1-10-2025 9:10am

Governor Comes to Alamogordo Public and State Republican Chair Amy Barela Responds

Chris Edwards Editor

The Tays Center at NMSU-Alamogordo hosted a visit and a community forum with the Democratic Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, on Wednesday alongside the Mayor of Alamogordo Susan Payne at her side. The last visit by Gov. Grisham to Alamogordo and to the Tays Center specifically was to attend the funeral of officer Anthony Ferguson.

The Governor came to Alamogordo by invitation of the Alamogordo City Commission to respond to citizen concerns by holding a crime-focused town hall meeting. The meeting was also aimed to ratchet up support for Gov. Grisham’s public safety agenda about two weeks ahead of the 2025 Legislative Session starting January 21st, 2025 in Santa Fe.

The meeting was scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 but lasted almost 6 hours with at peak approximately 120 people in attendance and an additional 607 views via the live stream broadcast on YouTube and another 17,300 individuals have viewed the stream on Facebook. Audio was a constant problem for those tuning in with an echo and poor sound management by event organizers causing frustration in comments by those watching from home. The Governor reacted to the poor audio and encouraged those at home to tune into YouTube as it was close captioned...

The meeting proceeded for over 6 hours with the Governor in hostile territory while visiting Otero County which leans heavily red and is the home to the State Republican Chairwoman, Amy Barela. Mrs. Barela responded to the Governor's visit with the following official statement...

"Governor Lujan Grisham’s visit to Otero County provided a platform for residents to voice critical issues, many of which affect communities statewide. It’s encouraging to see the Governor engaging with constituents, though the effectiveness of such engagement will ultimately depend on whether it translates into meaningful action," said Chair Barela.

During the town hall, several nonpartisan topics were discussed, including public safety reforms and accountability for those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse. The Governor acknowledged that 16,000 cases involving these individuals were dismissed last year due to the lack of detention laws, signaling potential changes ahead.

Governor Lujan Grisham cited reforms in states like Texas and Florida, where Republican leadership has implemented measures for accountability in cases involving mental illness and addiction, and emphasized that these issues are not political. She also stressed her focus on pretrial reform for repeat offenders and felons in possession of firearms.

"While I appreciate the Governor’s acknowledgment of the need for accountability, it remains to be seen whether her administration will prioritize meaningful reforms or continue to pursue policies that often impose further restrictions on law-abiding citizens instead of focusing on actual criminals," Barela added.

The town hall also highlighted the need for collaboration with local communities, a sentiment echoed by Alamogordo Mayor Susan Payne, who stated, "We do not want to do for the people, but want to do something with the people."

"Mayor Payne’s statement captures the essence of what leadership should look like—working with people to empower them, not creating further dependence on government programs," Barela said.

However, Chair Barela expressed concern over the lack of discussion on critical issues such as securing the border and addressing the role of illegal immigration in contributing to crime and drug addiction.

"These are significant challenges that directly impact public safety in our state, and their omission from the discussion is concerning," Barela stated.

Chair Barela concluded, "The town hall was a productive step, but the real measure of success will be whether the Governor follows through on her words with actions that prioritize the safety and values of all New Mexicans."

While Barela spoke favorably of Mayor Susan Paynes and showed appreciation for the governor coming to Alamogordo to address the issues of crime, comments from many participants of the meeting were far less flattering toward the mayor then even toward the governor. Social media comments were more inflammatory concerning a perception that the mayor is uncaring, disrespectful and disingenuous more focused on her phone than on listening to her constituents.

The governor advocated during the town hall for legislation this upcoming legislative session that would add stiffer penalties for felons in possession of firearms during the commission of violent crimes and expand a court’s ability to hold repeat offenders in pretrial detention.

“In many places in New Mexico, they’re out in 2-3 hours. That’s very frustrating to the men and women that are public safety officials keeping our communities safe,” Lujan Grisham said. “If you’re a repeat offender, you have to make a stronger case to be released during the trial.”

Alamogordo had been on the Governors radar as it is where repeat offender Dominic De La O was convicted in November of murdering an Alamogordo police officer Anthony Ferguson in 2023 and sentenced to life in prison.

That followed the June 2024 death of 17-year-old Elijah Hadley who was fatally shot by an Otero County Sheriff’s deputy answering a call for a welfare check on a person in a roadway median. It was later reported that Hadley, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, was carrying an airsoft gun when he was shot by police. That shooting was under review by the New Mexico State Police, is still under review and dragging on with no resolution.

A small group of audience members repeatedly chanted “Elijah” during the meeting, in recognition of the boy’s death, and held up signs reading “Apache Lives Matter.” Governor Grisham has received multiple letters and inquiries concerning the Elijah Hadley case her office has acknowledged but is awaiting the judicial investigation to conclude before releasing any statements.

Greg Gutierrez a member of the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens Chapter 8105 suggested in a statement that "widespread homelessness must be addressed if New Mexico is to see a reduction in crime." He said his organization has raised funds to support the homeless, providing basic resources they need including food and shelter. He asked the city and state to join such efforts and bring a state-funded homeless shelter to Alamogordo, rather than “teaching cops to be more aggressive.”

“People that have mental health issues, they don’t need to be beaten and shot at, they need help and assistance,” Gutierrez said.

The governor said one thing Alamogordo does have in common with other cities in New Mexico is a “revolving door” effect when repeat offenders such as known drug traffickers are quickly let out of custody ahead of trial. She said many are not prosecuted because of mental health issues that lead to them being deemed incompetent to stand trial

Mental health professionals were represented in feedback provided to include participation by several very engaged local professionals expressing concern about mental health issues and the lack of a cohesive approach to care and treatment.

Payne said mental health and crime sometimes “go hand in hand," yet offered no alternative solutions as a response to public outcry.

After 6 hours the meeting concluded and overall consensus was that at least the Governor had the courage to face a tough audience and was respectful despite a long night of tense discussions.