ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Police have identified 17 murder suspects this year who are ages 19 and under. Nine of them are considered ‘juveniles,’ meaning age 17 and under.

This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart discuss the topic of youth involved in violent crime with Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. How much do drugs and social media play a factor? What are the driving forces behind gun violence among teens? And what are the solutions?

Chief Medina addresses what his department is focused on, his ‘tough on crime’ ideas for lawmakers, and a suggestion for parents to talk to their teenagers about conflict resolution. No longer does the advice “fight back” work to resolve conflict among youth, as Medina suggests the “game has changed,” and guns are more readily available.

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Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Podbean among others.

Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term “KRQE” or “New Mexico News Podcast” (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.