By Ludella Awad / NM News Port After three years as police chief of the Albuquerque Police Department, Mike Geier is retiring, effective Sept. 11, 2020. Geier made the announcement on Sept. 9. “It has been an honor to lead the Albuquerque Police Department,” Geier said in a statement. “After 47 years in law enforcement, […]
By Ludella Awad / NM News Port Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has introduced new leadership of the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), an initiative announced last year that combines law enforcement with social workers in an attempt to prevent gun violence. “This is a very unique model,” Keller said, indicating it comes from a public health […]
By Celia Raney / New Mexico In Depth / Going against federal guidance during the era of COVID-19, Albuquerque city personnel periodically roust homeless encampments. Waking inhabitants before sunrise, police deliver orders over a megaphone for men, women, sometimes families to move along in as quickly as 30 minutes. In the frenzy of gathering themselves […]
By Ludella Awad/ NM News Port / As local businesses remain closed during the coronavirus outbreak, commercial burglaries have increased, according to the Albuquerque Police Department. On the up side, though, police say residential burglaries are down as Albuquerque homes are occupied almost constantly during the stay-at-home order by state and local government. New numbers […]
By Celia Raney / New Mexico In Depth With the latest order from the governor’s office asking all New Mexicans to stay home except for issues of health and safety – like grocery shopping or going to a doctor – victims of domestic violence may be stuck in their homes, too, with their abusers. “This […]
By Ludella Awad / NM News Port / The City of Albuquerque is working with state authorities to tighten enforcement against nonessential businesses that should remain closed during the coronavirus emergency. At the same time, the University of New Mexico now is restricting public access to its main campus. The New Mexico State Police and […]
By Ludella Awad / NM News Port / Residents across the United States have started receiving official mail inviting them to participate in the 2020 Census. Meanwhile, census and community leaders are taking steps to put safeguards in place to protect citizen privacy, to assure census worker safety, and to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. […]
By Ed Williams | Searchlight New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Attorney General Hector Balderas and Rep. Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) are all moving independently to rein in some of the most dangerous practices in New Mexico classrooms: restraint and seclusion. Each is pursuing separate initiatives to enforce stricter reporting requirements for incidents involving the […]
By Bella Davis and Eduardo Naranjo / News Port For decades, the primary approach to confronting drug addiction in New Mexico has been criminalization. That’s starting to change, reflecting a rehabilitation model spearheaded by state legislators and community organizations. Non-violent and largely low-level drug offenses account for the incarceration of almost a half-million people nationally, […]
