Slain officer leaves deep legacy

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - Sandoval County Sgt. Joe Harris who was shot and killed during a stakeout Thursday morning was served more than 26 years in area law enforcement and was well-known for his community involvement.

He was a 6 1/2 year veteran of the sheriff's department, but for 20 years before that he was a patrolman in Rio Rancho. There members of the police force remember a community-minded cop who spent hours helping kids, and neighborhoods.

Some of the older officers remember Harris as a professional who loved his work.

On Thursday they took it upon themselves to lower flags to half staff in honor of a man who started dozens of Neighborhood Watch programs and spent hours with small businesses teaching them crime prevention techniques.

Rio Rancho Officer John Francis said Harris's greatest contribution came through working with kids. Harris started the anti-drug DARE program in the 1980s.

"Joe's legacy here is a lot of kids that never turned to drugs, a lot of kids that never turned to gangs and a lot of safe neighborhoods," Francis said. "Joe was one of our first crime-prevention officers."

Harris's death also hit home with Rio Rancho schools. A spokeswoman said Harris, who also served as a middle school resource officer, had the gift of connecting with students of all ages and frequently visited with truancy prevention programs.

Harris was also active with the Kasey Says program where police canines are brought into elementary and middle schools to educate kids.

“He loved his work,” Francis said. “Law enforcement was truly one of the biggest parts of his life besides his family.

"To know that he died doing what he loved says something.”

Harris retired from the Rio Rancho department nearly seven years ago. It surprised no one when he got back into law enforcement as a sheriff's deputy.

His colleagues say they couldn't see him doing anything else.