Letter To The Editor: I Support Re-Election Of Alan Kirk As Los Alamos Municipal Judge

By DENNY ERICKSON
Los Alamos

I urge Los Alamos voters to re-elect Alan Kirk as our Municipal Judge.

I do so believing Judge Kirk is the best candidate for this position considering his extensive judicial experience and his well-earned reputation as a community builder. I also appreciate his deep commitment to safe communities demonstrated over a professional lifetime.

We are fortunate in Los Alamos to have had the criminal judicial services of Judge Kirk during the past four decades. For some 20 years, Alan served us as a member of the Los Alamos Police Department, initially as a young officer and later as our Chief of Police. During his time as Police Chief, I had occasion as a Laboratory official to call on LAPD for assistance when our affairs extended into the community. These requests were always met with a “what can we do to help” attitude, professional competence and respect for protocol, all of which are Kirk trademarks.

During the most recent two decades, Judge Kirk has served with distinction as our Municipal Judge. As a measure of competence and professional respect, not only for our judge but also for Los Alamos as a progressive community, Judge Kirk is highly regarded in New Mexico.

Such distinctions include New Mexico Supreme Court appointments to the Chief Judges Council and the State Judicial Information Oversight Board, and a Governor appointment to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Council for CYFD (Child, Youth and Families Department). Judge Kirk also chaired the New Mexico Municipal Court Judges Association and is a past president of the New Mexico Police Chiefs Association.

We are just as fortunate for Alan Kirk’s community services with their emphasis on youth, leadership and families. As a pioneering founder of the Los Alamos Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (JJAB), Judge Kirk served as JJAB chair for more than 16 years. As complementary contributions, he developed our Teen Court program and implemented a community service program to assist the Teen Court and Adult Probation.

Significant in his advocacy for youth, Kirk worked tirelessly over decades for a dedicated Los Alamos Teen Center. His efforts and those of others were recently realized with the repurposing of the Community Center overlooking Ashley Pond.

As a graduate of Leadership New Mexico, Kirk helped form and chair Leadership Los Alamos. And yet another contribution was his committee service in founding the Family Strengths Network in Los Alamos.       

In conclusion I strongly encourage the voters of Los Alamos to return Alan Kirk as our Municipal Judge. Alan is not only an accomplished and respected judge, but is an equally productive member of our community who cares.

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