Most people would not think of New Mexico and “crime” in the same sentence without thinking about Breaking Bad. But Albuquerque is in the middle of a crime crisis that most people may not have heard about, bringing up all the same issues that have already been examined in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington.

New Mexico is dealing with a crime crisis on two fronts, relitigating the same issues of drugs and juvenile criminals that cities across the country have had to wrestle with since 2020. More and more teenagers have been arrested on homicide charges in Albuquerque, with a shocking hit-and-run vehicular homicide, allegedly by three juveniles aged 15, 12, and 11, against a cyclist making national news. The 11-year-old has a history of burglaries and break-ins and was on police’s radar for becoming more and more violent in his crimes.