In a move that has left many scratching their heads, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce named Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham its “Public Safety Advocate” at Thursday’s 2025 Chamber and Legislative Awards. The ceremony recognized several lawmakers, but few accept the label “public safety advocate” while crime spirals and the governor targets lawful gun owners instead of criminals.
The award comes just months after a flurry of legislative failures on crime. Gov. Lujan Grisham lamented that lawmakers didn’t follow her lead on several public safety initiatives, which critics point out as proof she’s more interested in protecting political optics than actual citizens.
Mike Canfield of Valliant Consulting presented the award, praising the governor: “She has focused a bright spotlight on this issue, and despite her unwavering commitment to policy changes, more progress needs to be made.” The Chamber recounted that Lujan Grisham “told attendees she remains committed and will work with the Legislature in the months to come.”
Yet, while accepting accolades, she’s simultaneously escalating tension with New Mexicans over gun rights, with sweeping red-flag laws and expanding background checks aimed more at law-abiding gun owners than hardened criminals. This has inflamed backlash among Second Amendment supporters, who argue she’s politicizing constitutional rights instead of curbing violent crime.
That violence isn’t theoretical. Albuquerque’s Central Avenue Corridor—dubbed the “war zone”—has witnessed a surge in shootings and drug-related incidents. According to a recent CBS News snapshot, the city recorded 11 homicides in Q1 2025. Aggravated assaults hit 895, robberies at 153, and rapes at 48.
In April, responding to a request from APD Chief Harold Medina, Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency and dispatched 60–70 unarmed National Guard members to Albuquerque. Cloaked in civilian attire and operating in support roles—handling crime-scene security, traffic control, detainee transport, drone operations, and booking support—their job is to free up officers.
Local law enforcement is skeptical. Det. Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, asked, “What are they going to do? … They can’t intervene. They don’t have the authority to take anybody to jail. They’re not armed.”
Despite critiques, often from law enforcement and the public at large, Gov. Lujan Grisham continues to portray herself as tough on crime. At the award event, she reiterated her intent to press for legislative reforms. But the optics of receiving a public safety honor while policing citizen rights and deploying troops to shield local police have many asking: Is this genuine leadership, or political theater?
Meanwhile, Albuquerque’s crime stats paint a dire picture. The city and state continue to suffer from an elevated rate of violence, especially among juveniles and in connection with the fentanyl epidemic.
If Michelle Lujan Grisham truly wants to redeem the public safety narrative, critics say she must move beyond awards and mandates.
CRAZY!
Isn’t Public Safety primarily one of her responsibilities,
Crime has gone up, not down. Who exactly nominated her? The far left in Santa Fe? She’s the biggest joke we’ve ever had for a governor
She is a disgrace .
Here is who awarded her.
Mike Canfield of Valliant Consulting presented the award, praising the governor
Just when you think the left can’t get any worse….this is absurd. A self licking ice cream cone.
I wonder if the chamber wasn’t really trying to hint that she’s running a protection racket?
! I wouldn’t put it past her!
what a joke. anyone considering opening a business in downtown ABQ should get checked for mental illness. You are about to be robbed blind. I have lost all respect for the ABQ chamber of commerce. boot lickers and fools.
We’ve owned a business downtown and we reallly don’t have a choice to move for 5 years. We keep our front door locked at all times. They need to go through the lobby. Yes. We see the addicts downtown daily.. they just stand there like zombies, security has found them in our stairwells smoking crack, it’s crazy. The kid who killed somebody at the strip club was 2 blocks down from us. Thank God we’ve got security but our clients come in and it’s embarrassing.
Tom, you nailed it perfectly!
Councilor Nicole Rogers was on KKOB radio. when asked about the Natl Guard in her district she made an erroneous comment. she said they wear shirts with a CERTS emblem on them. then she said that stood for cell extraction teams. a 2 second goodle search tells you it means community emergency response team. if she didnt know that she is a moron. if she did know that, it was a slap at our natl guard who is protecting HER district. Rogers is not worthy of a position on council. she is an embarrassment
This clown isn’t fooling anyone.
yes she is. MLG still supported at least 80 to 90 percent by democrats. i undestand that makes no sense to you. but they dont have a normal thought process.
Tough on Crime. Same thing as “ Biden sharp as a tack.” or “Don’t believe your eyes when you saw violence in LA.” or “Violence is a social construction.”
The Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce is part of her minion circle of friends…we are the worst crime and she receives this award? I bet there are blood stains in back of this award.
This must be the latest comedy skit or MLG probably paid the NM Chamber off with taxpayer money to get this ‘participation award’. The entire NM ‘leadership’ is a joke on NM citizens. NM needs good strong level headed Republicans to stand up and do what is needed and bring true leadership to NM. Please don’t put all the blame on voters. Just look and see the ‘choices’ we have when it’s time to vote.
Praise to the undeserving is severe satire.
Benjamin Franklin
Definitely satire. I saw the caption this morning and literally laughed out loud. 🤣🤣🤣
Well, we are #1 in violet crime… she got us to the top of some rating!
Has New Mexico ever been part of the United States ?
We have more in common with the cartels and the failed Mexican socialists than we do with America. Claudia Sheinbaum is owned by the cartels, anyone want to bet how many New Mexico politicians are ? How many cartel members and CCP drug labs are hidden on tribal lands here ? How many companies are cartel fronts ????
Keep the faith, my friend. New Mexico is our home. Do good to others; always be a disciple of Jesus Christ. God has everything under control- they will get theirs in the end. If you read Psalms 73, a psalm of Asaph, it’s all there…
Psalms 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
Psalms 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
Psalms 73:19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
So typical, Dems pat themselves on the back for a job well done and crime is so bad they had to bring in the state National Guard. When will they learn that the gun laws the put forth never affects the criminals but always attacks legal gun owners who have done nothing wrong. We all need to work together to take back our state from the liberal loons who have kept us at the bottom of every good list and the top of every bad list.
Nothing surprising here. MLG just continues to push her personal agenda. For her, NM is still just a “stepping stone” to national office and has no real value beyond that. As always, she a “Legend In Her Own Mind.”
What a joke! What else is new in New Mexico! They make up awards to give themselves!
…Yes. And Barry Hussein Sotero received the Nobel Prize for Peace in October 2009 – weeks after becoming the de facto Prez. What a sham!
LOL, good point!
This begs the obvious question: Who’s funding the Albuquerque chamber of commerce?
Piss n grin… The wind will blow…
they will stand facing it…
It will blow back on them…
then you can smile and grin.
That would be us, the taxpayers. Lucy, don’t be silent- run for city council. Find out which ward you’re in (if you don’t already know), go down to the election bureau and sign up, then buy the signs and put them out. Go door to door in your district if you are able, and talk to your neighbors. Grass roots activism is a way to get things done. Heck, its how our country started. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
I will be running again for City Council in Carlsbad when the election comes up. Until then, I frequently speak at the City Council meetings. I’m just the Eddy Co. Beekeeper on call, but I care about people and I am doing my part to help the people of Eddy Co. You can too.
This is nothing more than a participation award. She participates in lies and coverups.