On Oct. 6, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham renewed executive orders on gun violence and substance misuse as the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) issued a revised public health order.
The new public health order includes an additional provision: “The New Mexico Department of Public Safety shall organize safe surrender events (also known as “gun buy-backs”) in the cities of Albuquerque, Española and Las Cruces within 30 days.”
“The fact of the matter is that New Mexicans are still being threatened, injured and killed by firearms,” the NMDOH order said. “Just yesterday, two guns were found in the possession of students at an Albuquerque high school, and while thankfully no one was hurt, these incidents have profound psychological effects on our children. The last four weeks have clearly demonstrated the impact we can have on violent crime when we work in better coordination, but the situation remains dire. We’re not letting up, and I’m continuing to make investments that drive down violence in our communities and protect our children.”
"Gun violence is a leading cause of death among young people in New Mexico. That should horrify all of us,” DOH Secretary Patrick Allen said. “It’s vital that we all work to nurture a culture of responsible firearm ownership and safety. By supplying free trigger locks and orchestrating safe surrender events, we join forces with our communities, courageously tackling the menace of gun violence to ensure the safety and well-being of every New Mexican."
The governor and Secretary Allen remind New Mexicans that free trigger locks are available at www.safestoragenm.org.
Read the updated public health order at www.nmhealth.org/publication/view/rules/8481.
