Crime Strategies Unit

The Crime Strategies Unit (CSU) is the law enforcement and investigative division of the Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney. CSU helps drive down crime by transforming our work from reactive to proactive. With commissioned police officers in the unit, this team works to strengthen cases for prosecution, conduct fugitive apprehensions, and ensure the safety of the Office and the Bernalillo County community. CSU facilitates an intelligence-driven strategy of crime reduction using cutting-edge data technology to accomplish this. 

This Unit works closely with other local law enforcement entities including: Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), Albuquerque Police Department (APD), U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Tribal Police agencies. The analysts and our law enforcement special agents are closely integrated, work diligently and expeditiously to operationalize insights and leads, which also support the warrant backlog. As a major participant in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) Task Force, CSU is also responsible for reviewing cold missing persons cases to identify MMIWR, and provide investigative and legal assistance to related law enforcement agencies investigating similar cases.

MMIWR Sub-Unit

(Murdered Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives)

In December of 2021 our office signed a memorandum of understanding with the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department to establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Task Force (MMIWR) sub-unit within the Crime Strategies Unit.

About the Subunit: 

  1. CSU will house one crime analyst and one sworn special agent;
  2. The subunit will begin identifying all existing and new cases submitted to the District Attorney’s office related to MMIWR
  3. Direct the MMIWR Unit to begin reviewing cold Missing Persons cases to identify MMIWR
  4. Direct the MMIWR Unit provide investigative and legal assistance to related law enforcement agencies investigating similar cases, including meeting with victims’ families to collect information and provide information and guidance on the investigation and other support from the Victim’s Resource Center;  
  5. Direct the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office as a whole, to begin including Tribal Affiliation where known in case notes for victims and case parties;
  6. Communicate and collaborate with Indian Affairs Department (IAD), the Task Force, law enforcement agencies, and state and federal agencies on all MMIWR related cases; 
  7. Support the Task Force in their findings and recommendations, including but not limited to: 
    1. Assisting in data gathering and sharing between other law enforcement agencies and state and federal agencies; 
    2. Assisting the Task Force and IAD in legislative efforts related to MMIWR; 
  8. Support IAD and the Task Force in data sharing for MMIWR, including: 
    1. Developing an information sharing protocol, communication, collaboration, and developing MMIWR data within the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, with IAD, the Task Force, other law enforcement, and state and federal agencies; 
    2. Providing analysis and support for MMIWR data and digital evidence from IAD, the Task Force, other law enforcement, and state and federal agencies;
    3. Participate in data sharing agreements supportive of MMIWR efforts.  

The agreement is effective until December 31, 2024