Scapegoating the lawful won’t stop the lawless

Every time New Mexico confronts a surge in violent crime, the public is promised decisive action. And every time, progressive Democrats seem to reach for the same response: place blame on law-abiding people and call it reform.

First, it was law-abiding gun owners. Now, the focus has shifted to law-abiding gun store owners.

Progressive lawmakers have made clear they intend to introduce legislation aimed at federally licensed firearms dealers—tightening training requirements, expanding licensing rules, and increasing regulatory pressure on small businesses that already operate under extensive state and federal oversight. And if history is any guide, New Mexicans can reasonably expect the return of another familiar proposal: an attempt to revive an “assault weapons” ban.

Most readers will not track which bills are formally filed and which are being discussed behind the scenes. But the direction is unmistakable. When violence rises, progressives look everywhere for answers—except at the policies that allow violent offenders to remain on the street.

That is the real problem with New Mexico’s public safety debate. It is not a failure of law enforcement. It is a failure of law.

At recent public safety hearings, the testimony has been sobering and consistent. Police are making arrests. Investigators are building cases. Officers are doing their jobs—often under dangerous and demoralizing conditions. But weak statutes, loopholes, and policy choices too often turn those efforts into a revolving door.

That reality was laid bare this month in Las Cruces, when Police Chief Jeremy Story presented evidence showing violent juvenile offenders openly bragging about the lack of consequences they face. In messages and videos, these juveniles mocked the system, celebrated violence, and showcased their ability to obtain weapons—including federally regulated firearms such as Glock handguns modified with illegal switches—despite repeated contact with the justice system. Some fired recklessly. Others did so with deadly intent.

The message from those offenders was unmistakable: they do not fear consequences, because the system has taught them there are none.

Those failures are not the fault of police officers. They are the result of laws that prioritize process over public safety and ideology over accountability.

Yet instead of confronting that breakdown, the policy conversation drifts toward symbolic targets. The object. The industry. The lawful business owner. More regulation, more restrictions, more pressure on those who are already complying with the law—while the individuals committing violence remain the least constrained part of the system.

Gun store owners in New Mexico are among the most heavily regulated small business operators in the state. They conduct background checks, maintain records, and submit to inspections. When violations occur, enforcement mechanisms already exist. Broad new crackdowns aimed at lawful dealers do nothing to stop repeat violent offenders—and they do nothing to fix the gaps exposed repeatedly in public hearings.

This is what frustrates so many New Mexicans. From blaming law-abiding gun owners to now blaming law-abiding business owners, progressives continue to blame everyone but the bad apple.

Public safety will not improve through scapegoating. It improves when violent behavior carries real consequences, when loopholes are closed, and when the system intervenes before the next tragedy instead of explaining it afterward.

Here is the simplest test of any public safety proposal: does it restrain criminals—or does it burden the law-abiding?

Democrats keep missing that test. And until accountability replaces deflection, New Mexicans will continue to pay the price.

Sen. Crystal Brantley serves the people of Catron, Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, and Socorro Counties, being their voice in the New Mexico Senate since 2021.