By Matthew Reisen
Source Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is sending dozens of National Guard troops to aid the Albuquerque Police Department, a move intended to free up officers to focus more on fighting crime while declaring an emergency in the state's largest city.
The assistance, in the form of 60 to 70 guardsmen, comes after a March 31 request from APD Chief Harold Medina for the military to fulfill "non-law enforcement duties" such as providing security at crime scene perimeters and transporting prisoners, among others.
"The community must see NMNG ( New Mexico National Guard) members not as a military force but as trained professionals dedicated to supporting and protecting residents," Medina said in a letter to the governor.
During a news briefing Tuesday, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said the guardsmen will be unarmed and wear polo shirts instead of uniforms and "will not be involved in community interaction or use military vehicles."
Medina said the initiative is a pilot project that has been in the works for months after the NMNG offered help and one the department will measure to determine its success. He said the guardsmen would have the same authority and fulfill the same roles as police service aides, who often can be seen blocking traffic around crime scenes.
He said guardsmen would also take the place of officers securing the courthouse, airport and other facilities, as well as provide medical support for those living on the streets along East Central. The assistance would free up 20 to 30 officers for law enforcement and crime-fighting, he said, adding that some officers have to hold scene perimeters for several hours.
APD showed off quarter-year statistics that indicated large decreases in crime, compared with 2024, and said the extra help could get those numbers down further.
"What we want to do is double down on what's working ... and what's working is technology and civilians ... freeing up officers to fight crime and keep those statistics going in this powerfully good direction," Keller said. "A short-term way to help with that is by the National Guardsmen helping out."
Another bonus, Keller said, is the city doesn't have to pay for the guardsmen, and it won't impact APD's budget.
On Monday, Lujan Grisham signed an executive order that directed up to $750,000 to be made available for the deployment of guardsmen "needed to provide military support to civil authorities as needed for this emergency."
"The safety of New Mexicans is my top priority," Lujan Grisham said in a news release Tuesday announcing the order. "By deploying our National Guard to support APD with essential duties, we're ensuring that trained police officers can focus on what they do best — keeping our communities safe. This partnership represents our commitment to addressing the fentanyl crisis and juvenile crime with every resource at our disposal."
The governor's executive order left the timeline for the NMNG's presence open-ended but said they would arrive in mid-May and, according to the release, address "ongoing public safety challenges in the city, particularly along the Central Avenue corridor and other specific areas."
"Their training to assist APD is already underway under the supervision of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security, Department of Public Safety, State Police and APD," the release states.
Medina and Keller could not give a timeline on how long the guardsmen would be needed, but Medina said the hope is to get to 1,000 officers — with currently around 850 — by the time the NMNG leaves.
A Republican lawmaker and an advocacy organization decried the plan on Tuesday for different reasons.
Sen. Nicole Tobiassen, R- Albuquerque, said the city's "crime crisis and lawlessness is a testament to the absolute failure of Mayor Tim Keller and his progressive policies."
"It's sad that his own police chief had to go over his head and seek state resources in order to try and keep up with the rampant violent crime, drug trafficking, juvenile crime, and gang activity that plagues our city," she said in a news release. "Mayor Keller and the progressive Democrats' failed leadership in the City of Albuquerque have made our community into a literal war zone and we must change course before not even state resources can combat the chaos allowed in Albuquerque."
Daniel Williams, policy advocate at the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, said in a release that the assistance was "a show of force, not a show of solutions."
"History has shown that military collaboration with local law enforcement often leads to increased civil rights violations, racial profiling, and criminalization of vulnerable populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness and poverty," he said. "The governor's past policy proposals too often have centered on efforts to criminalize and institutionalize unhoused New Mexicans, without a commensurate emphasis on solving the root causes of crime."
Medina assured during the briefing that the guardsmen "(do) not have law enforcement authority" and "cannot take law enforcement action."
"I just don't want this to turn into, 'Oh my God, the National Guard is here to save the city.' No, the National Guard is here to help clear up officers," he said.
At the end of this year's 60-day legislative session, Lujan Grisham said she planned to call lawmakers back to Santa Fe for a special session focused on juvenile crime and gun violence. But she indicated Tuesday such a session is not imminent, following talks with legislative leaders over the last two weeks.
The executive order comes on the heels of back-to-back operations along East Central to tackle crime, particularly fentanyl usage.
APD had its own operation that started late last year, and currently, New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office have an ongoing operation to tackle crime in the area.
Both have been declared a success by the respective agencies, with hundreds of arrests being made. Those agencies undertaking the latter, continuing, operation said nothing will change on their end.
Nancy Laflin, spokeswoman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office, said " Operation Route 66" had netted 400 arrests over seven weeks, recovering dozens of guns and stolen vehicles. She added, "But of course, we appreciate any and all help from law enforcement as we continue to clean up the streets of Albuquerque."
Deputy Deanna Aragon, a BCSO spokesperson, said the agency appreciated "the governor's concern and her efforts to support public safety."
"We are already seeing measurable success through Operation Route 66, a coordinated effort that is producing real results. The numbers speak for themselves," Aragon said. "... We will continue doing the work that keeps our streets safer every day."
This is not the first time Lujan Grisham has declared an emergency over crime issues or dispatched reinforcements to Albuquerque's streets — with mixed results.
In September 2023, Lujan Grisham declared a public health emergency over gun violence, spurred by the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy. She ordered a firearm ban in public places in Bernalillo County, which was quickly challenged in court and blocked by a federal judge.
And in 2019, Lujan Grisham dispatched dozens of New Mexico State Police officers to Albuquerque for the Metro Surge Operation after University of New Mexico baseball player Jackson Weller was fatally shot in Nob Hill.
That operation came under scrutiny when many of the prosecutions fell apart because the officers, who came from all over the state, didn't show up to hearings.
Unlike those initiatives, the new executive order came at the request of the Albuquerque Police Department, which has, in recent years, touted its officers successes in keeping crime on the decrease, or level, while also making more arrests.
When asked if the situation constituted a true emergency, Medina said, "On a weekly basis, I look at all of the media's stories. I hear 'crime crisis.' I hear 'crime is out of control.' So I would say that ... there is a perception that there is an emergency in the community that is out there."
In his letter to Lujan Grisham, Medina said he wanted to keep the momentum made by APD officers and expressed the need to have them on the streets, not driving prisoners to the Metropolitan Detention Center or providing security at city facilities and courthouses.
The guardsmen could also be used for helping with document filing and organization of APD cases for prosecutors, operating drones and distributing food, water and aid to "vulnerable populations."
Medina wrote that deploying NMNG "in these roles would enable APD to reallocate resources more effectively, sustaining continuous enforcement and essential services 24 hours a day." He called the reinforcements "critical to improving public safety and the quality of life for Albuquerque residents."
"We're hoping it's going to be effective, but if it's not, we will just send people home," Keller said. "We invited these folks in to see if the program will help Albuquerque. If it is helpful, we may look at this in other areas.
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