Lea County

Lea County was created from parts of Eddy and Chaves counties in March 17, 1917 and was named for Joseph C. Lea, the “Father of Roswell.”

With no courthouse to conduct business, the first commission meeting was held in the First Territorial Bank Building on June 18, 1917 with commissioners J.S. Eaves, Chair, Walter Lynch, and Augustus F. Meroney.  

In 1918, a countywide bond election for funding the construction of the new courthouse and jail turned out to be a close vote in favor of funding the plan by only 41 votes. The highest bidder of 3 contractors was R.J. Tofflemire of Carlsbad/Lovington with a winning bid of $17,875.00. The original wooden courthouse was replaced in 1936 with a four-story brick building and the jail moved to the fourth floor. The old jail was used to house female inmates until it was razed in 1956.

Lea County is three times the size of Rhode Island and almost as large as Connecticut with its square mileage coming in at 4,393 or approximately 2,822,522 acres. The County owns and maintains 1300 miles of roads. The population in 2017 was 68,759, and the county has five incorporated cities Lovington; the county seat, Hobbs; the largest city, Tatum, Eunice and Jal. Rural communities in Lea County include Knowles, Humble City, Monument, Nadine, and Oil Center. The county is the second largest oil and gas-producing County in the U.S., is home to URENCO USA, which is the first nuclear enrichment facility built in the United States in 30 years using centrifuge enrichment technology, is ranked fifth in the state for commodity production, and flourishes in agriculture, cattle, and the dairy industry.

Two of its residents become members of the House of Representatives:  Harold Runnels (D) of Lovington, a 6-term representative and Steve Pearce (R) of Hobbs, a representative from 2003-2009 and 2011-2019. Lea County built a new district court complex on the block just east of the Lea County Courthouse. 

Upcoming Events

Mar
10
Mon
2025
Instructor Development (Train the Trainer) @ Bernalillo County, Albuquerque, NM
Mar 10 @ 8:00 am – Mar 14 @ 5:00 pm

This weeklong class will give you the foundation to become a professional and dynamic instructor.  You will learn the principles of learning and teaching, and the qualities of a good instructor. This course is accredited by the NMLEA and is free to NMC Law Enforcement Insurance Pool members.  Non-members may inquire about attending (pending availability) for a fee. Course detail in attached flyer.

TRAINING FOR TRAINERS – Albuquerque August 2024

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Mar
17
Mon
2025
CIT – 40 hour Crisis Intervention Training @ Socorro, NM
Mar 17 @ 8:00 am – Mar 21 @ 5:00 pm

Description

This 40-hour training provides verbal de-escalation, crisis intervention, and mental health awareness training.  It is intended for Sheriff Deputies, Detention Staff. Firefighter and Emergency Medical First Responders. Course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Pool members.  Non-pool members may inquire about attending (based on availability) for a fee.  See attached flyer for more details.

CIT Albuquerque -June 2024

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Employment Opportunities

TEAM UP WITH LEA COUNTY!

Lea County is an employer of choice offering competitive salaries and benefits to bright and energetic people who want to join our team!