2 days ago
Local law enforcement reacts to emergency declaration in Española
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – Crime and drugs have gotten so bad in Española that officers can't keep up and are overwhelmed. Crime is so bad, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, hoping to bring some relief. Española has struggled with drugs and crime for years. 'The thing about Española, it's been generational. It's not a secret that we've been dealing with drug-related crimes,' said Chief Mizel Garcia, Española Police Department.
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But now, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said it's gotten so bad that police are overwhelmed. On Wednesday, the governor declared a state of emergency for the city of Española and the surrounding pueblos. 'The drugs, if they don't take care of the drugs, the crime is gonna stay the way it is. They need to focus on that and take away that,' said Joshua Archuleta, Española resident.
The governor said Rio Arriba County currently has the highest overdose death rate in the state. She adds calls to police have more than doubled, and police dispatches to businesses have quadrupled over the past two years. The county, city, and pueblos reached out, and the governor said they needed help. 'It's challenging in Española city of 10,500, I'm at about 30 officers, so we have to do a lot more with what we have,' said Garcia.
The executive order will provide $750,000 in funding for law enforcement in Española, Santa Clara, Ohkay Owingeh, and Rio Arriba County. 'A lot of the time, funding or the resources are not available for us, so we're really looking forward to meeting with the governor's office and the other three entities to see how we're gonna best utilize that funding,' said Garcia.
Unlike the executive order, the governor signed in Albuquerque, where the New Mexico National Guard was deployed to aid officers, no guard members will be sent to Española.
It's still not known how the money will be spent. The governor said they'll work to identify specific resource gaps.
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