Auto thefts in ABQ have plunged by over 50 percent since two years ago, according to APD, so what about that bail reform amendment BernCo District Attorney Torrez blames for escalating crime in the city? Doesn't the drop in auto thefts contradict that position? ABQ attorney Alan Wagman is back and weighs in with this:

Everybody assumes that the crime rate is rising in Albuquerque, and some claim that bail reform is responsible. But, in fact, crime is down, as Mayor Keller and Chief Geier have said. Clearly bail reform has not increased the crime rate.

It is true that violent crime in Albuquerque is rising, even as property crime falls, and some are blaming bail reform. Are more violence-prone, pretrial defendants being released from jail? It’s actually much more likely that fewer are. Here’s why:

Prior to bail reform, the only people who could be held without bail were the few charged with capital crimes, such as murder. Under bail reform, judges can and do hold people charged with much less serious crimes without bail; the deciding factor is whether evidence shows the person is dangerous, even if the immediate crime charged is not an inherently dangerous crime.

Many more people are subject to being held without bail, almost certainly leading to more people being held without bail. The net result of bail reform is that fewer people overall are being incarcerated prior to trial, but more people are incarcerated pretrial without option for release. No one is incarcerated simply because of inability to afford bail. 

MOST EVER

Tamalewood numbers:

New provisions of the film tax rebate are likely to represent the most significant state investment ever for New Mexico in a single industry for economic development, according to state budget analysts with the state Legislature. They estimate a $500 million payout from the state general fund over the next five years as a result of legal changes, on top of $250 million in spending that was previously anticipated.

An industry observer who wrote of the rebates here this week believes the payouts will be even greater, given that there are no caps on the subsides for Hollywood giants Netflix and NBCUniversal. Now the state watches and waits to see if this biggest bet ever pays off.

State Economic Development Secretary Alicia Keyes announced new efforts to track how much wealth is generated by film productions that receive incentives and where, an effort welcomed by legislators. "I really believe that this industry is providing high wages," she said. Keyes indicated that state officials have started meeting with all film tax credit applicants to ensure better tracking and verification of data. She also noted that film companies that lie about residency requirements to qualify for credits can be banned from incentives for two years under new provisions.

That's a start.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019