IN THE NEWS: Deb Haaland Public Safety Agenda Garners Support for Addressing Root Causes of Crime, Overhauling CYFD

March 9, 2026

Albuquerque, N.M. – In case you missed it, Deb Haaland, who is running to be the next governor of New Mexico, shared her full public safety agenda. Haaland’s plan focuses on law enforcement, supporting kids, keeping violent criminals behind bars, behavioral health, overhauling the Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD), and standing up to Trump’s lawlessness. At a press conference last week, Haaland announced she would stand up the first-in-the-nation state Office of Public Safety, in her efforts to stop crime before it happens and support New Mexicans on the brink.

As Secretary of the Interior, Haaland oversaw multiple law enforcement agencies comprising nearly 3,000 sworn officers and established the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples unit. In Congress, Haaland supported the American Rescue Plan, which provided tens of billions of dollars to police, law enforcement, and related programs to help police departments across New Mexico.

Haaland said she hopes to address the “root causes” of crime by meeting kids where they are.

That starts with overhauling CYFD, she said. Her 19-page plan calls for appointing an experienced cabinet secretary, increasing pay and boosting recruitment efforts and mandating data sharing between the Office of the Child Advocate and the New Mexico State Police, Health Care Authority and the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. In a Thursday statement, Haaland’s campaign said the plan represents “a path to overhaul CYFD and replace it with an independent commission.”

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Santa Fe New Mexican: Deb Haaland pitches public safety agenda targeting ‘root causes’ of crime

David Ley, president of the New Mexico Behavioral Health Providers’ Association, said during the event Thursday that Haaland’s approach recognizes “when people have access to quality mental health care, substance use treatment and supportive services, our communities are healthier and safer.”

Ley added the plan would “allow law enforcement officers to focus their resources on addressing violent crime.”

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Albuquerque Journal: Haaland outlines public safety plans

“This plan is not a one-size-fits-all agenda,” Haaland said. “It recognizes the complexities of the issues and the geography of our state.”

Beside her stood former state Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, former New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas and Executive Director of New Mexico Solutions David Ley, who all voiced support for her plans and said she was not only flexible, but devoted to bettering safety across the state.

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Native News Online: Haaland Addresses ICE and New Epstein Investigations in Sweeping Public Safety Agenda

Thursday in Albuquerque, Haaland spoke outside a city park across the street from a former mental health treatment center that sat empty for years and is currently under construction to house a STEM charter public school.

Her plan to support New Mexico children who enter the juvenile criminal system is to prioritize rehabilitation.

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Los Alamos Daily Post: New Mexico Gubernatorial Candidate Deb Haaland Proposes First-In-The-Nation State Office Of Community Safety, Independent Commission To Replace CYFD

“We cannot arrest our way out of these issues and we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes unless we do things differently. That’s why I will create the first-in-the-nation State Office of Community Safety, while also giving law enforcement the tools to keep violent criminals off our streets,” Haaland said. “Lasting public safety comes from investing in people and communities so they’re strong from the beginning. That’s exactly what this plan does.”

Haaland understands that New Mexicans don’t feel safe and are tired of illegal drugs running rampant – and that needs to change. Her plan was made in collaboration with law enforcement, behavioral health, first-responders, emergency management and public safety professionals across the state.

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