Is Las Cruces competitive for a “Model City” grant?

First, it isn’t what you might think. The title is rather misleading. The Department of Justice has announced a new public safety grant in the amount of $300 million to “support crime reduction and community safety efforts” in up to four cities (with populations above 100,000) across the country.

Now, I would consider Las Cruces likely not competitive on a nationwide stage for something like this. When you have Portland, Minneapolis and other cities in the news every day, Las Cruces fades into obscurity. But, on June 9, the First Assistant US Attorney Ryan Ellison specifically called for Albuquerque and Las Cruces, by name, to apply.

The funds can be used for a number of critical things such as recruitment and retention of public safety officials like police officers and community-based rehabilitation and other organizations, acquisition of equipment, technology or facilities like DNA analysis tools and real-time crime centers, mental health and substance use services, victim services and youth crime prevention and intervention programs. Examples provided expand on these overarching topics and would be extremely beneficial to Las Cruces to address many of the recurring issues residents are faced with daily.

At minimum, if Las Cruces were to receive $75 million to support youth crime prevention programs, how many young lives would that save?? If it were structured to enhance what the city and county are already slated to receive for the Opioid Settlement Funding, the effects could be magnified exponentially. It is an opportunity that should be taken seriously.

But here’s the kicker: it has to be applied from a “whole-of-city approach.” What does this mean? It means that leaders from every aspect of an area need to be on board for the application and propose cohesive, strategic solutions to how the money could be most effectively spent to improve the local situation.

I’m talking to you mayor, county commission, sheriff, district attorney, city councilors, public health officials, chief of police.

Myself and others have reached out to several and received either dismissive, negatory or barely attentive responses. “It’s a national contest.” Well, I keep hearing that what we are experiencing is a national problem, so we should be able to compete for help on the national stage. One official is working on it, but if others don’t get on board, we are wasting time.

This is one example where New Mexico’s mañana mentality won’t serve us well. We are constantly calling for someone else to solve these problems in our community, and our elected leaders are constantly throwing tax money at it with no end in sight. Maybe it is because the municipality doesn’t have a cohesive plan. They aren’t working together to solve the problems, they are just spinning in circles, within their own little silos, screaming about how much they’ve done, while not really solving anything.

So, the problem with applying for this grant is the pervasive problem as to why we are inundated with crime and drug use: no cohesive plan. The county has an agenda. The city has an agenda. The community organizations have their own agendas. Can’t we all just agree that we have a community problem and solve it as a community? Maybe not.

Ryan Ellison’s press release quoted him as saying: “There’s no reason that Albuquerque and Las Cruces cannot work with the federal government to crack down on violent crime and enhance public safety. I’m extending a hand of partnership to these cities, and I stand ready to advocate on their behalf in Washington.”

In the meantime, we are starving but still slapping away the (federal government) hand that is trying to feed us.  

I encourage you to read the full press release by Googling “Ryan Ellison Las Cruces Model City”.

Shawna Pfeiffer is a life-long Dona Ana County resident, graduate of NMSU, small business owner, hobby farmer, dog-lover, outdoor enthusiast and mother to two young children. She can be reached at srpfeiffer1@gmail.com.