New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently asked for more federal law enforcement help in New Mexico, prompting pushback from state Republicans.
“Gov. Lujan Grisham is all but admitting that she is incapable of managing one of her core duties as governor – keeping New Mexicans safe," House Republican Whip State Rep. Rod Montoya (R-Farmington) said in a news release. "In an astonishing move, MLG is calling on the FBI to help solve New Mexico’s out of control crime problem. Democrats in the legislature and Gov. Lujan Grisham have done the exact opposite of keeping us safe from organized crime and violent criminals."
Democrats have reduced penalties and enacted laws that allow for the expungement of criminal records and early release of convicted criminals, Montoya said.
"They have removed protections from law enforcement officers and have given criminals the green light to steal up to $1,000 of property without being arrested; and have enabled a dangerous fentanyl explosion on our streets that is contributing to the homeless problem, and the list goes on," he said. "You can’t ignore crime and coddle criminals while simultaneously pretending to take the crime problem seriously.”
In a letter dated Oct. 5, Lujan Grisham asked the Department of Justice for "additional federal law enforcement resources to support state and local public safety efforts amid a nationwide increase in violent crime," a press release states. Grisham made a similar request in June, which didn’t result in any additional resources.
State Republicans recently proposed a three-point Safe Communities Plan to address crime in Albuquerque, which included steps for practical criminal justice reform, taking on organized crime and increasing funding for the New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission, the New Mexico Sun reported.
The murder rate in the Albuquerque metro area reached new highs in both 2019 and 2021, and remains high in 2022, the Sun reported.
Montoya has been in the New Mexico legislature since 2015, representing the 1st District, and is up for reelection in November, according to Ballotpedia. He is currently assigned to the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the Rules and Order of Business Committee and the Taxation and Revenue Committee.
There were 116 murders in Albuquerque in 2021, a crime trends report found. The number of violent crimes and property crimes increased slightly from 2020, going from 65,503 to 66,066, but those statistics are down from 2018 and 2019, which were 75,538 and 70,223, respectively.
