2023 New Mexico Department of Public Safety JAG Program

The New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS), as State Administering Agency (SAA) is seeking $2,107,023.00 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) to support its FY23 strategic priorities. 

As the SAA, the NMDPS facilitates coordinated strategic planning through the Drug Enforcement Advisory Council (DEAC) to analyze crime trends, evaluate the priorities of Byrne JAG, implement strategies for reducing crime and victimization, and guide the use of grant funds.  Planning priorities are set by the DEAC, which is the governing body of Byrne JAG and is composed of board members from various state, local, tribal and federal law enforcement entities.

In alignment with the 2020-2024 New Mexico Strategic Plan, the DEAC continues to support two funding priorities for 2023. These JAG purpose areas include Law Enforcement and Prevention and Education. Included programs would specifically target three areas: violent criminal activity, gun related crimes, and drug trafficking and associated crimes. With Byrne JAG funds, New Mexico continues to encourage collaboration among state, local, tribal and regional law enforcement agencies and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

New Mexico had the nation’s second highest violent crime rate in 2022, with 7.8 incidents per 1,000 people versus 4.0 nationwide. Property crime is above average at 28.4 incidents per 1,000 versus 19.6 nationwide.  In Albuquerque, 2022 was the deadliest year ever with 119 homicides. High numbers of violent crime and property crime are commonly associated with a drug use problem.

In 2022, New Mexico had 58 officer-involved shooting incidents (OIS), eighteen of which involved drugs and/or alcohol. Drug overdose deaths in New Mexico in 2022 increased by 27 percent from the previous year, with fentanyl and methamphetamine now surpassing heroin and prescription opioids as the leading cause of overdose deaths.  These statistics reinforce how critical Byrne JAG funding is for the state of New Mexico to effectively address its criminal justice priorities.