NM highways to see increased patrols
Navajo Times | Christopher S. Pineo New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez greets New Mexico Department of Transportation deputy secretary Loren Hatch and New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas, Dec. 10, at We The People Park in Gallup for a press conference to announce a number of initiatives to combat DWI related crimes and deaths. Also in photos, the governor greets law enforcement officers of the state police and other agencies who will enforce the initiatives. Initiatives were to include increased patrols on Interstate 40 between Gallup and Grants in coming months.
By Bill Donovan and Christopher S. Pineo
Navajo Times
Navajo Times | Christopher S. Pineo
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez greets New Mexico Department of Transportation deputy secretary Loren Hatch and New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas, Dec. 10, at We The People Park in Gallup for a press conference to announce a number of initiatives to combat DWI related crimes and deaths. Also in photos, the governor greets law enforcement officers of the state police and other agencies who will enforce the initiatives. Initiatives were to include increased patrols on Interstate 40 between Gallup and Grants in coming months.
GALLUP
New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez visited Gallup on Dec. 10 to discuss locally a series of DWI crackdown initiatives she announced earlier in the week.
On a local level, initiatives outlined by the governor will include increased patrols on U.S. 64 between Bloomfield and Farmington and Interstate 40 between Gallup and Grants.
“Right here in McKinley County and in neighboring San Juan County, 85 people died in traffic fatalities just in the year 2014 alone,” she said.
She highlighted that she had not received support of the New Mexico legislature in repeated attempts to address DWI through legislation, so she created the series of executive initiatives to address the problem with the support of law enforcement and the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
“This year alone, 237 people have lost their lives in traffic crashes across New Mexico. Of those, 98 of them – or 41 percent – were alcohol related. This is completely unacceptable, because this crime is 100 percent preventable, as long as you don’t get behind the wheel when you have been drinking, 100 percent preventable.”
The steps she outlined to combat the problem included a roundup of offenders avoiding arrest who have warrants for DWI offenders, a crackdown on repeat offenders and fugitives who have violated parole, and monitoring of DWI cases in courtrooms throughout the state.
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Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow