N.M. Stat. § 29-1-13
Unclaimed property; inventory.
A peace officer shall immediately inventory and record any personal property that
comes into his possession and is taken under authority of law or is left in his possession
or in the possession of the state, county or municipality. As used in Sections 29-1-13
through 29-1-15 NMSA 1978, "peace officer" means any full-time employee of a police
or sheriff's department that is part of or administered by the state or any political
subdivision of the state and which employee is responsible for the prevention and
detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic or highway laws of the state.