ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After a federal judge blocked enforcement of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s temporary public gun ban in Bernalillo County, more New Mexico State Police officers will be stationed in Bernalillo County.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina suggested the move on Tuesday in their list of priorities for lawmakers. State Police officers will conduct traffic and criminal enforcement operations that include saturation patrols, warrant roundups, and narcotics operations.
In a statement Wednesday, the governor said:
Today a judge temporarily blocked sections of our public health order but recognized the significant problem of gun violence in the state, particularly involving the deaths of children.
I refuse to be resigned to the status quo. As governor, I see the pain of families who lost their loved ones to gun violence every single day, and I will never stop fighting to prevent other families from enduring these tragedies.
To be clear: gun violence and drug abuse are acute threats to public health and safety in this state. We will stay the course by increasing State Police presence in Bernalillo County, arresting the hundreds of violent offenders with outstanding warrants still on our streets, and directing our healthcare system to immediately expand capacity to accept person experiencing drug addiction and homelessness.
Over the past four days, I’ve seen more attention on resolving the crisis of gun violence than I have in the past four years. Now is the time to bring clarity of purpose: New Mexicans must again feel safe walking home from school, driving to the grocery, or leaving their hometown baseball stadium.
Who will stand up to protect families and children? I will.
And I call on leaders across the state, from local law enforcement to the Legislature to mayors and county commissioners: Stand with me to enact solutions to that save people’s lives. Throwing up our hands is not an option.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
