>> WELCOME BACK TO THE LINE.
ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL REPORTED
LAST MONDAY THAT 112 DAYS INTO
THE YEAR, 114 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
SHOT IN BERNALILLO COUNTY.
AND BY THE TIME THIS PROGRAM
AIRS, THAT NUMBER MAY HAVE
RISEN.
DIANE, STRAIGHT TO IT, THIS IS
A DISTURBING STORY, TO SAY THE
LEAST.
ALBUQUERQUE COUNCIL RECENTLY
HOSTED THE FIRST OF THREE
PUBLIC HEARINGS TO HEAR FROM
CONSTITUENTS ABOUT HOW WE
SHOULD SPEND THIS 1 BILLION
THAT WE HAVE COMING TO THE
CITY FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
I CAN'T IMAGINE IT WILL BE ALL
ABOUT SAFETY RIGHT NOW.
>> SOMETHING LIKE 80% OF THE
PEOPLE WHO STOOD UP AND
TESTIFIED AT THE FIRST HEARING
SAID CRIME IN SOME FASHION WAS
THEIR NO. 1 PRIORITY.
A FEW HAD THINGS LIKE VARIOUS
KINDS OF -- INFRASTRUCTURE
KINDS OF THINGS, WHICH ARE
IMPORTANT.
I DON'T MEAN TO DIMINISH THOSE
IN ANY WAY, BUT CRIME IS THE
NO. 1 ISSUE WITH PEOPLE.
AND IT IS LIKE I LOOK AT MY
MOTHER, WHO IS 92 YEARS OLD,
SHE READS THE PAPER EVERYDAY.
AND SHE IS FRIGHTENED.
SHE SAID, IS THIS IN OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD?
IS THIS WHERE WE LIVE?
AND FORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT
ALWAYS WHERE WE LIVE, BUT IT
IS CLOSE ENOUGH.
PEOPLE CARE.
I MEAN, IN THE ABHORRENT
TREATMENT OF CHILDREN THAT IS
TAKING PLACE, WE'RE JUST, I AM
SORRY, I JUST STARTED
TREMBLING.
MY BODY GETS SO ANGRY ABOUT
THIS.
THAT IS WHERE THEY WANT THE
MONEY SPENT IS PROTECTION OR
FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE DID HEAR SOME OF THAT.
THE FIRST RESPONDERS HELP
BECAUSE YOU NEED THAT.
>> SENATOR, ADMINISTRATION,
MEANING KELLER ADMINISTRATION,
HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT GOOD
THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH
CRIME.
ARE THEY TAKING TOO MUCH ABOUT
THINGS HAVE LEVELED OFF AND
NOT ENOUGH ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE
THIS IS WHERE FOLKS CONCERN IS
RIGHT NOW.
WITH GUN VIOLENCE, NOT SO MUCH
ABOUT CAR THEFT AND ALL THE
OTHER STUFF WHICH IS IMPORTANT
BUT FOLKS WANT TO LIVE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GET SHOT
AND DIE HERE.
>> INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC IS
VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK MAYBE SOME PEOPLE ARE
SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS AFTER
THE APS MILL LEVY ELECTION
WHERE THEY SLAMMED A BILL IN
WITH VERY LITTLE TESTIMONY.
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK WE
ARE LOOKING AT THE BACK END A
LOT OF TIMES.
WE LOOK AT LAWS, WE LOOK AT
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LOOK AT
THE JUDICIARY AND SAY, OKAY,
IF WE CAN PUT 1000 OR 1100
COPS ON THE STREET, THAT
SOLVES THE PROBLEM.
COMMUNITY POLICING IS GOING TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEM, GETTING
MORE MONEY TO THE DA TO
PROSECUTE IS GOING TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEM.
HAVING A JUDICIARY THAT IS
MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
VICTIMS THAN THE ACLU IS GOING
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
BUT WE ARE NOT SPENDING ENOUGH
TIME ON THE FRONT END.
SO OUR SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE
IS IN A HAZARDOUS STATE.
I MEAN, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
THE HOME?
YOU KNOW, HEALTHY FAMILIES
THAT HAVE PERSONAL AND
MATERIAL RESOURCES AREN'T
HAVING CHILDREN.
FAMILIES THAT DON'T ARE HAVING
CHILDREN.
FAITH COMMUNITIES.
I READ SOMETHING THE OTHER
DAY, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR
AMERICANS DOESN'T ATTEND A
FAITH COMMUNITY.
WELL, GUESS WHAT, YOU KNOW,
CHARACTER EDUCATION, VALUES,
SERVICE, THOSE THINGS, WE
RAISE OUR KIDS IN THE HOME AND
IN THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
IF YOU BELIEVE YAHWEH IS YOUR
GOD AND NOT JESUS OR ALLAH,
GET OVER IT, FOCUS ON THE
CHARACTER EDUCATION, COMMUNITY
BUILDING.
VALUES THAT FAITH COMMUNITIES
BRING.
SO, I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS
ON THE FRONT END.
THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES.
>> LET ME GET MARTHA BECAUSE
WE ARE TIGHT ON TIME.
>> THE ADMINISTRATION, WHEN
YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW,
THEY ARE DOING SOME GOOD
THINGS, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT,
GETTING SOME SUPPORT OUT THERE
BUT IT CAN ALL BE SWARMED
OVER, EVERYTHING WE ARE TRYING
TO DO HERE COULD BE SWARMED
OVER IF THESE NUMBERS DON'T
IMPROVE AT SOME POINT.
DO YOU FEEL A SENSE OF URGENCY
OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO
DO THIS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I CAN GIVE YOU A FOUR LETTER
ANSWER FOR THIS PROBLEM,
G-U-N-S, GUNS.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE FAITH
COMMUNITY AND WE CAN TALK
ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND ALL
THAT, BUT AS LONG AS WE ARE
AWASH IN GUNS, THIS IS NOT
GOING TO STOP.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME
OUT IN THE HEARING WAS THAT
THE POLICE HAVE STARTED TO GO
WITH A PROJECT CALLED PROJECT
CEASE FIRE.
NOW, WHY WE ARE DOING IT NOW
WHEN IT WAS PIONEERED IN 2008
AND IT HAS WORKED WELL IN
PLACES LIKE BOSTON AND
CHICAGO, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY
TO, FIRST OF ALL, MAP THE GUN
VIOLENCE, WHERE IT HAPPENS,
WHO IS DOING IT, AND WHAT THEY
FOUND IN THOSE CITY, AND I
SUSPECT IT IS TRUE HERE, IS
THAT A WHOLE BUNCH OF THIS IS
INTERGANG VIOLENCE AND THEY
ARE AWASH IN GUNS.
IT IS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE
CITY AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE
IS THEY HAVE CRACKED DOWN ON
THE PENALTIES.
THEY HAVE BROUGHT IN THE FEDS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE
FEDERAL -- I DIDN'T KNOW THIS
UNTIL I READ THIS WHOLE
PROGRAM.
THERE ARE FEDERAL VIOLATIONS
FOR PAROLE VIOLATIONS,
FEDERAL, THAT ARE MUCH TOUGHER
THAN THE STATE OR LOCAL.
THEY ARE SENDING PEOPLE UP FOR
A COUPLE OF YEARS FOR A PAROLE
VIOLATION.
THE GANGS ARE GETTING THE
MESSAGE.
THE NUMBERS ARE ASTOUNDING IN
HOW THEY COME DOWN.
I DO BELIEVE IN SOME OF THESE
OTHER SOCIETAL CHANGES,
ABSOLUTELY, BUT, UNTIL WE GET
THE GUNS OFF THE STREETS, THIS
IS GOING TO CONTINUE.
SO I THOUGHT THIS WAS ONE
HOPEFUL THING.
WHEN THEY SAY THEY ARE JUST
STARTING WITH THIS, WE DON'T
KNOW HOW FAR ALONG THEY ARE,
WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE AND ESCALATE IT AND
SO FORTH.
ONE OTHER THING IS I WONDER
ABOUT THE LEGALITY BUT
APPARENTLY IT HAS BEEN
LITIGATED, IS THEY ARE GOING
TO START -- IN THESE OTHER
CITIES, THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE
IT -- BLAMING THE WHOLE GANG
WHEN ONE MEMBER COMMITS A
FELONY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO THIS,
BUT IT SOUNDED KIND OF BLINKY
TO ME BUT THAT IS THE PROGRAM.
>> IT IS LIKE ANYTHING ELSE,
YOU HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING.
WHEN THINGS ARE THIS BAD YOU
HAVE GOT TO TRY SOMETHING.
>> THAT IS WHERE SOME OF THE
BUDGET SHOULD GO.
>> IT SHOULD.
IT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY
SUPPORTED AT THE MEETING.
>> JULIE ANN, OF COURSE,
YOU'RE BASED UP IN SANTA FE
AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN
ALBUQUERQUE PROBLEM,
BERNALILLO COUNTY PROBLEM, BUT
OUR CITY IS REELING BECAUSE WE
LOST A LETTER CARRIER WHO
INTERVENED IN AN ARGUMENT
BETWEEN A YOUNG BOY, A SON AND
HIS MOM ON THE WESTSIDE.
HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED.
>> A YOUNG MAN.
TEENAGER.
A YOUNG TEENAGER.
I THINK THAT IS A TREND THAT
WE ARE SEEING THAT IS VERY
TROUBLE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE
WAS A STORY OUT OF HOBBS JUST
THIS MORNING WE REPORTED ON IN
THE MORNING NEWSLETTER, WHERE
A GROUP OF KIDS THREW BANANAS
AT ANOTHER CAR AND A TEENAGER
SHOT ANOTHER TEENAGER.
AND THE IDEA THAT THESE GUNS
ARE IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO
DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO USE
THEM.
I THINK IT IS AN INTERESTING
STATISTIC THAT THERE HAS BEEN
THIS 36% INCREASE IN SHOOTINGS
EVEN AS HOMICIDES HAVE
DECREASED.
>> SO, THEY ARE SHOOTING AT
PEOPLE BUT THEY ARE NOT
NECESSARILY SUCCEEDING IF YOU
WANT TO USE THAT TERRIBLE
TERMINOLOGY.
SO, I THINK THOSE ARE POINTS
TO CONSIDER AND THAT REALLY
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS
TROUBLING IN BRINGING IN THE
FEDS TO YOUR JURISDICTION, IT
HAS THIS WHOLE OTHER BALL OF
CONFUSION THAT YOU HAVE THE DA
BEING QUOTED SAYING HE
BELIEVES SOME OF THIS, YOU
KNOW, THAT A LOT OF THE
SHOOTING IS CAUSED BY A SMALL
PERCENTAGE OF LOOSELY
ORGANIZED GROUPS.
I FOUND MYSELF GOING, WHAT IS
THAT CODE FOR?
IS THAT CODE FOR GANGS AS YOU
WERE TALKING ABOUT?
IS THAT CODE FOR SOMETHING
ELSE HE DOESN'T TO SAY OUT
LOUD.
REMEMBER, WE HAVE THIS HISTORY
IN ALBUQUERQUE OF THE ATF
DOING A DRUG STING WHERE THEY
CLAIMED TO NAB THE WORST OF
THE WORST AND REALLY
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
IN ALBUQUERQUE.
THE WAY THIS GOVERNMENT
APPROACHES THE PROBLEM IS
IMPORTANT.
>> GOOD POINT.
HAVE TO END THAT THERE.
STILL TO COME ON THE LINE WE
EXPLORE THE DIFFERENT
APPROACHES BETWEEN THE CITY'S
OF SANTA FE AND ALBUQUERQUE
WHEN IT COMES TO SHELTERING
ASYLUM SEEKERS.
