SANTA FE, NM — Citing what she calls a “dangerous intersection” between crime and homelessness, New Mexico’s governor is calling on lawmakers to address stubbornly high crime rates as they meet Thursday for a special legislative session.
In issuing her proclamation, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham spoke about a vulnerable segment of society that is victims of drug and human trafficking. She also repeatedly referenced a “revolving door” within the state’s criminal justice system that has resulted in dangerous individuals and those in need of mental health services remaining on the streets.
The governor pointed to thousands of cases that have been dismissed in recent years due to competency issues, including many involving violent crimes.
“This should be a terrifying environment for anyone,” said Lujan Grisham, warning any legislators who don’t want to waste time solving the problems. “It is unacceptable. We cannot be a permissive state for risky behavior.”
The two-term Democrat is urging lawmakers to consider longer minimum sentences for armed criminals, restrictions on panhandling and an expansion of involuntary detention and treatment for mental health and addiction problems.
Some prominent lawmakers say the proposals could lead to unintended consequences. Groups that advocate for homelessness and civil rights fear they could infringe on constitutional rights.
Here are some things you should know about the special session:
FBI data shows sharp drops across all categories of violent crime in the US in the first three months of 2024, compared to the same period the previous year, continuing a downward trend since the rise of the coronavirus pandemic.
That’s not the case in the Albuquerque metro area — where about a third of New Mexico’s residents live — where violent crime rates have held steady at about three times the national average. Criminal cases involving youth and weapons rose last year as authorities also grappled with homeless encampments on sidewalks and in riverside parks.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Wednesday that the city cleared 1,000 encampments in June alone and spends $1 million a month on housing vouchers. It’s not enough, he said.
Lujan Grisham said the streets are still not safe after lawmakers in February approved modest public safety reforms that extend the waiting period on gun purchases to seven days and give judges an extra opportunity to deny bail before trial in situations dangerous.
This week the governor extended emergency public health orders to the Albuquerque area regarding Gun violence and illicit use of drugs which were first invoked in September 2023.
Various states including California It is Tennessee are taking a more forceful approach to untreated mental illness and addiction issues, amid concerns about crime and homelessness.
Lujan Grisham wants lawmakers to make it easier to involuntarily place a person in treatment. She also wants to give courts and prosecutors more leeway in detaining and evaluating criminal defendants when mental competency is in question.
Ben Baker, the governor’s senior public safety adviser, said it’s time to intervene in new ways when a court declares a defendant mentally incompetent.
“Incompetence is determined, they are released, and they return for very similar criminal conduct, ad infinitum,” Baker said in a podcast interview with The Santa Fe New Mexican.
The ACLU and other advocacy groups warn that the governor’s initiatives would make it easier to force someone into a locked mental health facility.
The proposed agenda for the special session also includes enhanced penalties for a convicted felon found in possession of a gun during the commission of another crime. The governor wants a minimum sentence of nine years in prison, with no reductions for good behavior.
Another initiative would make it illegal to wander in narrow medians amid high-speed traffic, responding to the proliferation of urban beggars.
Proponents say panhandlers can still exercise their free speech rights to ask for money on sidewalks and other areas. The ban would apply to medians up to 1 meter wide on streets with a speed limit of 45 km/h.
Also under the proposals, state agencies would collect and analyze information monthly from local law enforcement agencies about crime and any weapons involved.
Frustrations mount after lawmakers allocated more than US$800 million over the past three years to combat crime, including underlying mental health issues.
State Democratic House Speaker Javier Martínez of Albuquerque said at a news conference Monday that the governor’s approach is uninformed and could backfire.
“We have deep concerns about the potential impact these proposals will have on New Mexicans, especially the most vulnerable among us,” he said.
Lawmakers, including Democratic Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe, are expressing support for a possible expansion of voluntary treatment programs for people with serious mental illnesses through civil and criminal court proceedings.
Daniel Williams of the ACLU of New Mexico said this approach, using a pilot program to see what works and what doesn’t, “is much more encouraging to us than rushing into legislation where there are some real risks of harm. ”.
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Associated Press reporter Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed.
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
