Cameras coming to city parks

Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said during a press conference on Tuesday that cameras will be placed in city parks as part of the city’s efforts to make parks more secure in the wake of the shooting death that took three lives and injured 15 on March 21.

Story held the press conference on March 25 to update the public in the aftermath of the shooting and to respond to the public outcry over police response. He said the LCPD are following up on leads for more suspects connected with the Young Park shooting but he did not give more details as it is an active investigation.

Many have blamed the police for not doing enough to keep the individuals who visited Young Park last Friday night safe. Some community members are demanding change in the wake of the shooting.

Story said one way the LCPD is responding is to place cameras at parks around Las Cruces. He said the cameras have been ordered but the manufacturer won’t be able to install them before May.

“This is not about politics, but it is about policy,” Story said. “Police chiefs from across the state and New Mexico Association of Chiefs of Police have been screaming from the rooftops about a very serious juvenile crime problem we have in New Mexico.”

He said problems range from cars being stolen to local stores being vandalized by juveniles. He said he testified about juvenile crime before the Interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee when the legislators visited Las Cruces in October 2024.

“DA’s across New Mexico have been sounding the alarm on juvenile crime. We have to come together to find solutions and ensure accountability for violence,” Story said.

He added that he must emphasize, he does not believe in “locking up every kid that makes a mistake” but he would love for people to look at the other end and see the positive opportunities that exist for kids.

“Tragedies like this present us with two options for our community and our state. It could bring us together and become a catalyst for meaningful change or it can tear us apart and further divide us,” he said.

Story said LCPD have not been ignoring the issues coming out of Young Park. He said the police have taken necessary precautions to prevent further violent acts.

“To highlight some of the things we’ve done, during our operation we have included park patrol so that we went by every night before and right after to make sure nothing is going on. We had an agreement with New Mexico Mounted Patrol so they can do additional park patrol when they have time,” he said.

Story added that the city had gates installed just recently so the parks can be closed. He said a park ranger program is near training completion to address issues within the parks.

Las Cruces City Manager Ikani Taumoepeau said the police will continue to patrol the parks, but park hours will remain the same.

Story added that the gun violence among youth goes back to the parents.

“I would say first and foremost it needs to come back to the families and parents. They need to try and help us prevent that. Most of these firearms are stolen, so they’re either obtaining them by stealing or selling them between each other,” he said.