Overview:
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland joined a law enforcement ride-along as she continues promoting a public safety plan that combines support for police with investments in behavioral health, addiction treatment and crime prevention.
Native Vote 2026
Democratic candidate for New Mexico governor Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) joined law enforcement officers for a ride-along as she continues traveling the state to hear directly from law enforcement, first responders, behavioral health professionals and residents about public safety.
The ride-along is part of Haaland’s broader effort to discuss her public safety agenda, which combines support for law enforcement with investments aimed at preventing crime and addressing underlying issues such as mental health and substance use. Her campaign says the plan was developed in consultation with law enforcement, behavioral health, emergency management and other public safety professionals across New Mexico.
Haaland’s recent public safety outreach has included a roundtable in Las Cruces, a tour of Albuquerque Street Medicine and conversations with families affected by the fentanyl crisis. She has also met with local officials on emergency management and public safety issues in communities including Mescalero and Lincoln County.
“New Mexicans deserve to feel safe and are tired of illegal drugs running rampant – and that must change,” Haaland said. “My public safety plan was made in collaboration with law enforcement, behavioral health, first-responders, emergency management and public safety professionals across the state.”
“It’s why I will create the first-in-the-nation State Office of Community Safety, while also giving law enforcement the tools to keep violent criminals off our streets,” she said.
Haaland unveiled her public safety agenda in March, calling for the creation of a State Office of Community Safety that would coordinate social workers and behavioral health professionals to respond to certain calls, allowing law enforcement officers to focus on violent crime and other situations requiring police intervention. Her plan also calls for recruiting and retaining public safety personnel, improving officer resources and technology, expanding community policing approaches, and strengthening accountability.
The plan also emphasizes crime prevention and treatment. Haaland has proposed expanded after-school and mentorship programs, greater access to mental health and substance-use services, treatment courts, reentry programs and other efforts designed to address factors that can contribute to crime. Her plan includes specific provisions for Tribal communities, including greater access to behavioral health resources, Medicaid reimbursement for traditional healing practices at Urban Indian Organizations and investments in an Indigenous behavioral health workforce.
Haaland has pointed to her experience as U.S. Secretary of the Interior as part of her public safety credentials. During her tenure, she oversaw federal law enforcement agencies including the National Park Service Police and the Bureau of Land Management’s Office of Law Enforcement. Her campaign says those agencies included nearly 3,000 sworn officers.
As Interior secretary, Haaland also established the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Unit and worked on law enforcement reforms, including body-camera and transparency measures.
Haaland has also highlighted her work in Congress addressing substance use and addiction. Her campaign says she helped deliver $9.4 million to New Mexico communities for opioid-response and addiction services. She also worked with the Indian Health Service to support mental health services in schools serving Native children.
