Murder Rate Rises in Alamogordo, Warren L Robinson Calls for Increased Police Funding

The Alamogordo City Commission Candidate Forum was held Monday 9-23-23, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Southern New Mexico, Otero County Unit and top of mind for many of Alamogordo's citizens in the audience was the increase in the number of murders in Alamogordo.

During the last 4 weeks in Alamogordo and Otero County there have been four major shooting events leading to death. Visibly shaken, those in attendance questioned the candidates about their approach to the violence and what can be done to mitigate the issues.

One recent murder and shooting that was top of mind for those in the audience was the muder by a 17 year old boy of another teenager and a shooting of 3 others in a local park. That murder has garnered the most dialog and finger pointing.

The Mayor of Alamogordo, Susan Payne posted a video of concern about the recent murders. Some residents took exception to a few of the points she made in the video concerning who is responsible.

During the forum candidate Warren L Robinson was the most vocal candidate in support of the Alamogordo Police Department with empathy towards its mission to serve and to protect the public. Mr. Robinson is a chaplain within the police department and for Gerald Champion Hospital and has hosted diversity and sensitivity training workshops for the Alamogordo Police Department. As such he has a close working relationship with law enforment but also he has served as a counselor and as a Youth Mediator. During the forum he expressed his concern that the Alamogordo Police Department is "underfunded, understaffed and under-supported." He went on to express that many of the issues of violence in the Alamogordo Community and in the home evolve around parenting and parental responsibilities and accountability. Other candidates agreed with Robinson on the point that violent crime is an issue in Alamogordo and with the youth that strong parenting and community support is necessary, "it takes a village" replied one of the candidates.

The recent rash of murder in Alamogordo however are not all crimes of youth. A recent murder in the Glider Park was alledgedly faciltated by a city employee against a city employee. There is dialog that the issue was a human resources issue that was poorly handled by the city and escalated into violence. Regardless of the efforts to difuse the situation a murder did occur and in another public park of which the city of Alamogordo is reponsible.

Despite a decrease in reported crimes overall in the State of New Mexico, violent crime in the most dangerous cities in New Mexico has remained high with 778 events per 100,000 inhabitants, second only to Alaska’s 838 incidents.

The national average of 19 incidences of property crime per 100,000 persons in the most dangerous cities in New Mexico is 1.5 times higher at 31 incidents, mostly thefts.

The likelihood of experiencing violent crime is still 1 in 127 for inhabitants of the most dangerous cities in New Mexico, and the likelihood of having their property violated is still 1 in 32, notwithstanding the revised figures.

Fortunately, in the most dangerous cities in New Mexico’s murder rates are going down and are currently just a little bit higher than the national average of 4.5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Alamogordo to date does not rank in the top 10 list of most dangerous cities in New Mexico. As a matter of a fact last year it was ranked as one of the safest cities but with the rash of recent murders and a spike in violence that statistic may be changing. The town of Gallup, which has a population of 22,000, has consistently been one of the most dangerous cities in New Mexico.

This western community is a hotspot for natural beauty and adventure, and it sits on each side of the famed Route 66. Gallup reports 1,992 violent offenses per 100,000 people, mostly aggravated assaults, and 437.6 338 recorded property offenses out of 987 total reported.

There is a 1 in 58 probability that a Gallup resident may experience violence.

With a population of about 7,094 people, Belen is a small New Mexico hamlet located just south of Albuquerque. Unfortunately, the level of crime in this area is almost 190% greater than the national average.

According to FBI statistics, there were 2,029 violent crimes and 5,243 property crimes for per 100,000 people. Belen maintains its ranking as the second in the most dangerous cities in New Mexico year after year because of these unexpected figures. In actuality, the likelihood that a Belenite may experience a homicide, rape, or assault is one in 52. Also, there is a 20% chance of being the victim of a property crime.

West of Las Cruces, close to the border with Mexico, Deming served as a railroad and transportation hub for the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific lines in 1881. Residents anticipated it would develop into a great metropolis. This aspiration gave rise to the initial moniker, “New Chicago.” Unfortunately, while having a relatively tiny population of 14,000 people, crime rates are higher than in its namesake.

Deming, which has consistently ranked among the top five most dangerous cities in New Mexico, is one of those places. According to violent crime statistics, there are 963 violent crimes per 100,000 people, meaning 1 in 108 people may likely become victims. And with almost 5,153 property offenses per 100,000, the crime ratio is 1 in 19 possibilities, ranking it as the fourth highest in the most dangerous cities in New Mexico for both violent and property crimes.

Alamogordo does not rank in the top in crime statistics however with the recent spike, local citizens are alarmed, the police are on hightened alart. As candidate Warren L Robinson pointed out ,with a police force that is "underfunded, understaffed and undersupported" there is a risk of an increase in violent crime locally. Thus we must all remain vigilent and we must all focus on family and the teachings of civility to maintain order and a sense of community.

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