Jail bookings, arrests lower since first case of coronavirus
Criminal bookings at the San Miguel County Detention Center have decreased substantially since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in New Mexico on March 11, according to data compiled by the Optic.
Warden Matt Elwell said he has noticed that bookings have declined significantly, and attributed part of the decrease to orders issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that instruct New Mexicans to stay at home, and to orders put in place by the New Mexico Supreme Court restricting jury trials and in-person court appearances.
Meanwhile, the caseload at San Miguel Magistrate Court remained about the same. During the two-week period of March 11 to March 25 in 2019, 13 criminal cases appeared on the court docket, and arrest warrants were issued in three of those cases. In the same period this year, the court had 12 criminal cases, but and issued seven arrest warrants. All seven of the warrants issued were criminal warrants, as opposed to warrants issued for failing to appear for a court hearing or failing to pay court fees. As of this writing, only two of those individuals with warrants had been arrested.
Aside from failure to appear and failure to pay warrants, arrest warrants are generally issued when criminal charges have been filed but the suspect isn’t in police custody. Suspects with active warrants are sometimes apprehended by law enforcement during checks of known places of residence, but many others are apprehended during the commission of other crimes or after traffic stops. However, with more New Mexicans staying indoors, police have fewer opportunities to encounter individuals wanted on warrants.
Las Vegas Chief of Police David Bibb said the increase in warrants is also a contributing factor for why the number of jail bookings has decreased.
“The courts have directed that arrest warrants, prior to being served, be checked with the issuing court,” Bibb said. “Because of the COVID-19 concern, the person may be directed to contact the court themselves to address the arrest warrant. This, of course, is on a case by case basis.”
According to Bibb, Las Vegans are heeding Gov. Lujan Grisham’s instructions to stay at home, which has resulted in a decrease in calls for service for the Las Vegas Police Department.
Nonetheless, Bibb said the community should know that the Las Vegas Police Department is operating at full capacity and has not altered its patrols.
“(We) would like the community to know that we are committed to their safety and no request for assistance from the police department will go unanswered,” Bibb said.
While officers are on patrol, Bibb said they are being mindful of their health and safety, as well as the health and safety of those they serve. Officers are following protocols similar to social distancing, Bibb said, and they’ve been equipped with items to reduce the risk of being exposed to the coronavirus.
“Officers have been supplied with face masks, gloves, safety glasses, Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer,” Bibb said.
Lieutenant Mark Soriano of New Mexico State Police said NMSP officers have also been given masks and gloves to help minimize the risk of exposure, and that officers and civilian staff have received training on proper hand washing, the disinfection of equipment and the importance of adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Soriano said that NMSP’s calls for service in District 2, which serves Las Vegas, have remained at the same level they were before New Mexicans were instructed to stay at home.
According to Soriano, NMSP has not issued any citations for violations of the governor’s order, but he urged people to continue to stay at home except for essential trips.
