New Mexico Launches Portal to Track Missing and Murdered Indigenous People - Access Real-Time Data and Provide Leads

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New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez Launches New Interactive Portal Tracking Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Throughout the State (AlamogordoTownNews.com)

New Mexico has highest rate of missing, murdered indigenous people in the nation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez, announced a new online portal to address the data-sharing and public-facing aspect of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in New Mexico. The portal provides real-time, public access to active MMIP cases across the state, facilitates better communication between law enforcement agencies and enables anyone to provide new leads regarding pending investigations.

“We have to break down barriers to communication in this space and give the public and key stakeholders direct access to the information we have regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous People,” said Attorney General Raul Torrez. “This portal is a critical first step in that process and will provide invaluable insights for policymakers, including the dedicated Task Force we intend to establish in the coming months. I am grateful for the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, our tribal law enforcement partners and our friends in the legislature who share our commitment to addressing this important public safety challenge.”

“We fully support our partners at the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) as they roll out this important initiative,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda. “Although our state, and the Navajo Nation, has access to the most accurate data on missing persons in the country, their work will offer families transparency while providing additional state focused tools to ensure proper reporting for their loved ones. Along with support from our partners, this more robust MMIP effort undertaken by the NMDOJ makes all of New Mexico a safer place.”

Funds for this portal came from Senate Bill 12 which was passed in the 2022 legislative session, the bill also stated that a position be created to support this effort, which we are actively recruiting. Further, Senate Joint Memorial 002 calls for an MMIP task force to be created by our office, the task force will consist of tribal government representation, law enforcement leaders, and community advocates which will be announced this year.

The portal currently lists 201 missing Indigenous people in New Mexico. The average time missing is 2,886 days, the data reveals.Most of the current missing individuals are middle-aged, although the data shows 31 missing Indigenous individuals below the age of 20. On the portal, individuals can find info on filing new reports for missing individuals.

The portal is just one part of the larger effort to reduce the number of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The federal government recently released info in its efforts to address the problem as well.

For decades, Native American and Alaska Native communities have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction, and murder of tribal members. Community advocates describe the crisis as a legacy of generations of government policies of forced removal, land seizures and violence inflicted on Native peoples.

  • A 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) found that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime, including 56.1 percent who have experienced sexual violence.
  • In the year leading up to the study, 39.8 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women had experienced violence, including 14.4 percent who had experienced sexual violence.
  • Overall, more than 1.5 million American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime.

Statistics show us that approximately 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native missing persons have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) throughout the U.S. and approximately 2,700 cases of Murder and Nonnegligent Homicide Offenses have been reported to the Federal Government’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. In total, BIA estimates there are approximately 4,200 missing and murdered cases that have gone unsolved.

A guided explanation of the portal created by the state of New Mexico is below.

Portal Guided Explanation

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