AG unveils new portal on missing and murdered Indigenous people

Mar. 12—Attorney General Raúl Torrez on Tuesday unveiled the first phase of a new interactive portal that allows the public to search a database of missing and murdered Indigenous people in New Mexico and submit tips to law enforcement.

In an interview last week, Torrez said it's "incredibly important" to start with accurate information when addressing the widespread problem.

"One of the biggest challenges that we face in this space is that there is a lot of disagreement about the nature and the scale of the problem," he said, "specifically how many people have been included in the list that has been identified by law enforcement."

His agency is using what he called "the most comprehensive and verifiable data," which comes from the FBI, Torrez said, "and a lot of work that they have done to make sure that we have an accurate assessment of the individuals in our state that have gone missing."

"The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Portal for New Mexico is a dedicated online resource designed to address the crisis affecting Indigenous communities throughout the state," the portal's website states.

It describes the portal as a "central hub for information, advocacy, and support related to MMIP cases."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda said in a statement the agency supported the New Mexico Department of Justice, formerly the Attorney General's Office, "as they roll out this important initiative."

"Although our state, and the Navajo Nation, has access to the most accurate data on missing persons in the country, their work will offer families transparency while providing additional state focused tools to ensure proper reporting for their loved ones," Bujanda said.

He added, the "more robust MMIP effort undertaken by the NMDOJ makes all of New Mexico a safer place."

"They can also submit a tip," Torrez said. "They can provide new information about a possible lead in connection with one of the individuals that has been listed."

The portal will also allow law enforcement to share information.

"By collecting and disseminating this information in one place, our intention is to break down all of those silos and foster collaboration between law enforcement agencies," Torrez said.

Funds for the new portal came from Senate Bill 12, which the Legislature passed in the 2022 legislative session.

Torrez said the portal is designed to help police solve outstanding cases.

"We have to provide real-time information to the relevant law enforcement agencies as quickly as possible and enable communication and collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries," he said.

Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon.