The Albuquerque mayor has put forward an anti-crime agenda that focuses on keeping repeat offenders locked up longer.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Mayor Richard Berry's proposals include better screening of people released from pretrial detention and changes in procedural rules that authorities say lead to charges being dismissed.
Berry says he hopes to contract a retired team of police officers to handle lower priority calls to free up the city's understaffed police department. He is also advocating state-level measures, such as reinstating the death penalty for some cases and strengthening the three strikes law.
Some officials, however, say Berry might be oversimplifying the cause of a recent crime increase. County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins says reasons behind the increase are complex and require a carefully considered response.
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