New Mexico
New Mexico lawmakers express frustration over CYFD struggles, turnover rate
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A department that is “drowning,” that is how one lawmaker described the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department on Wednesday after getting briefed on the embattled agency’s struggle to recruit and retain staff and increased repeat maltreatment rates from FY24.
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At the Legislative Finance Committee meeting, lawmakers acknowledged CYFD Secretary Teresa Casados and staff have a tough job but are still at a loss at why the agency is still struggling.
“When are we going to start making a difference? When? I’ve been in here ten years…I’m looking at others who have been here much longer than me, it’s still an issue,” said Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena), “Fix it, please.”
Secretary Casados said the agency continues to have challenges recruiting and retaining staff. The agency has a 28.6% vacancy rate and a 34% turnover rate. “We start to see that things are getting better and we’re hiring and then we have six or seven investigators quit,” said Secretary Casados. “Replacing those investigators is not just a matter of hiring someone new and handing them a caseload. It takes at least six months of training and getting them up to speed.”
She told lawmakers the high turnover leads to other issues and prevents them from stabilizing the agency. Currently, it has 20 kids still sleeping in offices and investigators have higher caseloads than required by the Kevin S. Settlement.
To try and turn things around, CYFD has been to 62 career fairs this year, did outreach at community events like Zozobra and the New Mexico State Fair, and is partnering with Presbyterian to create a wellness program for employee mental health.
“Right now, all they have is their coworkers and families to really talk that through. So, I believe establishing a strong workforce support program for them will really help in retention,” said Secretary Casados.
Amid expressing their frustrations on the lack of progress in the agency, a number of lawmakers brought up the possibility of outside oversight over the agency. “As I travel the country, I talk about how in New Mexico we are rebuilding the village it takes to raise a child, but unfortunately I feel like we’re failing the most vulnerable,” said House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque).
He warned the secretary he would bring back bills that died in previous sessions including ones that would bring outside oversight to CYFD. Secretary Casados said she is not opposed to outside oversight but isn’t sure it’s the right move since the agency already has a number of councils and entities that oversee it.
“I believe in oversight, I do. I think there is quite a bit of oversight right now. I think if we can enhance what advisory council does…that could play that role,” she said.
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LAS CRUCES, N.M (KFOX14/CBS4) — A gun-tracking program that uses shell casings to connect shootings is already helping investigators link crimes in Doña Ana County, according to new numbers released by the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The effort is part of New Mexico’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which uses ballistic evidence such as shell casings to track guns believed to be used in multiple crimes. The program relies on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, a national database that compares ballistic evidence to determine whether shell casings may have come from the same weapon.
In April, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described how the technology can connect cases across jurisdictions.
“There may be a shooting that occurs in Deming that’s actually connected to a crime gun that’s recovered in Las Cruces. We may find shell casings in Silver City that are connected to something that happened in T or C,” Torrez said.
Four months into the program, the Department of Justice said 210 bullet casings have been analyzed in Doña Ana County. Those casings helped link 32 incidents to 13 guns.
Jordan Salas reports on New Mexico DOJ data: Shell-casing tracking links shootings in Doña Ana County (Credit: KFOX14)
Statewide, more than 700 casings have been entered into the system, connecting 74 shootings to 31 guns.
One person reacting to the numbers said, “That’s crazy. Honestly, all those shootings all coming from that little amount of weapons is crazy.”
New Mexico officials say the system is designed to help law enforcement share information faster and build cases more efficiently.
Also in April, Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart pointed to a local case she said the technology helped resolve quickly.
“We resolved a homicide with a suspect arrest in four days. We know that those casings may lead to another 1 or 2 incidents in another city,” Stewart said.
Some residents said the technology alone will not solve gun violence, but they see it as a step forward. One person said, “I mean, growing up, like hearing gunshots in the distance. That wasn’t something crazy. I have stories of, like, friends who’ve gone to parties that had guns go off there. So, yeah, I would say guns are a problem there.”
Another person said, “I would think that it’s a good thing. I’m personally like, just anything to help the gun crimes, you know?”
KFOX14/CBS4 contacted Las Cruces police and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to ask how the leads are being used in local investigations, but we are awaiting a response.
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- Who: New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez brought a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
- Why: The state claims Meta misrepresented harms to minors and created a public nuisance through its social media platforms.
- Where: The lawsuit is pending in New Mexico state court.
- How to get help: Has social media impacted the mental health of you or your child? You may qualify to join a social media lawsuit against the platform.
New Mexico’s attorney general is asking a state court to order Meta to pay approximately $3.7 billion to address what the state describes as a “public nuisance” caused by the company’s social media platforms.
The request comes after a jury previously found Meta misrepresented the risks its platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — pose to underage users. The jury also imposed a $375 million penalty in the first phase of the trial.
The case has now moved into a second phase, where the court will determine what additional remedies, if any, Meta must provide.
According to the state, the proposed $3.712 billion abatement plan would fund a 15-year effort to address the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms. The plan includes funding for public education, school resources, law enforcement support and mental health services for children affected by issues, such as online bullying and sexual exploitation.
“This request recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused,” counsel for the state argued in court.
The lawsuit alleges Meta concealed or downplayed the extent of harmful activity on its platforms while publicly portraying them as safe for younger users.
Meta disputes liability, challenges proposed abatement plan
Meta denies the allegations and argues there is no legal basis for the sweeping relief requested by the state.
Attorneys for the company contend the proposed abatement plan does not directly address or stop the alleged harmful conduct and instead seeks compensation for downstream effects.
“What no court has ever allowed … is payment for the downstream effects,” Meta’s counsel argued, describing the request as “damages masquerading as something else.”
The court is expected to hear additional testimony during the second phase of the trial before determining whether to approve any form of injunctive relief or financial remedies.
In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for mental health harms suffered by plaintiff Kaley G.M., who became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child, awarding $6 million in damages, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.
What do you think about the claims against Meta in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by Raul Torrez of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and Donald Migliori, Linda Singer, Michael Pendell and David Ackerman of Motley Rice LLC.
The Meta lawsuit is New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
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