effectiveness of policing strategies in New Mexico.