Courtesy Santa Fe Police Department
News
Some Santa Fe city councilors and residents are lining up against a request to spend $1.1 million to purchase three specialized vehicles for the Santa Fe Police Department.
The proposed purchase of the armored vehicles forms part of the one-time investments that Mayor Alan Webber announced during the annual State of the City address in May. The listed planned spending, which totals over $40 million, dedicates roughly $1.3 million to the police department.
The budget amendment resolution will continue through the committee process at the Quality of Life Committee tonight but will have to be a discussion item on the governing body meeting agenda for Aug. 14.
Fatima van Hattum, a District 1 resident who served on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Advisory Council for Racial Justice, tells SFR she remains “unconvinced” on the need for the vehicles and says other forms of investment into public safety would reduce crime more.
“I very much believe that the kind of spending in our budget is really reflective of our values and policies, so if you have more in your municipal budget for police than you do for the unhoused community, or for youth or social workers or diversion programs, you’re going to get what you pay for,” van Hattum says. “That’s no decrease in crime, because we know most things related to crime are actually social issues related to housing and substance abuse.”
Furthermore, she points to national data from the Vera Institute which shows the majority of calls to law enforcement are for nonviolent encounters, leading her to question why the purchase of armored vehicles would be more necessary than other spending.
“Public safety is supposed to protect the public, and I think there are other ways we can protect the police that don’t cost that much money,” van Hattum says.
In response to the critique, Police Chief Paul Joye tells SFR he doesn’t see it as “an either/or” situation, and the requested vehicles are not intended for behavioral health or wraparound services.
“The city does spend money on behavioral health and wraparound services, and they are working on other solutions,” Joye says, noting he was a “huge proponent” for the alternative response unit program. “These vehicles are for situations in which a crime has been committed and the person involved is either believed to be armed or has a history of being armed, and it allows for a negotiation process. It gives our crisis negotiator that protection to work and talk to these people from a position that gives them proximity.”
According to data provided by SFPD, the number of SWAT and Bearcat deployments have increased substantially since 2019, when only six occurred. That number nearly doubled the next year with 11 and by 2023, there were 17 total deployments.
Councilors offered mixed reactions during discussion of the budget amendment resolution at the Public Works and Utilities Committee meeting Aug. 5 before they voted 2-2 not to pass it.
District 2 Councilor Michael Garcia asked if law enforcement officials could coordinate with other neighboring agencies such as the state police or Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office for the operations that required armored vehicles.
“Other agencies have their own obligations and safety concerns,” Joye replied.
District 1 Councilor Alma Castro asked how often weapons were being discharged in the instances, to which the chief replied no weapons were discharged when officials used the current Bearcat in 2023.
“It’s hard for me to even support one when we haven’t had any weapons discharged,” Castro said.
Committee Chair and District 4 Councilor Amanda Chavez pushed back on that idea during her comments.
“I don’t think a measure for a required tool should be based on how many times you’ve been shot at. I am not doing your job, so I think it’s hard for me to deny whether you need something to feel safe or keep the community safe,” Chavez said. “You are the experts. I am very grateful you have not been shot at…I think a threat is enough to utilize the tools to protect our community and those on the frontlines doing the work.”
Ultimately, Garcia and Castro voted against the proposal in committee, while Chavez and District 3 Councilor Lee Garcia voted in favor. Castro tells SFR she doesn’t think the armored vehicles will do anything to address the majority of safety issues the community faces, noting the recent shooting at Sonic in her district and her neighborhood.
“I don’t see this type of armored vehicle helping in that situation,” she says. “If they were asking for more foot patrol, more non-lethal training or training around mental health crises or investing in our ARUS, that would make more sense than two armored vehicles.”
While van Hattum says she’d like to think she and elected officials share the same goal of safer communities, armored vehicles aren’t the way to get there.
“The conversation we need to have is what actually makes us safe,” she says. “This isn’t anyone pontificating. This is incredibly well researched that militarizing the police doesn’t do that.”
Joye, on the other hand, says apart from armored vehicle usage in special operations, Santa Fe is a historical capital that hosts many events and Bearcats are used in some of those, including in the annual burning of Zozobra.
“We need to make sure we have the equipment necessary to do the job we need to and protect the people in the way that we need to,” he says.
INFOBOX: SWAT AND BEARCAT DEPLOYMENTS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
2019 - 6 (4 Callouts and 2 Warrant Service Operations)
2020 - 11 (6 Callouts and 5 Warrant Service Operations)
2021 - 10 (6 Callouts and 4 Warrant Service Operations)
2022 - 12 (7 Callouts and 5 Warrant Service Operations)
2023 - 17 (9 Callouts and 8 Warrant Service Operations)
