U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich announced that nine New Mexico law enforcement agencies will receive federal funding totaling $6,521,000 for forensic equipment, crime scene processing tools and safety improvements through the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
The funding comes as New Mexico grapples with the nation’s third-highest violent crime rate at 778.28 incidents per 100,000 people and faces a forensic testing crisis that has created 18-month delays for DNA analysis. The state’s main forensic laboratory currently has only four of 16 DNA scientist positions filled with experienced staff, contributing to growing evidence backlogs.
The largest allocations include $1.67 million for the New Mexico Statewide Sexual Assault Program to expand its helpline and trauma services, addressing a critical need as the state struggles with untested sexual assault evidence kits. The funding also provides $1.05 million for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and $1 million for Las Cruces Police Department to establish forensic analysis capabilities.
“While this Appropriations bill isn’t perfect, it includes resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will help our law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, keep our communities safe, and save lives,” Heinrich said in a press release announcing the committee passage.
The senator, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, specifically secured $908,000 for Albuquerque Police Department’s crime scene processing equipment. This addresses a significant need in New Mexico’s largest city, which handles 42.7% of the state’s violent crime despite having only 27% of the population.
Rural communities will also benefit from the funding. Farmington will receive $629,000 for forensic DNA and narcotics identification equipment, while Gallup gets $115,000 for crime scene reconstruction equipment. Both cities face unique challenges, with Gallup leading the state in violent crime at 1,360 incidents per 100,000 people.
The appropriations bill also addresses New Mexico’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis through Heinrich’s successful inclusion of language directing the Department of Justice to allocate additional resources to investigate and prevent crimes in tribal communities. Albuquerque and Gallup had among the highest numbers of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases in the United States as of 2021, with 16% of missing person cases between 2014-2019 involving Indigenous people.
Heinrich worked with Sen. Ben Ray Luján to secure an additional $1 million for the New Mexico Medical Investigator to enhance DNA processing capabilities, addressing the state’s forensic testing bottleneck that currently requires southern New Mexico agencies to send samples 280 miles to Santa Fe for analysis.
The funding package includes several other New Mexico-specific allocations:
- $533,000 for Eastern New Mexico University campus safety improvements
- $350,000 for New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence youth programs
- $268,000 for Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office mobile security equipment
Beyond local projects, Heinrich secured broader policy provisions in the bill, including creation of a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system through the Drug Enforcement Administration and continued efforts to combat firearm straw purchases. The legislation also directs the DEA to remove barriers to opioid use disorder medications like buprenorphine.
The timing proves critical as federal forensic funding faces potential cuts. The Trump administration has proposed reducing the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program by 71%, from $35 million to $10 million, which could worsen existing evidence backlogs nationwide.
New Mexico’s forensic challenges reflect a national crisis, with crime labs across the country “drowning in evidence” from rape kits to drug samples, according to recent reports. Some state labs face delays, forcing prosecutors to make difficult choices about which cases receive priority testing.
The bill now moves to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. Heinrich emphasized the legislation’s role in addressing systemic public safety challenges in a state where SafeWise surveys show fewer than three in 10 residents feel safe calling New Mexico home.
Heinrich’s efforts build on previous work through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which increased criminal penalties for straw purchases and illegal gun trafficking. The Department of Justice has charged more than 1,000 defendants under those provisions, removing hundreds of firearms from circulation.