Gun Violence by County
New Mexicans Preventing Gun Violence seeks to take a community-first approach to our work. As part of this mission, NMPGV regularly works with cities and school boards to pass gun violence prevention resolutions to help make our communities safer. We support resolutions as a way to increase public awareness of the issues.
Here is a list of meaningful resolutions passed with the help of NMPGV that clearly state a community’s commitment to ending gun violence and increasing education:
This resolution formally states the Santa Fe school board’s support of universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons and excessive capacity ammunition and education of gun safety awareness. It cites chilling statistics about the high rates of injury and death to young people as a result of gun violence in New Mexico and across the U.S. For example, mass shootings at Tucson, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Fort Hood and Sandy Hook all involved the use of high-capacity magazines. The combined impact of these five shootings included 60 people wounded, and 90 people dead. Of those 90 deaths, 26 were children under the age of 10.
Resolution 2013-70 3/12/2013
This resolution authorized the establishment of a gun safety Public Service Announcement campaign to promote gun safety awareness. This resolution authorized the placement of PSAs on Santa Fe Trails buses and benches.
Resolution 2014/15-6
This resolution established the SFPS board’s public support for the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence, a national program and pledge that has been signed by over 10 million young people. Additionally, the resolution states that SFPS will observe the “Day of Concern About Young People and Violence” on October 22. This resolution formally recognized the public health hazard that gun violence poses to New Mexico’s youth, and the importance that young people have a voice in conversations about gun violence.
Resolution 2014/2015-10
A resolution by SFPS urging the New Mexico School Board Association to adopt the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence and observance of the “Day of Concern About Young People and Violence” on October 22 statewide. This resolution formally recognized the public health hazard that gun violence poses to New Mexico’s youth, and the importance that young people have a voice in conversations about gun violence.
Resolution No. 2015
A resolution Supporting Proposed State Legislation, House Bill 44 (HB 44) – Creation of The Firearm Transfer Act. (Melissa Byers) Santa Fe City Council, Santa Fe.
This resolution stated the Santa Fe City Council’s support for a 2015 bill presented to the New Mexico State Legislature known as the Firearm Transfer Act. This bill, which was not voted on at the time of introduction, sought to require background checks when purchasing firearms at gun shows.
This is an issue that NMPGV has worked on consistently since our inception in 2013. That year, HB44 passed with bipartisan support in the House but stalled in the Senate due to the NRA lobbyist and a partisan filibuster. To garner support for the bill, we held several rallies which drew hundreds of concerned citizens. The 2014 rally was co-sponsored by the City of Santa Fe. We promoted the initiative on local television and radio shows throughout the state. In addition, we collected and hand-delivered thousands of signatures to the governor.
The Santa Fe City Council’s show of support through Resolution No. 2015, sponsored by Councilor Ives and Councilor Lindell was significant because it demonstrated that communities in New Mexico want to strengthen state laws around gun ownership.
Rio Arriba Board of County Commissioners Website
This resolution created a gun safety campaign in Rio Arriba County using Public Service Announcements on buses, benches and other public venues in Rio Arriba County. The campaign exists in conjunction with gun safety educational programs, focusing on the dangers of unlocked guns, particularly as a safety issue for children and adolescents.
Citing statistics and recommendations from various studies and professional organizations, this resolution concludes that gun safety education necessary addition to the safety of Rio Arriba residents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, firearm-related injury and death to children is a significant health problem, and education is critical to reducing the death and injury of children 0-19. Referencing a 2006 national study of gun ownership and suicide rates, the resolution also recognizes the correlation between the presence of guns in homes and adolescent suicide. Suicide rates in New Mexico are nearly double national rates – with firearms the leading cause of death by suicide.
The Board of Commissioners of Rio Arriba County established this program county-wide. The resolution also states that if this campaign is determined successful, the County of Rio Arriba will continue to implement gun safety public service announcements and educational programs.
Pojoaque Valley School Board Website
Resolution No. 3-26-14
This resolution affirmed the Pojoaque Valley School Board’s formal support for educational programs on gun safety and safe gun storage.
*These stories represent only a fraction of the gun violence in New Mexico
To learn more about these, or to collaborate with NMPGV in your area, please contact our team today at info@newmexicanstopreventgunviolence.org.
“The gun debate would change in an instant if Americans witnessed the horrors that trauma surgeons confront every day.”
– Jason Fagone, HuffPost