Deb Haaland Holds Roundtable With Southern New Mexico Law Enforcement

Event is part of Haaland’s commitment to addressing public safety, fentanyl crisis, and officer recruitment

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Yesterday, Deb Haaland, candidate for governor, hosted a round table with police chiefs, police lieutenants, marshals, and sheriffs from across southern New Mexico.

Haaland knows that New Mexicans don’t feel safe — and that needs to change. She was briefed by officials on managing staffing shortages and resources, drug trafficking, repeat offenders, and juvenile crime. She outlined key solutions including technology to track drug traffickers, increases in law enforcement pay and benefits to bolster recruitment, and adding mental health and rehabilitation centers. 

“New Mexicans are tired of illegal drugs, kids having access to guns when they shouldn’t, and being victims to property and violent crime. We need to make sure our police departments have the resources they need and that we address the root causes of crime by making sure addiction recovery and mental health programs are funded and that kids stay in school with productive care after school too,” said Haaland. “I deeply respect the officers who day in and day out serve their communities doing one of the toughest jobs there is, and I’m grateful for their willingness to share their concerns and ideas. It was important to me that southern New Mexicans have a seat at the table in this conversation. Together, we are coming up with real solutions that will make us safer.”

Hand in hand with law enforcement, Haaland is working on a public safety plan that keeps violent criminals and illegal drugs off our street, ensures law enforcement has the tools to fight crime, and addresses the root causes of crime. 

Haaland oversaw thousands of law enforcement across the country as the Secretary of the Interior, including the National Park Service Police and the Bureau of Land Management Office of Law Enforcement. She has managed more police officers than any candidate in the race. She also worked with the Indian Health Service to support mental health services in high schools that serve Native children to prevent young people from going down a path to addiction. In Congress, Haaland delivered $9.4 million to communities in New Mexico to address the opioid crisis and provide addiction services.

On the campaign trail, Haaland has visited all 33 counties to hear from New Mexicans directly and share her vision for the state. At a fentanyl awareness event in Española, she stood alongside families impacted by fentanyl addiction and vowed to address the crisis. She committed to investing in addiction recovery services, family support programs, and tools for law enforcement to get illegal drugs off New Mexico streets.