GPD police chief proposes tech upgrades to boost safety, save time
By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
Gallup Police Chief Erin Toadlena-Pablo constantly searches for ways to make her officers’ jobs easier and safer.
During the Fiscal Year 2027 budget planning process in April, she pitched several technological upgrades to the Gallup City Council to achieve those goals.
First on Toadlena-Pablo’s priority list is an e-ticketing program, which would cost the city $54,000.
Currently, Gallup Police Department officers handwrite traffic citations during pull-overs. Transitioning to e-ticketing, Toadlena-Pablo argued, would improve officer safety while saving valuable time.
“We want our eyes on the traffic stop instead of paying attention to what we’re writing on the citation,” she said.
The e-ticketing system allows officers to scan a driver’s license or license plate, automatically populating the required information onto the citation. The software also simplifies crash investigations by auto-populating incident reports.
Recognizing these benefits, the New Mexico Department of Transportation actively encourages law enforcement agencies to adopt e-ticketing. To help launch a local pilot program, NMDOT offered to equip 10 to 12 GPD patrol vehicles with the software. Toadlena-Pablo is also collaborating with the McKinley County DWI program to seek additional funding.
However, joining the program would require GPD to purchase extra printers and office supplies. Addressing these costs, Gallup City Manager Frank Chiapetti Jr. urged Toadlena-Pablo to pursue state funding from NMDOT or the Department of Finance.
“The quicker we can get our officers back in the car, the better,” Chiapetti said.
Second on the chief’s wishlist is a 3D scanner designed for crime scene reconstruction.
When responding to homicides, serious collisions, or major crime scenes, GPD currently relies on borrowed equipment from the New Mexico State Police. Consequently, when a severe crash shuts down Interstate 40, officers must hold traffic for hours while waiting for NMSP technicians to arrive from Santa Fe or Albuquerque.
If NMSP’s scanner is unavailable, GPD officers must measure crash sites manually using a roller meter—a labor-intensive process that prolongs traffic delays. While GPD uses drones to photograph scenes, a dedicated 3D scanner generates precise, complete multi-dimensional images in a fraction of the time.
Finally, Toadlena-Pablo introduced a surveillance proposal featuring automated license plate readers.
While initially exploring separate vendors for cameras, drones, and gunshot detection, the chief landed on Flock Safety’s integrated “Safe City” platform. Flock Safety builds connected camera, audio, and investigative technology. Its unified system bundles automated license plate readers, video cameras, audio gunshot detection, and drone integration into one package to help agencies investigate incidents and collaborate across jurisdictions.
Toadlena-Pablo emphasized that automated tech could support GPD during its current staffing shortage.
Under the proposed setup, if someone fires a gun in Gallup, a Flock audio detector picks up the sound and alerts a nearby GPD drone—potentially deployed near City Hall or police headquarters. The alert routes instantly to Metro Dispatch, triggering a drone launch within seconds to capture vehicle descriptions and getaway routes.
“This could possibly cut down on vehicle pursuits,” Toadlena-Pablo noted, adding that automated detection helps police respond to unreported gunshots that residents mistake for fireworks.
Furthermore, license plate readers speed up general response times and aid in locating missing persons.
However, despite these pitch points, Flock Safety faces heavy national scrutiny.
The company recently sparked severe public and legal backlash over its nationwide surveillance grid. Privacy advocates, civil rights organizations, and grassroots groups—such as DeFlock—argue the network creates an invasive, warrantless surveillance system. Critics point to high-profile cases of officers misusing the technology to stalk individuals, as well as wrongful arrests stemming from plate-reading errors.
Between August 2021 and mid-2026, civil liberties groups reported that over 80 cities across 28 states terminated their Flock contracts due to these concerns.
Gallup residents expressed similar outrage. Ever since Toadlena-Pablo floated the idea, community members have utilized the public comment section at city council meetings to voice strong disapproval.
During the June 30 meeting—where the council officially approved the FY27 budget—Councilor Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu, Dist. 2, directly addressed the public’s concerns.
“I think [Flock] is definitely a concern for this council and something that we care about and have heard the public on,” she said. “I know that some people had expressed concern that [Flock, or a system similar to it] was still included in this budget, and I just wanted to point out that we are aware of the concerns on that line item, and moving forward with this budget doesn’t mean anything about the final contract that we’ll end up with for those services.”
During the April meeting, Councilor Sarah Piano, Dist. 3, balked at the long-term price tag for Flock’s services. While Toadlena-Pablo presented a five-year contract total of $5.14 million, Piano questioned whether Gallup’s cash flow could handle the steep annual escalations—with projected costs reaching $729,000 per year by fiscal years 2031 and 2032.
Toadlena-Pablo assured the council that the contract would allow the city to back out at any point without penalty. She also clarified that GPD would strictly use any collected data for public safety measures.
Before GPD can contract with Flock Safety, Toadlena-Pablo must submit the contract to the city council for official approval. State rules also require her to open a request-for-proposal process, allowing competing vendors to bid against Flock.
As a result, the City of Gallup currently holds no contract with Flock Safety, leaving the system’s local future uncertain.
In a July 14 interview, Toadlena-Pablo confirmed she has not yet initiated the RFP or grant application processes. For now, Gallup remains in a wait-and-see mode.
