New Mexico Governor Declares State Of Emergency Due To Rampant Crime

Just two days after President Donald Trump took direct control of Washington, D.C.’s police force in an effort to bring down violent crime in the capital, New Mexico’s governor declared a state of emergency over what she described as an escalating public safety crisis in her own state.

On Wednesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the emergency order for Rio Arriba County, an area with one of the highest opioid overdose death rates in the nation. The county stretches from the city of Española to the Colorado border and includes two Native American Pueblo communities. For years, it has faced ongoing struggles with drug addiction, violent crime, and limited law enforcement resources.

The governor said the situation has reached a tipping point, with local leaders warning that public safety threats have “overwhelmed local resources.” According to Grisham, police calls in Española and nearby areas have more than doubled in the past two years, while calls to local businesses have quadrupled. Officials say fentanyl abuse and other illicit drug use have played a major role in driving up crime, homelessness, and family instability.

“When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action,” Grisham said in a statement. “We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis.”

The declaration immediately unlocks $750,000 for the state’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate efforts and deliver resources to affected areas. While no National Guard deployments have been ordered at this time, the order allows the option if the situation worsens. A spokesperson for the governor’s office said the emergency funds will be used for overtime pay, equipment, and coordinated police operations.

Tribal leaders have also been calling for action. Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. James Naranjo said his community has spent thousands of dollars to address the fallout from fentanyl and alcohol abuse, both of which have had a direct impact on children. In a July letter to Grisham, Naranjo emphasized that the problem extends beyond tribal boundaries, affecting the entire surrounding community.