The answer to this question is usually different depending on who you ask. If you ask the folks at the local Pizza Hut, they will probably say "yes." Someone busted two of their windows Monday night. If you ask a family on North Grandview Road that lost thousands of dollars of property during a break-in of their home. They will probably say "yes." I know a family from Santa Clara that was burglarized… "yep" definitely. Yet, there are some people in our community, even within law enforcement and the justice system, that don't seem to believe crime is much of a problem.

Each week I receive at least one call from some person in a distant state who is thinking about moving here… but they have read in some publication or some internet site about how our crime statistics are higher than the national average. Some of the retirement sites talk about how the weather in New Mexico is excellent. They go on to mention that the cost of living is pretty good compared to other areas of the country. Then we, New Mexico, take a hit because our taxes seem higher than states in the South and mid-west. And then boom… crime places us at the top of the worst list. It nice to be #1 or #2… but not on the worst crime rate list.

And yes, these people are actually narrowing their search down to Silver City and Grant County. The final results are alarming to them. Crime rates here are high… higher than most of the rest of America. It doesn't matter how many times I say that crime is better here than Albuquerque, these folks see this one fact as an impediment to relocating to Grant County.

So how do we change this? Well, that would be a great question for the candidates running for County Sheriff and Judge positions. It would be interesting to hear if they believe crime truly is a problem in Grant County. If they do, to what extent will they work to lower those statistical rates and how will they change the way law enforcement works now to make things better in the future. As for the candidates for Judge, I'm certain they will say Judges must perform their duties in a lawful manner and statutes basically dictate to the Judge the severity of the punishment for crimes committed. So once again I ask, what will it take to get tougher on crime and bring the criminal statistics in our communities down to a below normal level?

One thing is for sure, we aren't going to find an answer in this article. Hopefully someone with more authority than I have can help us understand how to lower crime rates in our communities and help us build a more desirable region to live in.

BEST WESTERN DEMING SOUTHWEST INN: The Best Western motel in Deming has become the newest member of the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce. I was really impressed by this property as I toured the facility and the guest rooms on Monday of this week. All the rooms are ground-floor rooms. They have been almost totally renovated. New furniture, new bedding, new fixtures, new equipment… heck even the siding and the roof on the building looked brand-spanking new. The swimming pool looked cool and gorgeous on a day that hit 105 degrees. The grounds and the parking lot are immaculate. There is space for small cars, large SUV's and even eighteen-wheelers. And in the evening, the facility is well-lit giving a great sense of security. Their rates are very reasonable at only $89 a night. And they are located just off Interstate 10 at Exit 81 on the west side of Deming. If you have questions, give Best Western Deming Southwest Inn a call at (575) 546-4544 or check out their website at www.bestwesterndeming.com.

For those of us who already live here, we know that all the great things that make this a wonderful place can over-shadow a few things that bring us down. We just need to keep telling people about the great things they will find in southwest New Mexico. Our message is good. That's why people contact us in the first place. We will keep plugging away. If you have some thoughts, call me at 538-3785.