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Governor announces public safety funding in Bernalillo and Albuquerque

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks on the importance of law enforcement and first responders to their respective communities
Gino Gutierrez
/
KSFR News
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham speaks on the importance of law enforcement and first responders to their respective communities

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham paid a visit to both Bernalillo and Albuquerque Tuesday to announce $5.7 million dollars for a new public safety complex for Sandoval County and $800,000 in initial funding for the Law Enforcement Training Assistance Fund.

In Bernalillo, the governor was joined by county and law enforcement officials at the site where the Sandoval County Public Safety Complex will be built for a groundbreaking ceremony.

A sign depicting the new public safety complex
Gino Gutierrez
/
KSFR News
A sign depicting the new public safety complex

Lujan Grisham said the pandemic and the historic wildfire season the state has experienced over the course of the past few years have highlighted the importance of local law enforcement and first responders within their communities.

“The last three years have been hard. We’ve been operating under an emergency, quite literally, one or another for three years. I think we have a tendency in the face of these kinds of emergencies and disasters to forget about how much we’ve accomplished, how much you’ve done, how much we’ve come to rely on you and no matter what the rhetoric around the country, how much New Mexico respects you,” Lujan Grisham said.

Construction on the safety complex has already begun with an estimated completion date in 2024.

A flag depicting the logo of Sandoval County
Gino Gutierrez
/
KSFR News
A flag depicting the logo of Sandoval County

The governor then visited CNM’s westside Albuquerque campus, which is home to the CNM Law Enforcement Academy to talk about the new Law Enforcement Training Assistance Fund, a dedicated investment in supporting new officers at small law enforcement agencies statewide.

This fund will assist local law enforcement agencies with the costs associated with certifying and equipping new police officers, including the cost of attending law enforcement academy training and the cost of initial officer equipment.

“This is a state that can lead by example, that attacks its public safety problems, and we have some. By making sure the men and the women who dedicate their lives and careers to us, that all of that is addressed,” Lujan Grisham said.

It is estimated that this program will support the training for 80 new police officers across the state.

“These courageous vocations deserve that kind of attention or else we’ll never have a pipeline and that’s important to me and my family and it's important to the entire state.”