Mayor, residents talk about solving violent crime

Violent crime, Clovis’ airport and the economy were among multiple topics addressed Friday morning during “Coffee and Conversation” with Clovis Mayor Mike Morris at The Java Loft.

Six area residents participated in the hour-long, informal discussion.

Criminal activity at the Clovis Apartments on the city’s west side was the most contentious issue.

Morris said gunshot-detection tools and license-plate-recognition systems can help deter crime.

“We see a lot of the gunshot calls and a lot of the violent crime that happens is at that housing development,” Morris said. 

Kimberly Stevenson-Martin, who was born and raised there, said “It’s not the area, it’s the people that you allow to live in the area.”

“Please don’t categorize that area as …the CAs are bad,” she told Morris.

Most recently, in late August, 16-year-old Demetrius Anderson was shot at the Clovis Apartments, later dying at Plains Regional Medical Center.

In response to Stevenson-Martin, Morris said:

“That’s why you see me over there hanging out and visiting with people … I’m chatting with them, and I just want to connect to them, and I want to understand their heart and I want to hear their vision, their drive, and what has them going.

“I was broken hearted to find out that in a group this size of men in their 20s (gathered outside when the teen was shot), I could not find out what they dreamed about doing, where they want to go, what they’re going to do with their lives.”

Stevenson-Martin said some of the Clovis Apartments’ crime is a byproduct of how “These are kids that are younger than my kids, who are in their 40s and 30s, who just didn’t have parenting skills, and so they just get high, get drunk and fight.”

Morris said he recently sent a letter and has scheduled a meeting with the Clovis Apartments’ property manager to understand what’s being done to improve the situation. 

“I’m not saying, ‘Hey, this is your fault.’ I’m just saying, ‘Hey, what are you doing? What are you doing about enforcing lease agreements to make sure that, you know, the people that are in your apartment complex are the people that have a legal right to be there, you know? Is there a curfew? What about lighting? What about security cameras?’” Morris said. 

Stevenson-Martin said she knows at least three local churches have been trying to help residents. One hosted a picnic, another brought sports equipment, “And they’re being involved,” she said.

In his closing comments on the matter, Morris said, “We have to figure out … Is there something that we can do better to assist those areas of town?”

Morris also talked with those in attendance about plans for a larger terminal and other expansion coming to the city’s airport.

“So this airport is going to open up a bottleneck for economic development, for quality of life,” he said.

Edward Domain said he was excited to learn about flights going into Albuquerque from Clovis. 

Jennifer Jones asked the mayor if Papa John’s pizza restaurant would be returning to Clovis. Morris said it is.

After the meeting, Morris told The News:

“I’m accessible. I’m not a big deal. I’m not special as the mayor. I make myself accessible, so we can have conversations about issues that people care about any day.”