SANTA FE — House Republican Whip Rod Montoya (R-Farmington) released the following statement in response to the Legislative Finance Committee's (LFC) review of Bernalillo County's criminal justice system:

"The LFC's review just confirms what every New Mexican has known for years: there's too much crime in New Mexico. For years, House Republicans have offered solutions to bring down New Mexico's skyrocketing crime rates, only to be dismissed by our Democrat colleagues as being 'all crime, all the time'. Among the 30 largest cities in the U.S., Albuquerque now ranks 1st in total crime rate increases, 1st in property crime increases, and 1st in murder rate increases. It's time for Democrats to stop playing games with the security of New Mexicans and work with us to make New Mexico a safer place to live."