New Mexico governor declares state of emergency in Española area due to crime

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency in the city of Española and nearby areas in response to what she calls "a significant surge" in violent crime and drug trafficking.

The governor's order, which also covers the area of Rio Arriba County, Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh, authorizes $750,000 in emergency funding for the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to provide resources to those communities, Grisham said in a news release on Wednesday.

Grisham cited police calls in Española and surrounding areas having more than doubled in the past two years, with police dispatches to businesses also quadrupling.

This is the second time this year Grisham has declared a state of emergency over crime in the state. In April, Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque, authorizing the deployment of about 70 New Mexico National Guard members to New Mexico's largest city.

"When our local leaders called for help to protect their communities, we responded immediately with decisive action," the Democratic governor said Wednesday. "We are making every resource available to support our local partners on the ground and restore public safety and stability to these areas that have been hardest hit by this crisis."

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