13 August 2024, Las Cruces, NM, Steven Zimmerman – “Crime in this city is just going up, up, and up,” says Raul Hernandez, a Las Cruces Resident. “And the police won’t do anything about it!”
There is some truth to what Mr. Hernandez says. If we look at the crime report, we will see that homicide and manslaughter are up. Rape and assault are also on the rise. Seemingly, nothing can be done.
Since moving to New Mexico, I have discovered that the state operates under a strange set of laws. For example, regardless of the type of warrant one has, if they are the victim of a crime, they will not be arrested. Why?
Another oddity is the system of bail. If someone has a warrant for failure to appear, and is arrested, they will be released one or two days later with another personal recognizance bond.
Or assault. One can witness as assault, as I have on more than one occasion, but the police will not act unless the victim wishes to press charges.
Since living in Las Cruces I can say one thing, criminals are given special treatment while tax paying citizens are ignored.
The following is the Las Cruces Crime Report.
Second Quarter Crime Report January-June 2024 *Preliminary
| Criminal Homicide/Neg., Manslaughter | 11 | 5 | 120% |
| Rape Attempted/Forced | 30 | 26 | 15% |
| Robbery | 31 | 32 | -9% |
| Robbery/Shoplifting & Assault | 1 | 3 | -66% |
| Aggravated Assault | 292 | 184 | 59% |
| Total Violent Crime | 365 | 250 | 46% |
| Residential Burglary | 129 | 174 | -26% |
| Commercial Burglary | 153 | 181 | -15% |
| Non-Residential Burglary | 81 | 136 | -40% |
| Breaking & Entering | 52 | 69 | -25% |
| Auto Burglary | 471 | 619 | -24% |
| Felony Larceny/Theft | 273 | 158 | 73% |
| Misdemeanor Larceny/Theft | 505 | 612 | -17% |
| Misdemeanor Shoplifting | 831 | 732 | 14% |
| Vehicle Theft | 372 | 399 | -7% |
| Arson | 5 | 6 | -17% |
| Total Property Crime | 2872 | 3086 | -7% |
| Total Violent & Property Crime | 3237 | 3336 | -3% |
Crime Report 2023
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | Increase/Decrease % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Homicide/Negligent Manslaughter | 7 | 10 | -30% |
| Rape | 54 | 60 | -10% |
| Robbery | 68 | 78 | -14% |
| Robbery, Shoplifting & Assault | 7 | 9 | -22 |
| Aggravated Assault | 442 | 551 | -20% |
| Total Violent Crime | 578 | 708 | -18% |
| Residential Burglary | 322 | 394 | -18% |
| Commercial Burglary | 371 | 385 | -4% |
| Non-Residential Burglary | 226 | 186 | 22% |
| Breaking & Entering | 137 | 189 | -28% |
| Auto Burglary | 1208 | 1161 | 4% |
| Felony Larceny/Theft | 394 | 492 | -20% |
| Misdemeanor Larceny/Theft | 1137 | 1243 | -9% |
| Misdemeanor Shoplifting | 1501 | 1232 | 22% |
| Vehicle Theft | 815 | 939 | -13% |
| Arson | 8 | 16 | -50% |
| Total Property Crime | 6119 | 6237 | -2% |
| Total Violent & Property Crime | 6697 | 6945 | -4% |
