U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) welcomed the U.S. Department of Justice disbursing over $5 million of federal resources the lawmakers secured to support law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts, survivor services, community safety, and violence prevention in New Mexico. 

 The senators secured these federal resources through Congressionally Directed Spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Agreement.

“Serving as a member of the Appropriations Committee gives me a direct shot at delivering federal resources to New Mexicans who are taking proven, community-based approaches to public  safety,” Sen.  Heinrich said. “These important federal investments will help our communities prevent crime, increase public safety, and provide support services for survivors of abuse, sexual assault and violent crime. Until we all feel safe in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods, I will keep working to secure funding to scale effective, community-driven solutions that address the root causes of violent crime.”

 “Every community in New Mexico should have the resources to improve public safety,” Sen. Luján said. “That’s why investing in community-led solutions to bolster public safety and support for victims is critical. I’m proud to welcome this investment of over $5 million from the Department of Justice to our local agencies, which will provide support and financial assistance to support crime prevention. I’ll continue to fight to increase public safety resources to help ensure every New Mexican feels safe.”

Senators Heinrich and Luján secured the following awards in the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations Agreement:

• $2,050,000 for the City of Albuquerque’s Violence Intervention Program and Community Safety Department. The City of Albuquerque will scale up the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) and bolster its new Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Department.
• $485,000 for the City of Las Cruces Project LIGHT. Project LIGHT (Lessen the Incidence of Grief, Harm and Trauma) will provide a team of trauma-informed responders and providers to deploy to the field to provide care and navigation services to those experiencing a crisis or a behavioral health emergency.
• $411,000 for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety to purchase gas chromatograph equipment to strengthen the Forensic Drug Chemistry Unit’s capabilities for analyzing unknown substances including fentanyl.
• $416,000 for Bernalillo County’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion. Bernalillo County’s Behavioral Health Services Department will continue its diversion program for nonviolent, drug-related offenders. 

Sen. Heinrich secured the following awards in the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations Agreement:

• $250,000 for All Faiths’ Children’s Safehouse Forensic Interview Program. The Children’s Safehouse will provide age-appropriate forensic interviews for children 2-18 years of age and developmentally disabled adults who have been the alleged survivors of sexual or physical abuse, or who have witnessed a violent crime, and family advocates will work closely with the alleged survivors’ guardians to ensure that they are provided resources and follow-up care, such as medical attention, and therapy. 
• $240,000 for Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Courts’ Probation Assistance Program. Bernalillo County will provide case management for individuals who have been placed on probation or the Competency Court Docket, to include linking the individuals with critical resources.
• $600,000 for New Mexico’s Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Power Distribution for Vulnerable New Mexico State Police District Facilities Project. This funding will assist with the purchase and installation of power generators for the New Mexico State Police District facilities 8, 9, 10, and Sub-District 2 in Raton.
• $60,000 for Southwest Women’s Law Center’s American Indian/Alaskan Native Women Survivors of Domestic Violence Support Program. Southwest Women’s Law Center will provide legal support for Native American women survivors of domestic violence who reside in one of the 19 Pueblos in New Mexico. 
• $113,000 for Taos Community Foundation’s Taos LEAD (Let Everyone Advance with Dignity). A diversion program that provides intensive case management for nonviolent crimes associated with substance use disorder. 
• $300,000 for the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office’s Border Prosecution Division. The Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office of New Mexico will create a three-person team to focus prosecution efforts on interstate and international border crime.

Sen. Luján announced the inclusion of $505,000 in funding for two local projects that include:

• $480,000 for Albuquerque Police Department’s Smart Camera Technology Project. Funding will be used for Smart camera technology to assist with problem solving strategies such as crime reduction, community policing, and investigations.
• $25,000 for Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives. This will provide financial assistance and resources to families and communities on the Navajo Nation and in New Mexico in navigating the tragedies of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Crisis.