State police: There’s been a ‘significant increase’ of law enforcement shootings in NM
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – State police investigate most of the law enforcement shootings in New Mexico – and they track all of them.
Back in 2019, from the start of the year to July 19, New Mexico had 18 law enforcement shootings.
In 2020, even with the pandemic, the state had 20 law enforcement shootings in the same time frame.
This year, New Mexico has already had 34 law enforcement shootings so far.
Out of this year’s 34 shootings, state police are investigating 21 shootings, in which: 11 suspects were killed, eight were injured, two got away and one New Mexico State Police Officer was shot and killed during a traffic stop.
“They aren’t centralized to Albuquerque, they are not centralized to Las Cruces, or any particular part of the state. There’s just been a significant increase," said New Mexico State Police Major Matt Broom.
Major Broom said while there is definitely an increase in law enforcement shootings this year – but it doesn’t match with their picture of violent crime.
"We have not seen a significant increase in violent crime outside of officer-involved shootings," he said.
The largest increase has been with the smaller police departments, concentrated in rural parts of the state.
"The trends of what we’re seeing, I really can’t tell exactly what the driving force for that,” Major Broom said.