Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales said that the state's leadership has shown a bipartisan commitment to ensuring the safety of New Mexicans, involving advocates and legislative bodies in the process. The statement was made during a conference on February 27.
"It's our responsibilities, our task to make sure that we keep New Mexicans safe," said Sharen M Hansen, according to Facebook. "We still have a lot of work to do. And we're going to do that."
House Bill 8, a comprehensive public safety omnibus package, was signed into law on February 27, 2025, by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. The bill addresses several areas of concern, including criminal competency reform, weapon conversion devices, shooting threats, fentanyl trafficking, auto theft penalties, and DWI blood testing.
According to the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, the state's violent crime rate in 2022 was 780 per 100,000 residents, which is 105% higher than the national average of 381 per 100,000. Between 2012 and 2022, violent crime in New Mexico increased by 40%, with aggravated assault comprising the majority of reported offenses. The report notes that despite an increase in law enforcement funding and policy interventions, property crime and violent crime rates remain among the highest in the nation.
In 2024, Albuquerque reported 1,651 robbery incidents with a rate of 294.5 per 100,000 residents. This figure significantly exceeds both the New Mexico state average of 110.6 and the national average of 66.1 per 100,000. Additionally, according to Freedom for All Americans data, the city recorded 4,555 burglary offenses equating to 812.6 per 100,000 residents—well above both the state average of 604.0 and the national average of 269.8 per 100,000.
According to the Governor's Office information about Lt. Gov. Morales' background reveals that he has been serving since 2019 and has championed education initiatives as well as support for small businesses and rural communities. A former state senator and educator from Silver City with a PhD in Education played a key role in early childhood education reform and state employee benefits.
