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First Judicial District Attorney\u2019s Office employees, spurred by rising youth crime figures, have developed a pilot program aimed at teaching Santa Fe Public Schools high schoolers about New Mexico\u2019s criminal justice system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure you all know there\u2019s been kind of an uptick in some gang activity and violence, particularly around Capital High School, but we are seeing it at Santa Fe [High] as well,\u201d First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said at a Thursday night school board meeting. \u201cThis was our idea to try and combat that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The eight-week program will focus on issues such as gun crimes, domestic violence and intoxicated driving. It likely will begin at the end of this school year in Capital and Santa Fe high schools, according to the District Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Carmack-Altwies\u2019 office hopes the curriculum, dubbed The Life Project, helps pave the way for longer-term programming across the First Judicial District that would eventually land in Espa\u00f1ola, Los Alamos and Pojoaque schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The curriculum will begin with an introduction to the District Attorney\u2019s Office and each week will focus on another topic, with a rotating set of guest speakers from the Albuquerque-based Violence Intervention Program and various law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI like to look at it as a wheel,\u201d said District Attorney Special Agent William Perdue Jr. on Thursday. \u201cThe idea behind this program is we can circle them around with outreach, and then [we], as well as our law enforcement partners, are being proactive with intervention and enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Perdue and District Attorney\u2019s Office spokeswoman Franchesca Perdue, his sibling, have been developing the program for three months, Carmack-Altwies said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The District Attorney\u2019s Office has asked law enforcement officers engaging in the program not to wear uniforms in schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want it to be a place where [students] feel like they can\u2019t open up or they can\u2019t share their experiences because they\u2019re scared law enforcement is there and they might get in trouble,\u201d Franchesca Perdue said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Crystal Ybarra, the district\u2019s chief equity, diversity and engagement officer, said the partnership began after a group of stakeholders met at Capital High School ahead of winter break to address \u201ca number of issues\u201d involving campus teens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In November, The New Mexican<\/em> reported 14 Santa Fe-area teens had been arrested on suspicion of gun-related offenses in 2021. The month prior, a shooting involving one teenager and two young adults led to a lockdown at Capital High School.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Administrators at Capital High will likely have freshmen participate in the pilot program, while Santa Fe High administrators are considering the programming for sophomores or seniors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Franchesca Perdue said the District Attorney\u2019s Office has received feedback requesting programming for younger students as well.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe felt this was the age group that really needed involvement and engagement and a presence on campus, so that way we could be there for them …\u201d she said of focusing on high schoolers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Board member Sarah Boses and board Vice President Rudy Garcia, who both represent Capital High School, expressed support for the program Thursday night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n