The Albuquerque Police Department has reported a record high number of homicide cases in the year 2021. In total, there were at least 104 victims in the city. 

“There has to be a balance with a lot of the social service programs and law enforcement. And we have to be able to say that we want to help individuals who have substance abuse problems," Chief Harold Medina told KRQE. "As a community we need  to draw a line .. there has to be a line in the sand that says this person has now gone beyond that, and the solution is incarceration.”

The large number of homicides and cases involving violence is alarming for residents. Law enforcement professionals are putting their heads together to understand the reasons for the increase in violence as well as the way that the police department has adjusted to the increased violence in the area. 

Any potential response or policy adjustment is likely to be highly scrutinized, Medina says, so law enforcement agencies are treading carefully. With procedures and organizations being put under a microscope, the department is approaching the problem with a wide range of possible actions in mind. 

At the state level, a new session of the New Mexico legislature will be addressing pre-trial detention rules, which have a large impact on prosecutors and accused criminals.