New Mexico has been ranked #1 in burglary! A website compiled data from the FBI and compared all of the states; New Mexico had some of the worst statistics. The state finished near the top on violent crime, rape, property crime, and assault. The grim stats earn New Mexico the distinction as the most dangerous border state and one of most dangerous states in the whole country. Other border states, such as Arizona and Texas, have high crime rates, but nothing close to New Mexico.
Crimes that the FBI collects data for include rape, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault (usually assault with a weapon); these are referred to as violent crimes. Violent crimes are perpetrated against a person’s body. The other crimes indexed by the FBI are property crimes such as burglary, theft, and other crimes against a person’s things or an interference with their ownership.
Officials explain the statistics by pointing out that New Mexico is intersected by two major interstate highways that are known drug smuggling routes. Most of the drugs in the region pass right through Albuquerque. The motive for a lot of burglaries is to get money for drugs.
Authorities also noted that the less violent property crimes can easily become violent crimes. If a burglar breaks into a house he thinks is empty and it turns out that someone is home, the crime becomes robbery. If the homeowner is shot it becomes murder or assault.
However easily violent crimes can come about, New Mexico’s biggest problem is still a property crime. Burglary is just a property but it can leave homeowner’s feeling personally violated.