Printer-friendlyDrug summit calls for increased coordination and
community involvement as well as changes in legislation
Albuquerque, NM, March 1, 2010 -- Officials in northern New Mexico want a region that is a leader in aggressive drug investigations and prosecutions, as well as, in evidence-based prevention and intervention programs. Officials want stronger multi-agency coordination in law enforcement, prosecution, and training. They also see the need for stronger community involvement in preventing drug abuse and distribution, especially for young people. These recommendations and others resulted from a northern New Mexico drug interdiction summit attended by 50 people and held in Espanola February 25. The summit produced a slate of nine recommendations, each reflecting the consensus of the participants.
The event was convened by the City of Espanola and the United States Attorney’s office. It brought together local, state, tribal, and federal policymakers and elected officials, law enforcement professionals, prosecutors, public and behavioral health administrators, government agency professionals, and technical specialists involved in drug interdiction activities.
“We had an amazing group of committed people at the summit,” said Joseph Maestas, Mayor of the City of Espanola. “They knew what strategies would impact this multi-generational problem for northern New Mexico, and they were ready to roll up their sleeves and work together to make a difference for our communities.”
The summit called for:
- A comprehensive strategy for coordinating programs for law enforcement, prevention, and training
- Formalizing and coordinating multidisciplinary, multi-agency drug interdiction initiatives
- A greater commitment to the Region III task force that is showing positive results in drug interdiction in the region
- A community involvement campaign targeting neighborhood associations, church groups, and rural groups in helping address narcotic and criminal activity
- Implementing evidence-based youth prevention programs
- Revising the state forfeiture statute
“We know we need to better coordinate our activities in this region to have maximum impact on drug trafficking, abuse and the ancillary crime and health issues that plague our communities,” said Gregory Fouratt, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “I found the summit participants focused on high-impact changes that would effectively help address these issues.”
The summit recommendations will be turned over to an Implementation Team comprised of volunteers from the event who are in a position to move the recommendations forward. A full report on the results of the summit will be released in about two weeks and will be posted at www.nmfirst.org.
The event was coordinated by the nonpartisan, nonprofit New Mexico First, which coordinates deliberations on issues of importance to citizens and communities.