Albuquerque Police have identified 17 murder suspects this year who are ages 19 and under. Nine of them are considered ‘juveniles,’ meaning age 17 and under.
This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart discuss the topic of youth involved in violent crime with Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. How much do drugs and social media play a factor? What are the driving forces behind gun violence among teens? And what are the solutions?
Chief Medina addresses what his department is focused on, his ‘tough on crime’ ideas for lawmakers, and a suggestion for parents to talk to their teenagers about conflict resolution. No longer does the advice “fight back” work to resolve conflict among youth, as Medina suggests the “game has changed,” and guns are more readily available.