Mayor wants city to sue gang members

December 12, 2008

Mayor Martin Chavez said Friday lax laws allowed gangs to move into New MexicoMayor Martin Chavez said he wants tougher laws to fight local gangs—ones that could even allow the city to sue gang members.

The plan could return money to gang-stricken areas, Chavez said Friday.

"We want to be able to sue them and take every asset we can possibly identify," the mayor said. "Then, through the creation of zones, if a gang is operating in a particular neighborhood and those are the victims, create a mechanism for putting that money back in the neighborhood."

The mayor also said police have identified a disturbing trend of gangs from eastern cities setting up shop in Albuquerque. Police said the murders of two men last month have ties to two violent gangs that are new to the city, known as "People Nation" and "Folk Nation," APD Chief Ray Schultz said.

"They are trying to establish relations with Mexican drug cartels and trying to move drugs from Mexico into New Mexico and trying to establish distribution points here in Albuquerque to move the drugs farther east," Schultz said.

Chief Schultz said a lot of gang members are also responsible for hundreds of armed robberies. That is why the mayor said he is pushing to add armed robberies to the state's three strikes law. The fact that it's not is a reason why the mayor said gang bangers are flocking to New Mexico.

"Some of these gang members admit when they are arrested that they come to New Mexico because we are a lenient place where they can commit their crimes," Chavez said. "Well not in Albuquerque, and I want to challenge the legislature to give us these tools so we can say not in New Mexico."

Mayor Chavez said he plans to ask City Council to amend Albuquerque's Nuisance Abatement Ordinance to include gang activity. He also wants some lawyers in the City Attorney's Office assigned specifically to prosecute gang crimes.

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