DPS Cabinet Secretary Jason Bowie

NMSP News:

• • • • • 172 arrests, 32 stolen vehicles recovered, tens of thousands of dollars in controlled substances, and 24 firearms seized 

ALBUQUERQUE – In an ongoing effort to suppress crime and reduce violence, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) increased operations in the Albuquerque Metro area during the months of September and October, including during the 2022 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.  

The month-long operation, which began on Sept. 26, 2022, was authorized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and resulted in 172 arrests, which included 120 felony and 52 misdemeanor arrests. Officers recovered 32 stolen vehicles, a bounty of controlled substances, and seized 24 firearms. Except for one arrest, the firearms were connected to cases which were recorded under felony narcotics arrests; one case was adopted by the FBI for federal prosecution. 

“Bolstered crimefighting efforts are a priority for New Mexico State Police and community members,” said Department of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Jason Bowie. “By focusing on those who break the law and holding them accountable, we ensured our citizens and visitors were safe and we reduced crime in the process. This is part of our continuous footprint in the metro area, and we continue to work with our partners at the local and federal levels to make the streets of Albuquerque safer.”   

Of the 172 arrests that occurred, 39 were felony warrants served, 25 felony narcotic arrests, 11 possession of stolen vehicles, seven felon in possession of firearms, three aggravated assaults, and felony arrests related to aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, unlawful possession of a handgun by a person below 19-years-old, battery on a police officer, aggravated assault of a police officer, and active warrants.

Misdemeanor arrests included 28 DWIs, two DWI related revoked licenses, two domestic violence arrests, two unlawful possessions of a firearm by a minor, seven resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer.  

The operation also found two underage runaway children who were reunited with their family. 

This operation, concluded Oct. 25, supports the commitment of Gov. Lujan Grisham and the Department to making New Mexico safer, and is designed to address the concerns of New Mexicans impacted by crime. 

State Police Chief Tim Johnson

State Police Chief Tim Johnson said a prime example of the operation’s success was a traffic stop that lead to the seizure of more than 1,000 fentanyl pills and a handgun.

Tuesday, Oct. 18 at about 1:57 a.m., a NMSP officer on patrol initiated a traffic stop on a black Dodge passenger vehicle for no license plate at the intersection of Virginia and Chico in Albuquerque. The driver, who was identified as Danyell Kerr Jr., 27, of Albuquerque, was advised of the reason for the stop. Kerr Jr. could not provide registration for the vehicle. A National Crime Information Center (NCIC) inquiry showed the Dodge was stolen out of Albuquerque. Kerr Jr. was taken into custody without incident. A search of Kerr Jr. during the arrest netted a clear plastic baggie containing methamphetamine in his pocket.

As the officer conducted a tow inventory of the vehicle, a grey and black handgun on the front driver’s side floorboard was observed. The officer sealed the vehicle, the Dodge was towed to the NMSP office, and the courts were petitioned for a search warrant.

During the search warrant execution, officers seized the following out of the Dodge vehicle:

• 1,135 Fentanyl pills;
• Methamphetamine;
• Handgun;
• Handgun magazines;
• Ammunition;
• $3,196 cash; and
• Crimson scale.

A search of Kerr Jr.’s criminal history in NCIC revealed he is a convicted felon.

Kerr Jr. was booked into the Bernalillo Metropolitan Detention Center and charged with receiving or transferring stolen motor vehicles, possession of a controlled substances, receipt or possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon, trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia and vehicles subject to registration.

“Proactive crime suppression efforts help deter crime,” Chief Johnson said. “Our focus has been in areas throughout the City of Albuquerque known for their high volumes of criminal activity and overall violence, and those efforts are making a difference.”

The operation also resulted in the seizure of:

• 10,672 fentanyl pills;
• 153.7 grams of methamphetamine;
• 84.8 grams of cocaine-powder;
• four grams of heroin;
• 96.6 grams of MDA (ecstasy);
• 74 dosages of LSD (acid);
• five grams of morphine sulfate;
• 218 grams of psilocybin (shrooms); and
• 313 Xanax pills.

The total value of the controlled substances was $151,199.00.

The state recently partnered with federal agencies to fight crime on the streets of New Mexico through Operation Blue Crush, a 90-day effort that concluded in June and resulted in more than 300 arrests and the confiscation of more than $5.4 million in fentanyl. In 2019, the governor also created the Fugitive Task Force, which has apprehended more than 540 violent fugitives in New Mexico and coordinated multiple police surges around the state. 

The Lujan Grisham administration is committed to innovative and effective solutions to fighting crime, DPS said. In addition to recently requesting that the FBI send dozens of additional agents to the state, Gov. Lujan Grisham in September awarded $42 million to law enforcement agencies around the state to hire 317 new officers. In 2021, the governor also enacted a 16 percent pay increase for NMSP officers. The Lujan Grisham administration also has awarded nearly $340 million in public safety capital outlay to communities across New Mexico.