Cuba police chief presents Sandoval County Commissioner with plaque of appreciation

Cuba Police Chief David Coleman presented District 2 Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block with a plaque of appreciation at the April 24 commissioners meeting.

Coleman said that shortly after taking over as chief last year, he realized he needed some financial support to get the department some much-needed equipment. Coleman reached out to District 5 Commissioner F. Kenneth Eichwald, who at the time represented Cuba. That conversation didn’t go well for Coleman, so he contacted Block, who represents Corrales and southeastern Rio Rancho.

“To my absolute surprise, for an individual that has essentially nothing invested at all in the community of Cuba and completely on the polar opposite of Sandoval County, he immediately asked me what do I need,” Coleman said. “And within three days, I had funding in order to equip the department with a fully equipped canine vehicle, which greatly enhanced our operational capabilities.”

Coleman said that canine officer is the first for Cuba and has been a game-changer for the department. Cuba Police Department was also able to add new, more accurate versions of radar detectors, tourniquets and other life-saving devices for medical emergencies with Block’s assistance.

“It has been a true blessing,” Coleman said.

Block asked fellow commissioners Katherine Bruch and Dave Heil to join him in accepting the plaque.

“This is Sandoval County; Cuba might not be in my district, but it’s in our county and and we support all of Sandoval County, so this is not just for me. This is for us as commissioners,” Block said.