Governor Declares State of Emergency in New Mexico City Espanola over Spiking Crime Rates

By Dan Boyd

Source Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

SANTA FE, NM — In a move rife with political undertones, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Española and its surrounding areas due to rising crime rates.

The emergency order, which was issued in response to a request for help from local leaders and tribal officials, authorizes New Mexico National Guard troops to be deployed to Rio Arriba County to assist local law enforcement officers.

It comes four months after the governor issued a similar emergency order authorizing a National Guard deployment in Albuquerque, which is ongoing.

"When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis."

Rio Arriba County has long struggled with elevated drug abuse rates, and the county's overdose death rate was more than double the statewide average as of 2023.

This year, 49 overdose deaths have been recorded in Rio Arriba County — more than the 40 recorded all of last year, according to the Española Social Services Department. Most of the fatal overdoses involved fentanyl.

Española Mayor Pro Tem Peggy Sue Martinez sent a recent letter to the governor for state-level help to address a surge in drug-related arrests, theft and violence that, she said, have caused police calls to more than double over the last two years.

"The scale and complexity of this crisis exceed the capacity of local resources," Martinez said.

The letter specifically requested a ramped-up state law enforcement presence in the city of about 10,000 people, along with more funding, crime-fighting technology and mental health professionals.

Similar letters requesting assistance were sent by Rio Arriba County Commission Chairman Brandon Bustos and two tribal leaders — Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. James Naranjo and Ohkay Owingeh Gov. Benny Lujan.

Meanwhile, the decision to declare a crime-related state of emergency in another New Mexico city could reignite a debate over the best use of state National Guard members.

It also comes just days after Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller issued a joint statement criticizing President Donald Trump for deploying 800 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

The governor and the mayor insisted the situations are different, in large part because New Mexico local leaders have requested the state-level involvement.

"The contrast couldn't be clearer: While President Trump uses the National Guard to trample local leadership, New Mexico brings together local and state governments to make our communities genuinely safer," Lujan Grisham and Keller said in their joint statement.

But Sen. James Townsend, R- Artesia, said in a Wednesday social media post that Lujan Grisham was trying to copy Trump's actions, adding, "It's about time."

Meanwhile, New Mexico Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela applauded the governor's emergency order while criticizing top-ranking New Mexico Democrats.

"This community is long overdue in receiving help to combat the out-of-control crime caused by the failed policies of our state leadership," Barela said in a statement.

In addition to authorizing New Mexico National Guard troops to be deployed to Rio Arriba County, the governor's order also designated the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as the go-to agency for assistance requests in the region.

The order also frees up as much as $750,000 in emergency state funds, an amount that could be increased by the issuance of subsequent orders.

A Lujan Grisham spokeswoman said the initial funding could help pay for police officer overtime, public safety equipment and multi-agency investigations.

State and local public safety officials are conducting an assessment to identify specific resource gaps and where the money can best be put to use, the governor's spokeswoman Jodi McGinnis Porter added.

Española City Councilor Sam LeDoux described the executive order as necessary to address an "out of control" crime problem.

"Fentanyl has overwhelmed our law enforcement, and this seems to be a step in the right direction to protecting our citizens," said LeDoux.

________________

Visit www.abqjournal.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.