New Mexico State University Library, Las Cruces Public Libraries, and the Las Cruces Police Department are launching a yearlong initiative to train police leadership in information literacy and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. The partnership brings academic librarians into a law enforcement setting - a model its organizers say has no clear precedent - to strengthen officers' ability to evaluate digital information, interpret data, and maintain public trust.
Grassroots professional development
NMSU librarians Erin Wahl and Leslie Ross will lead a series of educational sessions for LCPD command staff. Their approach applies the information literacy framework used in higher education directly to AI literacy, helping participants understand how AI tools shape the content they encounter daily.
"AI has fundamentally changed how information is created, shared and evaluated," Ross said. "The framework used to teach information literacy in higher education will be directly applied to AI literacy to help participants understand how AI tools shape the information they encounter every day."
Wahl described the program as professional development at a grassroots level, one that aims to develop future leaders within the department. "We haven't seen anything in the literature that describes this type of collaboration," she said. "This is an opportunity for Las Cruces to be part of something innovative that can have positive results for LCPD officers and the larger community."
Information literacy as an essential competency
LCPD leaders see information literacy as increasingly central to policing. Officers routinely collect, analyze, and communicate data, and the expansion of AI and digital tools makes critical evaluation a professional necessity. Chief Jeremy Story emphasized that strengthening these skills directly supports decision-making and community trust.
"Effective leaders understand that growth and learning must be continuous," Story said. "Information literacy is especially important in policing because we routinely collect, analyze, interpret and communicate data and information. The ability to evaluate information critically and use it responsibly is essential to making sound decisions, serving our community effectively and maintaining public trust."
Library resources and lifelong learning
Las Cruces Public Libraries will provide access to course materials and other educational resources through the program. Deputy Director Sarah Booth noted that after the training, those materials will become available to the wider public as e-books via the Libby app, reinforcing the libraries' commitment to lifelong learning.
NMSU Library Dean Kevin Comerford said the effort strengthens ties among three institutions that share an investment in community success. "By collaborating with LCPD and Las Cruces Public Libraries, we're able to support officers with important information literacy training while strengthening connections between campus, the city and the regional community," he said.
Why this matters for educators
For educators, this collaboration offers a practical case study in transplanting academic information literacy instruction into a high-stakes professional environment. The same frameworks librarians use to teach students to evaluate sources and recognize AI-generated content are being adapted for police officers, showing that these skills are transferable far beyond the classroom. School and university librarians may find a model here for partnering with local employers or public agencies to extend their instructional reach, while faculty teaching critical thinking or media literacy can point to a real-world application that spans education, technology, and public service.
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