Lauren Lifke - The Daily Lobo

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Possible fentanyl pill left in student apartment after break-in

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | December 6

An unidentified suspect broke into a Student Residence Center apartment Nov. 23, leaving behind a possible fentanyl pill and miscellaneous items, according to a State of New Mexico Uniform Incident Report. The suspect returned to the scene while a University of New Mexico police officer was present, but fled and was not caught, according to the report. No Lobo Advisory or LoboAlert was issued. "We have the LoboAlert system which – if it works as it is meant to work – there would have been a notice about this happening," Juan Camilo Gómez said – the resident who reported the burglary.

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No body-cam footage from UNMPD

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | November 20

A 2020 New Mexico statute – which requires most law enforcement agencies to use and have policies on body-worn cameras – may exempt the University of New Mexico Police Department. The statute says officers who regularly interact with the public and are employed by law enforcement agencies should wear body-worn cameras while on duty. It defines a “law enforcement agency” as “the police department of a municipality, the sheriff's office of a county, the New Mexico state police or the department of public safety,” not explicitly including university police departments. UNMPD officers undergo training at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Police Academy, according to UNMPD’s website.

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Loaded assault rifle found near Zimmerman Library

Lauren Lifke | October 30

At about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, police responded to a report of a loaded assault rifle in a cactus outside Zimmerman Library, according to a State of New Mexico Uniform Incident Report. Officers took into evidence the Smith & Wesson AR style rifle, along with 15 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. It is unclear who left the weapon and how long it had been there, according to the report.

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District 6 candidate guide

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | October 23

On Nov. 7, voters will choose between four City Council candidates to represent District 6, the University of New Mexico’s district. The candidates – Abel Otero, Jeff Hoehn, Kristin Greene and Nichole Rogers – are vying for the seat incumbent Pat Davis has held since 2016. A fifth candidate, Joseph Pitluck Aguirre, withdrew from the race in August but is still listed on the City of Albuquerque’s candidate list.

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UNM releases annual crime statistic report

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | October 9

The University of New Mexico released its Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) on Friday, Sept. 30. It includes 609 Clery crimes last year. There is no guarantee this number reflects all campus crime data. Pre-pandemic in 2019, there were 588 crimes. Hate crimes rose to 34 reported in 2022 compared to a reported two in 2019. 23 of these were thefts related to sexual orientation, according to the report. For the annual report, Clery coordinator Adrienne Helms is required to reach out to local law enforcement agencies — including but not limited to the Albuquerque Police Department — to request data on crimes that occur in UNM’s Clery geography but outside of UNM Police Department jurisdiction, she said. However, outside agencies are not required to provide any data.

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UNM is noncompliant with crime transparency law

Lauren Lifke and Lily Alexander | October 2

Federal law states that higher education institutions must have five specific categories of information in their mandated daily crime logs, which provide campus crime data to students. The University of New Mexico has two of the specified categories. The Clery Act, signed in 1990, requires higher education institutions that receive federal funding to publish an annual security report, provide timely notifications when crimes threaten the campus community and maintain a daily crime log. UNM’s LoboAlert system and daily crime log fall under its Clery Act Compliance Policy.

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Fatal shooting near South Campus

Lauren Lifke | September 11

A road rage shooting near the University of New Mexico’s South Campus left a child dead on Wednesday evening, according to Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. The incident prompted Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to issue a 30-day prohibition of carrying guns on public property in Bernalillo County. “They’re being used on 11-year-olds. They’re being used on 5-year-olds. This is the fifth example of road rage killing somebody in our city this year,” APD Director of Communications Gilbert Gallegos said in a media brief on Thursday.

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Trans and non-binary students report mixed experiences with SHAC

Lauren Lifke and Milan Ortiz-Ruiz | July 28

Over the past two years, several trans and non-binary University of New Mexico students have reported mistreatment and lack of access to hormone therapy at Student Health and Counseling (SHAC), according to Juniper Reimagined’s outreach coordinator, Ophelia Aragon. This has resulted in a delay of medically necessary gender-affirming care. Juniper Reimagined is a Queer and trans student alliance at UNM amongst several LGBTQ student organizations on campus. Five student members of Juniper Reimagined have said they had a poor experience with SHAC, including trans and non-binary individuals who said they have dealt with being misgendered, Aragon said.

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Summerfest, gives platform to local artists and businesses

Lauren Lifke | June 15

The City of Albuquerque kicked off its annual concert series, the Albuquerque Summerfest, Saturday, June 10 at North Domingo Baca Park where a crowd of community members gathered for a free event featuring local musicians, businesses and food. The event was the first of three that will take place this summer throughout the Albuquerque Metro area. Ryan Romero and Miguel Otero are members of “St. Levi and the Family Tree” – a local alternative soul duo that recently released an EP entitled “Sacramental.” The event also featured 3 other musical groups.

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UNM libraries evacuated due to anonymous threat

Lauren Lifke | April 24

On Sunday, April 16, the University of New Mexico library buildings on central campus were evacuated as a result of an anonymous threat which turned out to be a hoax, according to a statement shared on behalf of the University Libraries. A Lobo Alert informed students of police activity at Zimmerman, Centennial, Parish Libraries and George Pearl Hall at 4:34 p.m. A second alert was sent at 5:00 p.m. stating that police had cleared the area. Police notified the on-site staff at Zimmerman immediately, according to the statement. It was the only library that was open during this time, and it was closed for the remainder of the day after the evacuation.