Gov. Susana Martinez says her cabinet secretary for public safety is stepping down to become a federal magistrate judge in Las Cruces.
Public Safety Secretary Greg Fouratt's resignation was announced Friday. It comes just two years after he was appointed to run the Department of Public Safety, which oversees the State Police, Motor Transportation Police and the Law Enforcement Academy.
A longtime federal prosecutor, Fouratt replaced now-Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden as public safety secretary.
Martinez says Fouratt brought together law enforcement, forensic scientists and victim advocates to review the scope of the state backlog of untested rape kits. He helped secure $1.2 million in funding from the Legislature to begin testing more than 5,000 evidence kits.
Martinez says Fouratt's deputy, Scott Weaver, will serve as the department's acting secretary.
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