Webber names Padilla acting police chief
Newly anointed Mayor Alan Webber didn’t waste any time announcing his temporary solution for the vacancy at the top of the Santa Fe Police Department.
A day after being sworn in, Webber said Tuesday that Deputy Chief Andrew Padilla, an 18-year veteran of the department, will serve as acting chief until a permanent chief is installed.
Padilla has been helping run the department since former Chief Patrick Gallagher left in December to become police chief in Las Cruces. Padilla and Deputy Chief Mario Salbidrez co-managed the department until Salbidrez left earlier this month to become security director for Santa Fe Public Schools.
Webber said in a news release that Padilla’s focus will be
increasing staffing on the police force and helping to create “the safest neighborhoods in the state, in every corner of our city.”
Padilla told The New Mexican in January that he was interested in the chief ’s position.
But Webber isn’t ready to turn that over. The Tuesday news release said Webber will review candidates for the position before he names a permanent chief.
Padilla grew up in Española and graduated from Española Valley High in 1996. He served in the Marine Corps before joining the Santa Fe Police Department in 2000. He has worked various jobs in uniform, from patrol officer to open space officer, including working in narcotics, criminal investigations, training, recruiting, public relations, fleet management, SWAT and more.