Albuquerque Teens Organize Walk Against Gun Violence

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This blog is an information site on the current gun violence in New Mexico and is dedicated to the children of New Mexico

By: Erica Zucco, KOB Eyewitness News 4......11/06/2015

This weekend, Albuquerque residents have a chance to stand with students fighting against youth gun violence in our community.

The Gun Sense Walk isn't about getting rid of guns; it's about stopping needless gun violence and promoting gun safety to protect all children and teenagers.

The walls of Highland High School are lined with posters spreading love in the name of Lilly Garcia, the 4-year-old killed after a road rage incident.

One message: think twice before pulling the trigger.

"During that moment of anger, anything can happen," Thao Vo said.

Recent shooting deaths have hit close to home for Albuquerque kids and teens, so much so that some high school students, working with a group of moms fighting against gun violence, are holding a walk to say "no more."

It's dedicated to Jaydon Chavez Silver, the much loved Manzano High School student and athlete gunned down in June.

Jaydon Chavez-Silver was shot at a house party in late June in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a 911 dispatcher refused medical assistance when a frantic caller who was trying to resuscitate Jaydon used profanity.

Donovan Maez was in court on three separate cases, one for burglary, one for selling counterfeit drugs and another for murder. He’s accused of killing Chavez-Silver at a party at a home near Lomas and Tramway

"We want to let the community and the state know that enough is enough. It's time for us, each and every one of us, to stand up and speak out about all the violence that's happened in our community and make sure we don't lose another person," Vo said.

It's about promoting communication instead of violence. The group's motto:

"Words scar, bullets kill. Shatter the silence," Beth Narin said.

The walk will head to Los Altos Park, where a now infamous case of youth gun violence happened, leaving a 17-year-old dead.

Organizers hope it gets more young adults involved in calling for change and inspires local and state leaders to make those changes happen.

The walk takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. It starts at Wilson Stadium near Juan Tabo and Lomas.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3955478.shtml#.Vjz9eKI0qhw

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Albuquerque councilor wants to give cities, counties power to regulate guns!

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Broken Culture Review.....The New Mexico Gun Violence Epidemic....Main Index

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Albuquerque councilor wants to give cities, counties power to regulate guns!

"Republicans in the state House would likely block the amendment "

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – An Albuquerque city councilor wants state lawmakers to change New Mexico’s constitution so city and county governments can regulate guns locally.

Councilor Diane Gibson says the recent shooting deaths of Albuquerque police officer Daniel Webster and four-year-old Lilly Garcia had her looking at ways to strengthen city gun laws. She says things like an assault weapons ban or limiting where guns are allowed are changes she’d like to see discussed.

However, in 1986 voters changed the New Mexico constitution to severely limit local control over gun regulations. Article II, Section 6 reads, in part: No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.

“They were different times, that was nearly 30 years ago,” Gibson said. “I think it’s time that we had the discussion.”

Gibson has introduced a resolution calling on state lawmakers to give voters an opportunity to repeal that amendment. She says the “one size fits all” approach currently under state law is too restrictive.

The proposed change has some in the gun industry a bit worried.

“Obviously it’s not something we want to see,” said Will Hogsett, chief operating officer at Albuquerque-based gun store Calibers.

Hogsett says allowing cities and counties to impose their own gun rules would be onerous for gun owners and bad for business.

“As a business it makes it much more convoluted and it makes it much harder to actually do business when one city can do one thing and Santa Fe can do another,” Hogsett said.

In other states where local gun regulation is allowed, cities like New York and Chicago have significantly stricter gun laws on the books than you see in the rest of the state.

Gibson says she hasn’t “formally” spoken with lawmakers about carrying the constitutional amendment she’s seeking. Several Democratic lawmakers KRQE News 13 spoke to said they’d be supportive of the idea but none committed to carrying it. The political reality is that Republicans in the state House would likely block the amendment if it is introduced."

By Alex Goldsmith Published: November 2, 2015

This blog is an information site on the current gun violence in New Mexico and is dedicated to the children of New Mexico

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"Turnstile Thugs Terrorize Albuquerque"...Albuquerque Journal

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Broken Culture Review.....The New Mexico Gun Violence Epidemic....Main Index

Click Here to View the Main Index

This blog is an information site on the current gun violence in New Mexico and is dedicated to the children of New Mexico

"Turnstile thugs terrorize Albuquerque".....By Mike Gallagher / Albuquerque Journal Investigative Reporter....November 1st, 2015.....Click on the photo to enlarge.

"The blood:
Albuquerque Police Officer Daniel Webster died from his wounds last week after being shot during a traffic arrest.
Rio Rancho Police Officer Gregg Benner was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Rio Rancho last May.
Albuquerque Officer Lou Golson was seriously wounded from multiple gunshots in early January.
In each case, the suspect had prior violent felony convictions and had served time in state prison.
In another case that outraged the community, the man who allegedly shot and killed 4-year-old Lilly Garcia during a road rage incident once faced a previous road rage charge, but it was dropped.

New Mexico has the second-highest violent crime rate per 100,000 population in the country, according to FBI reports.
Yet New Mexico sends fewer people to prison on a per capita basis than the neighboring states of Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Oklahoma.
And New Mexico’s prison inmates return to prison after release at a higher rate than in those same states.
At the same time, the number of officers on the street in Albuquerque is 865, well below the number city officials believe necessary, while the city works to revamp the department under the oversight of a federal court monitor after the Department of Justice found APD had a culture of using excessive and deadly force."

The article failed to mention that New Mexico is among states with some of the least restrictive firearms laws in the country.

Since New Mexico has no gun laws......"The United States Attorney’s Office has stepped in to try to keep the “Worst of the Worst” off the streets. It has brought charges against the suspects in the shootings of Webster, Benner and Golson, and is canvassing local law enforcement agencies for cases in which tough federal sentencing laws can get repeat offenders off the street......“The death of officer Benner brought to light how overwhelmed the state system is,” U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez said. “We had to do something.”.....For example, Martinez’s office charged Davon Lyman for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting death of APD officer Webster......That was a move to give District Attorney Kari Brandenburg’s office and local police time to gather evidence in Webster’s killing so the state can bring charges......Martinez’s office also charged the suspects in the shootings of Golson and Benner with federal firearms violations and other charges that not only kept them locked up with no bonds, but can also result in long federal prison sentences."....http://www.abqjournal.com/668821/news/turnstile-thugs-terrorize-our-town.html

"In the wake of recent events that have shocked the state, there is a growing chorus demanding changes to protect the public from such predators.
Mayor Richard Berry has proposed a series of changes – ranging from allowing retired officers to come back to the force and keep their pensions to rewriting new speedy trial rules to give prosecutors more time to turn over evidence to criminal defendants and their attorneys.
Political and judicial leaders have also come forward with suggestions.....Some of the changes will require legislative action and appropriation. Others will build off existing law enforcement programs. And still others will require the state Supreme Court to issue new court rules.
“We have to change our laws,” Police Chief Gorden Eden said immediately after Webster was shot and while he was still battling for his life. “The scales of justice are out of balance.”
And not a single comment about:
State permit to purchase a firearm.
Firearm registration?
Assault weapon law?
Magazine Capacity Restriction?
Owner license required?
Carry permits issued?
"Turnstile Thugs Terrorize Albuquerque"...Albuquerque Journal

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Broken Culture Review......Main Index

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Broken Culture Review.....The New Mexico Gun Violence Epidemic....Main Index

Click Here to View the Main Index

This blog is an information site on the current gun violence in New Mexico and is dedicated to the children of New Mexico

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Albuquerque Teens Organize Walk Against Gun Violence...Saturday November 7, 2015

Lilly Garcia, shot & killed in Albuquerque, New Mexico on October 21, 2015

Albuquerque police officer Daniel Webster shot on October 21, 2015

Officer Gregg Benner was shot and killed during a traffic stop...May 2015

New Mexico Public Officials & Gun Registration

The New Mexico Prison System & the Gun Violence Epidemic

Gun Registration in California & New Mexico

The Mexican Drug Cartel & New Mexico Gun Violence

New Mexico Biker Gangs & Gun Registration

"Turnstile Thugs Terrorize Albuquerque"...Albuquerque Journal

Albuquerque councilor wants to give cities, counties power to regulate guns!

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November 2015

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Officer Gregg Benner was shot and killed during a traffic stop...May 2015

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Broken Culture Review.....The New Mexico Gun Violence Epidemic....Main Index

Click Here to View the Main Index

This blog is an information site on the current gun violence in New Mexico and is dedicated to the children of New Mexico

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Officer Gregg Benner was shot and killed during a traffic stop

"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Copyright © 2015 Albuquerque Journal....For the third time this year, a local law enforcement officer was gunned down during a traffic stop.....“We shouldn’t be getting used to this. This year has been a heavy year for us,” officer Simon Drobik said after a police news conference Thursday evening."

RIO RANCHO, N.M. —Rio Rancho police said 49-year-old Officer Gregg ‘Nigel’ Benner was shot and killed during a traffic stop Monday night.....Benner was a four-year veteran of the department and was a retired Air Force veteran. He is survived by his wife and five adult children.Police said Benner made a traffic stop near Southern Boulevard and Pinetree Road around 8 p.m. According to police, Andrew Romero, 28, and a woman were in the car. There was an active warrant for Romero’s arrest.

Officer Gregg Benner

Andrew Romero

"Andrew Romero, 28, was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting, according to abqjournal.com. ....He has a lengthy criminal history including being charged with voluntary manslaughter in 2005....ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – The man accused of killing Rio Rancho Police officer Greg Benner now faces federal charges....Officials announced on Friday that Romero would be charged with violating federal firearm laws.....If convicted, he faces 10 years in prison. However, if the court rules he’s a habitual violent offender, he faces a mandatory 15 years and could face up to life in prison......He’s also facing a possible life sentence without the possibility of parole for Officer Benner’s murder......

"Monday night, officer Benner pulled over a man and woman in an 1999 Dodge Durango at Arby's on Southern Boulevard. The license plate attached to the Durango did not match the vehicle, which may have been the impetus of the stop, according to a police spokesperson.....The suspects, a female driver and a passenger — a man identified as 28-year-old Andrew Romero — then fled in the vehicle and ended up near the Esther Bone Memorial Library.....Investigators are still trying to determine the exact details, but say at some point, the exchange turned violent. Police said Romero likely reached around the woman in the driver's seat and shot Benner several times in the torso.....Benner was unable to draw his gun in time, Rio Rancho Police Chief Michael Geier said.....Police confirmed in a Tuesday news conference that a handgun was used and at least three casings were found. The handgun was connected to a robbery that Romero allegedly committed later Monday night."....http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3806808.shtml#.ViuMaqI0qhw

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October 2015

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Gun Registration in California & New Mexico

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Broken Culture Review.....Gun Registration in California & New Mexico....October 2015

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"The gun laws of California are some of the most restrictive in the United States. A Firearm Safety Certificate, obtained by passing a written test, is required for gun purchases. Handguns sold by dealers must be "California legal" by being listed on the state's Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale. This roster, which requires handgun manufacturers to pay a fee and submit specific models for safety testing, has become progressively more stringent over time and is currently the subject of a federal civil rights lawsuit on the basis that it is a de facto ban on new handgun models. Private sales of firearms must be done through a licensed dealer. All firearm sales are recorded by the state, and have a ten-day waiting period. Unlike most other states, California has no provision in its state constitution that explicitly guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. The California Supreme Court has maintained that most of California's restrictive gun laws are constitutional, based on the fact that the state's constitution does not explicitly guarantee private citizens the right to purchase, possess, or carry firearms."....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_California

"Gun laws in New Mexico regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of New Mexico in the United States.....New Mexico is among states with some of the least restrictive firearms laws in the country. State laws governing the possession and use of firearms include those in New Mexico Statutes Chapter 30, Article 7, "Weapons and Explosives".....New Mexico has state preemption of firearms laws, so local governments may not restrict the possession or use of firearms. However, local jurisdictions may restrict or ban the discharge of firearms within their boundaries. In 1986, Article 2, Section 6 of the state constitution was amended to say, "No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. No municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms."....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_New_Mexico

Open Carry..."New Mexico is a Permissive Open Carry state. Open carry of a loaded firearm without a license is legal statewide, except for restricted places listed in the section below. Provisions in the New Mexico Constitution prevent counties or municipalities from enacting ordinances restricting or banning open carry.... A Concealed Handgun License (CHL) is not required for open carry, concealed carry of an unloaded firearm on foot, or concealed carry of a loaded or unloaded firearm while in a vehicle (including motorcycles, bicycles, off-road vehicles, motor homes, or riding a horse)."....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_New_Mexico

"New Mexico's current concealed carry permit law was enacted in 2003. Prior to 2003, New Mexico was a hybrid No-Issue/Unrestricted state, where concealed carry was completely banned in incorporated cities and towns (although open carry without a permit has always been permitted statewide). In unincorporated rural areas, concealed carry without a license was legal. In 2001, state lawmakers passed a May-Issue concealed carry law that would have allowed cities and counties to opt out of honoring concealed carry permits and maintain outright bans on concealed carry. At the time, officials in most larger cities, notably Albuquerque and Santa Fe, strongly opposed the legalization of statewide concealed carry. After the May-Issue law was enacted but before it could go into effect, the City of Albuquerque filed a lawsuit (Baca v. New Mexico Department of Public Safety) to block implementation of the concealed carry law. Ultimately the May-Issue concealed carry law was struck down by the New Mexico Supreme Court before it could go into effect. The current Shall-Issue law, which pre-empted any existing local restrictions on firearms carry, was passed in 2003, with the issuance of Concealed Handgun Licenses beginning later that year, after surviving its own legal challenge by concealed carry opponents.".......https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_New_Mexico

NMDPS Concealed Handgun Carry Unit....http://www.dps.state.nm.us/index.php/nm-concealed-carry/

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October 2015

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The New Mexico Prison System & the Gun Violence Epidemic

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Broken Culture Review.....The New Mexico Prison System & the Gun Violence Epidemic....October 2015

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"The Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM) is a men's maximum-security prison located in unincorporated Santa Fe County, 15 miles (24 km) south of central Santa Fe, on New Mexico State Road 14.[1][2] It is operated by the New Mexico Corrections Department......The complex consists of three separate facilities. The facilities are now referred to as Level V (opened 1985), Level VI (opened 1985) and Level II (opened 1990) for the minimum restrict facility, based upon the New Mexico adaptation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons system for inmate classification and restriction. The regular daily population is about 790 inmates, whose average age is 32......The Level VI Supermax site contains New Mexico's Death Row. This is where Terry Clark was executed in 2001. He remains, as of 2014, the only execution in New Mexico since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976."......https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penitentiary_of_New_Mexico

"New Mexico has 33 counties.According to the latest jail census taken in 2006, there are 32 jail facilities and 8,877 inmates. There are no jail standards or inspection programs in the state..As of December 31, 2013, the New Mexico prison population was 6,849.....The New Mexico Corrections Department operates six state facilities and four private prisons. The Department's operating budget for FY2013 was approximately $288 million with 2,448 full time employees....The New Mexico Corrections Department, Probation & Parole Division supervised over 19,000 offenders during 2013."......http://nicic.gov/statestats/

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October 2015

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