Unfortunately, some people commit crimes, and they put other people’s lives in danger. New Mexico, in particular, is a state where the violent crime rate is pretty high, and it may be a reason why a lot of people want to avoid its cities as much as they can. After all, they believe they are not the safest.
But if you need to move to New Mexico or want to visit it, it’s always best to know which cities have high crime rates so you can either avoid them or take protection measures while you’re there. So, here are 7 cities in New Mexico that have very high rates of violent crime.
- Taos
Taos is one of the cities with a high crime rate. In fact, there is a 1 in 11 chance of becoming the victim of just any type of crime. On top of that, property crime is very high too, being 134% above the state average, so it’s a place you need to be extremely careful in.
- Farmington
Farmington is one of the most populated cities in New Mexico, but it also has a high crime rate. It is actually the second one when it comes to the crime rate. Back in 2018, 593 crimes took place there. Out of these, 434 were aggravated assaults, while 70 were robberies, 81 were rapes and 8 were murders.
- Socorro
Socorro has a pretty high population, but the crime rate is also increased. Property and violent crime are both over 30% above the state average, so it is very likely to have crimes happening very often. There is a 1 in 18 probability of being a crime victim.
- Santa Fe
People like Santa Fe because of its artistic look, but it is sadly ruined by the number of crimes that take place there. In 2018, there were 333 violent crimes. 207 of them were aggravated assaults, whereas 32 were rapes and 89 were robberies. Keep in mind that these are only the reported crimes.
- Espanola
Espanola has a population of over 10,300, yet crime keeps growing in this city. There’s a 26.14 violent crime rate per 1000 residents. So, 1 in 9 people in this city can become the victim of a violent crime at any time.
- Albuquerque
Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, but it also tends to have the most crimes. 2018 was the year the city had 7,646 crimes. There were 69 murders, 479 rapes, 1,979 robberies, and 5,119 aggravated assaults. Keep in mind that these are only the crimes that were reported, so the number may be even higher.
- Gallup
Gallup is also a city where the odds of being a crime victim are very high. With a population of more than 22,000 people, the likelihood of becoming a crime victim in this city is 1 in 9.
Final Thoughts
If you ever need to travel through New Mexico or intend to visit this state, being aware of the crime rates in some cities may help you take safety precautions early on. Make sure to stay safe and avoid going alone if you want to feel protected.
Also, if you live in New Mexico and become a crime victim in any of these cities, you should consider a New Mexico criminal lawyer. Many people won their cases as a result of hiring the right attorneys.
