New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has authorized the deployment of New Mexico National Guard personnel to support the Albuquerque Police Department.
This move comes due to “ongoing public safety challenges in the city, particularly along the Central Avenue corridor and other specific areas,” a press release stated.
The governor, along with city leaders, insist the National Guard will not be acting as police officers, but they could be in Albuquerque for a while, KOB reports.
The National Guard’s main role is to support Albuquerque police officers, so those officers can be out on the streets fighting crime. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina points to the Central Corridor as an area that needs a lot of help.
The National Guard will be responding to medical emergencies, de-escalating potentially volatile encounters, and handing out water and food to people dealing with homelessness. They’ll also be doing security at crime scenes and traffic control for accidents, transporting prisoners and helping TSA at the airport.
