Prosecutor Sam Bregman presents a plan to curb juvenile crime

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman is setting the stage for a new battle in the Roundhouse.

With about three months left until the 60-day legislative session, Bregman says it's time to rewrite the Children's Act so we can combat the juvenile crime epidemic in our state.

Bregman says juvenile crime is out of control and the current juvenile justice laws we have in place simply aren't working the way they're supposed to.

Bregman said his office has received more than 1,400 juvenile crime cases since January 2023, including 119 gun crimes this year alone.

He says there was a 57% increase in gun crime among youth between 2022 and 2023. While social media is likely a major factor, law enforcement officials say juvenile offenders know they can get away with violent crimes.

“The perception of their peers right now is that there are no consequences for crimes committed by youth in this community,” Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy David Funes said.

Bregman blames this attitude on the outdated children's law. The last time state lawmakers revised New Mexico's juvenile justice laws was in 1993.

Bregman's office developed a list of proposed changes to increase these consequences:

• Expanding the definition of serious juvenile offenders to include second-degree murder, intentional homicide, rape, and other violent crimes
• Expanding the age range of “youthful offenders” from 21 to 25 to allow for more treatment and supervision
• Unsealing juvenile records at certain court hearings
• Possession of weapons, not just handguns, is illegal for anyone under the age of 19

“Let’s give them a chance to get on the right path and be productive citizens, because if we don’t give them consequences early on, we’re going to end up with juveniles who are sentenced to decades in prison,” Bregman said.

It's up to state lawmakers to make all of these changes.

House Speaker Javier Martinez appears to agree that it's time to update the Children's Code, and law enforcement leaders questioned the idea that juvenile crime is just an Albuquerque problem.

“It’s a nationwide problem. Our detectives continually work with police in Santa Fe, Roswell, Las Cruces, Taos and Ruidoso. And to help solve their crimes or track down some of their offenders that come through Albuquerque, many of them juveniles,” Albuquerque Police Commander said. Kyle Hartsock.

The 60-day legislative session begins in January. Then we'll know if state lawmakers actually plan to update New Mexico's juvenile justice laws.