Crime boomerangs on Democrat as New Mexico governor pleads with feds for more law enforcement

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has renewed efforts to get the federal government to send more law enforcement to the state in order to combat crime.

The governor requested the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) assign more FBI agents to New Mexico in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. According to the governor’s office, the agents would support state and local law enforcement amid a nationwide spike in violent crime.

Grisham made a similar request to FBI Director Christopher Wray in June to no avail.

“Once these resources are allocated to New Mexico, I am confident the FBI and state law enforcement officers will achieve similar success as the Buffalo office,” the governor wrote in the letter to Garland. “Both New Mexico law enforcement agencies and the FBI are partners in addressing and preventing violent crime. It is therefore imperative to provide the tools and support to achieve our common goal of ending violent crime in New Mexico.”

The request came two years after Democrats nationally made defunding police and no-cash bail for offenders new priorities. Grisham said Wednesday that "we owe our law enforcement officers an immeasurable debt,” 

Last year there were 10,129 violent crime incidents in New Mexico, according to the FBI Crime Data Explorer. The state has the second highest rate of violent crime in the nation, according to Texas-based Vela Law, which used FBI data. Only Alaska has a higher rate.

Grisham signed an omnibus bill earlier this year which put $50 million towards recruiting more law enforcement officers for agencies across the state.