Grants hires three officers

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Three new officers have joined the Grants Police Department, they are: Steve Roberts, Jesse Nieto and Carl Ustupski.

All three arrived by separate routes, one having police and U.S. Navy military police experience; one being a loss prevention department head for Wal-Mart; and the other with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

Steve Roberts
Steve Roberts, 34, comes to the department from the Cuba Police Department.

He said he served one year of his two ears time with Cuba in Iraq working in the prison system at two camps, Fort Suse, no closed and Camp Bucca, currently the largest prison in the worked with more than 10,000 prisoners, and having more facilities added all the time. He has 18 montsh remaining for Naval Reserves service, he said, and does not expect to be sent back to Iraq.

While at CPD, Roberts said at one point there was the police chief and himself. The department has six officer slots available and just recently hired three officers, he said.
"I met Chief (Marty) Vigil at the Fire and Ice event two years ago. I really like him and how he runs his department," Roberts said.

"I want to move up in my career, going to sergeant next and the only way to do that was to move to a larger police department. Grants has 17 officer positions in its department.

"I was also looking for a place to live, to buy a house and I fell in love with Grants," he said.

Prior to being at Cuba, he said he worked the jails as a deputy seheriff for Maricopa County Sheriff's Department in Phoenix for five years.

He is married to Jill, who will begin working at the 13th Judicial District Attorney's office soon.

"There is nothing I dislike about this job," he said.

"I love helping people and getting the bad guys off the street. It's a self-satisfying job," he said.

Carl Ustupski
Carl Ustupski, 28, of Painesville, Ohio, received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Penn., this year, said Karen Cook, Grants police administrative assistant. Ustupski was in special training and not available for an interview.

He worked various jobs while in college. He is married to Bekah. He has no previous law enforcement experience, Cook said.

Jesse NietoThe third new recruit is Jesse Nieto. 24, of Grants.

He graduated from Grants High School in 2002 and worked for Wal-Mart in the loss prevention unit, becoming the department supervisor.

"I always wanted to be in law enforcement since I was young," he said.

"I checked into state police while I was in high school but didn't join," he said.

While at Wal-Mart, he said he developed a good relationship with many officers at Grants police and decided to join the department.

He said he likes foot pursuits the most about his job and he likes helping people and preventing crime.

He will attend the New Mexico Law Enforcenment Academy in January 2007 for training to become a certified officer.

The academy is currently 22 weeks long.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.