Mental health patients in crisis with cops
It's a difficult, expensive equation: How can police best respond to mental health crises that have turned—or may turn—violent, without putting themselves, the public and those living with mental illness in danger? Santa Fe is in the midst of trying to solve it, and hoping that new training and better integration between police and the mental health service providers can help.
Mental health response in the dark
Meanwhile, lawmakers are drafting legislation that would keep secret audio and video recordings by police body cams that are made on a mental health call. Advocates say the possibility of videos going public may deter people from calling police, but other caution the video recording may be the only objective way to determine how police respond to emergencies and to potentially learn from that.
Meta-Griego
The public corruption trial of ex-senator Phil Griego is expected to go to the jury this week. The prosecution has no more than two witnesses left and Griego's attorney say they'll call just one—unless Griego himself decides to testify. The trial has raised a few interesting questions, such as whether New Mexico's citizen legislator system makes it more ripe for corruption and whether lawmakers are too eager to stick up for each other at the expense of the people they represent.
The letter
New Mexico's Public Education Department says school districts across the state aren't sending required letters to parents of kids who have fallen behind in reading skills. In Albuquerque, the PED says, just one in nine parents were notified by APS that their child wasn't reading at grade level. Of course, social promotion is a big political issue for the governor and her administration, but the letters are also state law.
Mr. Mayor
In two days, Albuquerque will know who's going to have to make that awkward phone call to RJ Berry asking where to send the mustache trimmer he left behind in the mayor's office. Tim Keller and Dan Lewis are still getting a handle on what changing voting patterns mean for their campaigns. For example, early voting totals have surpassed those for the city's October election. Normally, that's good for Republicans, but polling shows Keller with a sizable lead. Expect a barrage of TV ads over the next couple of days.
Cancer wars
The group that owns the New Mexico Cancer Center is in the midst of a court battle with Presbyterian Healthcare and its related businesses over a model the upstart cancer treatment facility says is retaliatory and anti-competitive. Presbyterian, as you might imagine, denies that claim. The two groups are squaring off in federal court, as the cancer center seeks damages, both actual and punitive, that likely reach far into the millions of dollars.
Stepfather says SFHS shooting letter was misguided
After police arrested three Santa Fe High School teens following the discovery of a letter threatening violence in the school, the stepfather of one of the boys says there was no intent behind it and his stepson made a mistake by not reporting it. The letter was specific, though, including locations where students and/or staff might be killed and a list of people who were targets. Police have charged all three with conspiring to engage in a terrorist activity.
The streak continues
OK, maybe "streak" is overplaying the recent run of warm weather, but in a very unofficial capacity, it's been pretty pleasant. That's going to continue today, with highs above average just about everywhere across the state. Santa Fe will hover around 60 all week with nary a chance of precipitation in the forecast.
Thanks for reading! The Word wonders why Monday the 13th isn't a thing. It seems far worse, right? With Friday the 13th, you're like, "Well, at least it's the weekend."
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