Agencies need help clearing criminal warrant backlog
Funding will help police, public defenders, jails and the courts
There is no shortage of opinions about what needs to be done as a state to make our communities safer. While there may not be agreement on every idea, there is one solution being considered in this year’s legislative session that will have an immediate impact throughout the state.
Almost every community is affected by thousands of individuals with outstanding felony arrest warrants. Unfortunately, nearly every law enforcement agency is limited in what can be done to clear these warrants. This is a serious problem for many reasons, but, first and foremost, it means that too many potentially dangerous criminals are out on the streets and not in jail.
If someone has a felony warrant for domestic violence in
Albuquerque, that suspect could be staying with a friend in Las Vegas. That’s not just a problem for police who are trying to get this suspect in jail. It could also be a problem for Las Vegas and other communities where that
suspect may commit additional crimes.
A suspected sex offender from Las Cruces may be laying low in Roswell. An armed robbery suspect in Socorro may be looking for new opportunities to rob stores in Farmington. A prolific auto thief may move between several communities, such as Los Lunas, Bosque Farms and Isleta Pueblo, rather than risk being seen by police in Rio Rancho.
To address the outstanding warrant crisis, there is legislation that will dedicate money for police departments, sheriffs’ offices, New Mexico State Police, district courts, district attorneys, the public defender, detention facilities, the adult probation and parole division of the Department of Corrections, and the Administrative Office of the Courts. Partners requested $20 million and the House version of the state budget included $7 million for warrants. The $7 million is a promising start, but $20 million is needed to address the staggering backlog. Applying agencies will need to detail to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration how they intend to use the money based on several factors, including:
Focus on resolving previous crimes, while keeping dangerous criminals from committing new crimes; Paying overtime costs; Cost and total number of personnel, including officers, who will be involved;
The number of outstanding felony warrants the agency intends to address;
The state would also consider: Severity of the alleged crime; Date the outstanding warrant was issued;
Whether the alleged perpetrator is a repeat offender;
Whether the alleged crime was a violent crime, such as homicide, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, kidnapping, felony domestic violence, auto theft or burglary.
This targeted approach to find, arrest and capture dangerous suspects who already have felony warrants will have an immediate impact on public safety. We hope legislators will come together and support this crucial funding for all parts of the criminal justice system.