A new study says that New Mexico is the third most dangerous state in the United States. The state is ranked so high because it has a lot of violent crimes (like severe assaults) and nonviolent crimes (like property crimes). It’s clear from the study that New Mexicans need public safety programs right away to deal with these alarming crime rates and make everyone safer.
What’s the Crime Rate in Belen, NJ?
From one source to another, the crime rate in Belen, New Mexico, changes a little. City-Data.com says that Belen had 354 crimes in 2020, which is 1.4 times more than the U.S. average. BestPlaces.net says the rate of serious crime is 88, which is higher than the U.S. average of 22.7. According to CrimeGrade.org, there are 50.52 crimes for every 1,000 people living in the area in a typical year.
According to AreaVibes.com, there are 5,563 crimes for every 100,000 people, which is 139.35% more than the national average. Based on the most current information from News-Bulletin.com, the overall crime rate in Belen dropped 17.98% from 2022 to 2023.
How Does New Mexico’s Crime Rate Change Over Time? In the Last Ten Years
Fears about New Mexico’s crime rate have been around for ten years. The numbers show that compared to other states in the US, New Mexico has always had high rates of both property crime and serious crime. In 2016, New Mexico had the highest rate of property crime in the U.S. It also had the second-highest rate of serious crime, just behind Alaska.
In 2018, there were 856.58 crimes for every 100,000 people in New Mexico. This was 10.01% more than the previous year. The rising crime rate shows that people in the state are becoming more worried about their safety and security.
Also, only about 27% of New Mexico’s people live in Albuquerque, but the city is home to 42.7% of the state’s serious crimes and 47% of its property crimes. This shows how badly crime affects the state’s biggest city.
But there have been some good trends in the last few years. In Belen, for example, the total crime rate dropped by 49% from 2019 to 2020. Over the past five years, both violent and property crime have gone down in the city.
Which of the Following Causes New Mexico’s High Crime Rate?
New Mexico has a high crime rate because of many things, such as its position, problems with the criminal justice system, and its socioeconomic situation.
Soc-Econ: A lot of people in New Mexico live below the poverty line—more than 18% of the state’s residents. This is the third-highest rate in the U.S., and crime rates tend to go up when people are poor. Also, just over 8% of people in the state were jobless in April 2021, which is one of the highest rates in the country. Because of these economic reasons, there may be more crime.
Problems with the Criminal Justice System: New Mexico’s criminal justice system has been criticized for how it handles cases, especially in Albuquerque, which has just over a quarter of the state’s population but is home to almost half of the state’s crimes. A big problem that’s adding to the state’s crime problem is the “revolving door” effect, which happens when people get out of jail with few consequences.
New Mexico is in a geographically difficult area, with big interstate highways going through it. This can also make crime rates higher. These roads can make it easier for criminals and illegal activities to happen in the state.
Healthcare and Infrastructure: According to research, crime can be stopped in three areas: healthcare, infrastructure, and police work. For instance, healthcare interventions that deal with mental health and drug abuse problems can help lower crime rates. Investing in infrastructure, like fixing up public areas and making the lights brighter, can also stop criminal activity.
Community policing and data-driven methods are two examples of good policing strategies that can also help stop crime. neighborhood policing helps police and people in the neighborhood get along, which builds trust and encourages everyone to work together to fight crime. With data-driven methods, police can better target high-crime areas and people who are more likely to commit crimes with their limited resources.
What Are the Best Ways for New Mexico to Cut Down on Crime?
Based on study and evidence, there are several things that can be done to lower crime in New Mexico. Some of these methods are:
prevention: One important part of prevention is making it more likely that someone will get caught. This can be done by having more police officers and using technology to keep an eye on crooks.
Alternative Community-Based Programs: Putting low-level, nonviolent offenders into alternative community-based programs can give them better services that have been shown to lower crime, like help for mental illness and drug abuse.
Healthcare: Giving more people access to mental health care and drug abuse disorder treatment, especially through Medicaid, can lower crime and recidivism by making it easier for vulnerable groups to get care.
Infrastructure: Putting money into infrastructure, like fixing up public areas and making the lights brighter, can help keep criminals away.
Policing: Community policing and data-driven approaches are two effective ways to keep people safe by building good ties between police and community members and making better use of police resources.
Evidence-Based Policymaking: Using policies that are based on data and evidence can help make sure that resources are used well and that actions are tailored to meet the needs of the community.
Fiscal Responsibility: Making sure that criminal justice policies are fiscally responsible can help people and make sure that resources are used well.
Prevention: Working on things like getting to the bottom of why people commit crimes and giving them services to help them get back on their feet can help lower crime rates and make the public safer.
New Mexico can work to lower crime and make the state safer for everyone by using these tactics.
In Conclusion
It’s scary that New Mexico is ranked as the third most dangerous state in the country, but it’s also a chance for politicians and community members to work together to fix the problems that cause crime and make everyone safer.
New Mexico can work to make its population safer by putting more money into public safety projects, getting more people to become police officers, and tackling problems like poverty that cause problems in the first place.
Belen, like the rest of the state’s cities and towns, needs to do something about crime and make its people safer. The people of New Mexico and its towns can work together to make the future safer for everyone by using data to guide their actions.