Public officials in and around Española welcomed a move by the governor to boost funding for public safety, as they say their area is experiencing a crisis related to drugs and crime.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency Wednesday in Española and surrounding Rio Arriba County, pointing to rising crime and drug overdoses in the region.

The governor’s proclamation authorizes about $750,000 in funding for local governments. While the executive order the governor signed Wednesday gives the state adjutant general the authority to call on New Mexico National Guard members “to provide support to civil authorities as needed,” a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office said “there is no immediate order/move” to deploy Guard members in the Northern New Mexico city.

It isn’t yet

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