I’M ALIYAH CHAVEZ. SASHA IS OFF TONIGHT. GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM SAYS SHE’S DISAPPOINTED IN ALBUQUERQUE’S USE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD THIS YEAR, ADDING SHE FEELS MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DURING THE DEPLOYMENT. KOAT JULIAN PARAS IS HERE WITH THE RESPONSE FROM CITY OFFICIALS AS WELL AS WATCHDOGS WEIGHING IN. THAT’S RIGHT. SO WATCHDOG GROUPS LIKE THE RIO GRANDE FOUNDATION SAY THIS COULD BE SEEN AS A GOOD INVESTMENT OR SOMETHING THAT DID NOT NECESSARILY HIT THE MARK. BUT THE CITY DID SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT. ACCORDING TO ALBUQUERQUE POLICE. $7 MILLION. THAT’S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON THE NATIONAL GUARD’S DEPLOYMENT IN ALBUQUERQUE, WHICH WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNOR TO HELP POLICE FIGHT CRIME. GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM SAYING SHE’S DISAPPOINTED MORE WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED. COULD WE HAVE DONE MORE? SURE. I AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR ON THAT. WAS IT A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY? I WOULD SAY NO. PAUL, GUESSING, IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE RIO GRANDE FOUNDATION, A GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG GROUP IN ALBUQUERQUE. AND HE SAYS MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH $7 MILLION, BUT ADDS IT WASN’T A TOTAL LOSS. THE GOVERNOR’S TEAM TELLING KOAT ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR TIM KELLER’S ADMINISTRATION COULD HAVE, QUOTE, SHOWN MORE INITIATIVE IN MAXIMIZING THE GOVERNOR’S DEPLOYMENT OF NATIONAL GUARD RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU PUT TOGETHER ADDICTION, ACCESS TO DRUGS, FENTANYL, AND THEN YOU PUT TOGETHER DEEP ROOTED POVERTY CHALLENGES. AND YOU GET THIS MIX THAT WE’VE HAD FOR SOME TIME. WE WOULD GET THE NATIONAL GUARD TO TAKE TASKS THAT AN OFFICER WASN’T NEEDED FOR. ABC NEWS SPEAKING WITH ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR TIM KELLER AND APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA LAST WEEK. SINCE THE GUARD’S DEPLOYMENT IN JUNE, ALBUQUERQUE POLICE STATS SHOW AN INCREASE IN FELONY ARRESTS, MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS AND A DECREASE IN PROPERTY CRIMES, ROBBERIES AND ASSAULTS ALONG CENTRAL AVENUE, AN AREA WHICH HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE CITY FOR MANY YEARS. GUESSING HOPES THE WORK DONE BY THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS HELPED ALBUQUERQUE GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITHIN THE CITY. HOPEFULLY THINGS IMPROVE, AND TIM KELLER DECIDES TO GET MORE SERIOUS ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO CRIME. AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING THE STREETS CLEANER AND THE HOMELESS PROBLEM. ET CETERA. POLICE CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA ALSO TOLD ABC NEWS THE CITY SHOULD FINISH THE YEAR WITH A 32% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES. HE SAYS THIS IS IN PART THANKS TO THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Governor ‘disappointed’ in use of National Guard in Albuquerque
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham activated the New Mexico National Guard earlier this year to support the Albuquerque Police Department in its efforts to combat crime in the city.
The $7 million deployment of the National Guard in Albuquerque, authorized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to assist police in combating crime, has received mixed reviews, as she expressed disappointment over its impact.”Could we have done more? Sure,” said Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation. “I agree with the governor on that. Was it a total waste of money? I would say no.”The Rio Grande Foundation is a government watchdog group in Albuquerque. He believes that while more could have been achieved with the funds, the deployment was not entirely in vain.The governor’s team suggested that Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s administration could have “shown more initiative in maximizing the governor’s deployment of National Guard resources in the community.””When you put together addiction, access to drugs, fentanyl, and then you put together deep-rooted poverty challenges. And you get this mix that we’ve had for some time,” said Mayor Tim Keller. They noted that the National Guard was tasked with duties typically requiring police officers. Since the Guard’s deployment in June, Albuquerque police statistics indicate an increase in felony and misdemeanor arrests, along with a decrease in property crimes, robberies, and assaults along Central Avenue, a long-standing problem area for the city.Gessing hopes the National Guard’s efforts have helped Albuquerque address some of its issues. “Hopefully, things improve. And, Tim Keller decides to get more serious about his approach to crime. And, you know, keeping the streets cleaner and the homeless problem, etc., etc.,” he said.
The $7 million deployment of the National Guard in Albuquerque, authorized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to assist police in combating crime, has received mixed reviews, as she expressed disappointment over its impact.
“Could we have done more? Sure,” said Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation. “I agree with the governor on that. Was it a total waste of money? I would say no.”
The Rio Grande Foundation is a government watchdog group in Albuquerque. He believes that while more could have been achieved with the funds, the deployment was not entirely in vain.
The governor’s team suggested that Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s administration could have “shown more initiative in maximizing the governor’s deployment of National Guard resources in the community.”
“When you put together addiction, access to drugs, fentanyl, and then you put together deep-rooted poverty challenges. And you get this mix that we’ve had for some time,” said Mayor Tim Keller.
They noted that the National Guard was tasked with duties typically requiring police officers. Since the Guard’s deployment in June, Albuquerque police statistics indicate an increase in felony and misdemeanor arrests, along with a decrease in property crimes, robberies, and assaults along Central Avenue, a long-standing problem area for the city.
Gessing hopes the National Guard’s efforts have helped Albuquerque address some of its issues.
“Hopefully, things improve. And, Tim Keller decides to get more serious about his approach to crime. And, you know, keeping the streets cleaner and the homeless problem, etc., etc.,” he said.
