Torrez predicts long journey to a safer New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE — It will take a generational commitment to solve New Mexico’s public safety problems, the state’s top prosecutor said at a summit Friday, urging policymakers to listen to those on the ground who are working with people in need of mental health services.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez spent hours listening to providers and other experts from around the state. It was the second such summit Torrez had hosted. The first in September brought together law enforcement officers and prosecutors to share ideas for curbing violent crime.
The meetings come as New Mexico continues to grapple with a crime rate that remains well above the national average. Torrez said most violent crime has its roots in child abuse and neglect, substance abuse and intergenerational trauma — all problems currently addressed by professionals working separately.
“This is going to be a long and complicated and intensive effort,” Torrez said at the summit. “It has to be if it’s going to be successful.”
The Attorney General’s Office said it plans to recommend a comprehensive public safety package to the governor and state lawmakers ahead of the January legislative session. The session will be focused on budget issues, and Torrez said there will be no shortage of resources lawmakers can funnel toward more efficient programs as New Mexico stands to see another financial windfall from record-breaking oil and gas production.
Nick Boukas, director of the Behavioral Health Services Division within the state Human Services Department, said more conversations like the ones held Friday are needed. He said he speaks with his counterparts in other states every month to share lessons learned.
Mental health providers at the summit said lawmakers universally support easier access to services for people in their communities.