MLG gets ‘Public Safety Advocate’ award while New Mexicans fear for their lives

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.