Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in response to alarmingly high crime rates, particularly along the historic Route 66 corridor. The executive order authorizes the deployment of 60 to 70 National Guard troops starting mid-May to support local law enforcement efforts.
The National Guard personnel will undertake non-enforcement duties, a wide range of activities that don’t directly involve arresting individuals, such as traffic control, securing crime scenes, operating drones and distributing supplies. Their support aims to free up Albuquerque Police Department officers to focus on direct crime-fighting activities.
The decision follows a request from Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, who highlighted the need for additional resources to combat issues like the fentanyl crisis and rising juvenile crime.
While some categories of crime have seen modest declines, Albuquerque continues to face significant public safety challenges, underscoring the seemingly implacable nature of criminal activity in New Mexico’s largest city, despite efforts to curb it.
The heavily Democrat-run city has struggled with persistently high violent crime in recent years, including:
Violent Crime Rate: 13.22 incidents per 1,000 residents—more than triple the national median.
Property Crime Rate: 47.81 incidents per 1,000 residents, compared to the national median of 19.
Homicides: 102 reported in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year with over 100 homicides.
Motor Vehicle Thefts: 5,837 reported in 2024—a staggering rate of 10.42 per 1,000 residents.
While city officials, including Chief Medina and Mayor Tim Keller, have acknowledged the need for additional support, civil rights organizations have expressed concerns about the potential implications of deploying the National Guard. The ACLU of New Mexico cautioned that such measures could lead to increased militarization of civilian policing and potential civil rights violations, particularly affecting vulnerable populations.
The emergency declaration marks Governor Lujan Grisham’s second major intervention to address crime in Albuquerque, following a similar initiative in 2021. The latest deployment is part of a broader strategy aimed at confronting the city’s ongoing public safety crisis.
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If crime is that out of control, why wait a month to send in the Guard? And (we know why) crime is out of control.
Lujan-Grisham is an absolute disaster. She could have prevented this from the beginning. Never thought I’d see this in Albuquerque.