Ruidoso No. 9 on safest cities in NM
An increasing number of men and women released from detention centers, are being placed back in these facilities within three years of release dates
Pamela L. Bonner- In a report released by the FBI and used in a study from SafeWise rating the 50 most dangerous cities in the U.S., New Mexico had three cities on the list.
New Mexico has one of the highest rates of crimes, compared to cities across the U.S., according to a study by SafeWise.
New Mexico’s violent crime is up over 9 percent, while property crime increased by 4.49 percent, almost double that of the national average.
A major concern for New Mexico’s detention facilities is the rate of recidivism.
According to New Mexico’s lawmakers, repeat offenders are sent back to detention facilities because of “technical violations,” such as failure to report to parole officers (placing them in parole violation) rather than committing new crimes.
Statistics from a Legislative Finance Committee report in 2018 indicated that the prison population in New Mexico is steadily increasing, while the nation’s prison population is decreasing overall.
According to the New Mexico Department of Corrections (NMCD) there is a “relatively high recidivism rate amid growing prison populations and crime rates in New Mexico.”
The state has the second highest recidivism rate, the highest rate of violent crime among surrounding states and the highest rate of aggravated assault among states, as reported by the NMDC.
An increasing number of men and women released from detention centers are being placed back in these facilities within three years of release dates, according to NMDC.
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Rankings in New Mexico
In a report released by the FBI and used in a study from SafeWise rating the 50 most dangerous cities in the U.S., New Mexico had three cities on the list.
- #6 Espanola
- #28 Gallup
- #29 Belen
However, another report by SafeWise ranked the top 20 safest cities in New Mexico.
- Corrales
- Raton
- Los Alamos
- Rio Rancho
- Edgewood
- Portales
- Anthony
- T or C
- Ruidoso
- Santa Fe
- Alamogordo
- Grants
- Carlsbad
- Aztec
- Deming
- Bosque Farms
- Taos
- Roswell
- Hobbs
- Las Vegas
More:Ruidoso one of top 10 best places to live in New Mexico
For more information about statistics on crime rates in New Mexico and the United states, visit http://www.fbi.gov.
For results in the study by SafeWise visit www.safewise.com.
Pamela L. Bonner can be reached at 575-202-5555, Pbonner@Ruidosonews.com or at 575-257-4001 ext. 4102.