Todd Garrison
Even though he isn’t mentioned or speaking in radio ads promoting the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Todd Garrison is suspending the ads until after the November election.
“Although the advertising campaign is reflective of an ongoing and dynamic effort to rebrand the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department to the community, I am sensitive to the fact that we are in an election cycle,” Garrison said in a news release. “With that in mind, I have informed the internal committee that commissioned the campaign of my decision to suspend it.”
The radio ads, which have been airing for weeks, are part of a $50,000 community outreach effort that began in 2007, according to the release. Using seized-assets funds – not taxpayer dollars – a committee chaired by Lt. Chris Smead issued a request for proposals in 2008 for services to raise awareness of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department. A Las Cruces firm, Wilson-Binkley Advertising, was the winning bidder and has coordinated production and placement of radio ads promoting the department’s mission statement and core beliefs.
In addition to the radio advertisements, the department’s rebranding initiative includes redesigned patrol cars, new letterhead, posters and banners for recruiting and job fairs. Once the campaign resumes, the department also plans billboards.
“This entire initiative is reflective of the officers’ desire to show their professionalism and pride to the communities we collectively serve,” Smead said in the release. “I respect Sheriff Garrison’s decision to suspend the campaign, but the entire department looks forward to its resumption in November, regardless of the election results. We believe the message is important, and we want to keep it going strong.”
Garrison, a Republican, faces Democrat Juan R. “J.R.” Stewart in November.