Dog becomes most qualified cop in Vaughn, New Mexico

The only two officers have been barred from carrying weapons

We definitely do not condone any unlawful activities, but if you are looking to commit a crime, the town of Vaughn, New Mexico may be a good place to go.

Former Police Chief Ernest "Chris" Armijo decided to step down after state officials took his gun away — because he owes tens of thousands of dollars in child support and has been charged with selling a town-owned gun and pocketing the cash, reports The Associated Press.

Armijo, upset with the attention, decided to step down. The only other officer in town pleaded guilty to assault charges last year and is currently considered a non-certified officer, meaning he can't carry a gun or arrest anyone. So the only qualified member of the police department is a drug-sniffing dog named Nikka.

So far there have been no reports of Nikka making any arrests or shooting a gun.

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But residents of the town don't seem to think the lack of a certified officer will be a problem.

"There's just a whole lot of nothing going on here," Joyce Tabor, a cook at a local eatery, told AP. "We have very little crime. It's quiet. So this really doesn't matter."

The town is located about 160 kilometres east of Albuquerque and was established in the early 20th century as a railroad town. In 1920 it had a population of almost 900 people, but as of the 2000 census that number had dropped to 539. Data shows that by 2011, the population had dropped to 438.

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Even though the town is small and doesn't have much crime the citizens can see, U.S. Homeland Security officials say it's a popular place for drug traffickers, according to AP.

Vaughn attorney Dave Romero said officers without guns doesn't put the city at risk.

"England doesn't allow police officer to carry guns," he said to AP. "Sometimes the strongest weapon in law enforcement is communication.

Even Armijo didn't think a weapon was necessary.

"This isn't a TV show. This is life," he told KOB-TV. "We don't run in everyday with gun drawn. Life isn't a pistol grip. It's how you talk to people."

There may not be many towns with an animal as the only certified member of a police force, but another has a cat as mayor. Feline Mayor 'Stubbs' recently celebrated 15 years in charge of the Alaskan town of Talkeetna and Tuxedo Stan is in the running to be mayor of Halifax.

(CP photo of the Vaughn Police Department's K-9 vehicle in Armijo's driveway)