Businesses across New Mexico violate COVID-19 health orders. How does your city stack up?

Violations of New Mexico’s business restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic were widespread across the state in April and May, as facilities deemed “nonessential” opened their doors despite orders from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that they close to the public.

To enforce the order, New Mexico State Police were deployed to almost every region of the state, issuing cease and desist orders to businesses as a warning, and then following up with a citation to be adjudicated in magistrate court.

State Police only responded to complaints from residents, opting to not patrol the state looking for violation, said Officer Ray Wilson.

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If found to be in violation, State Police contact the business, notify them of the violation and issue a cease and desist, ordering the business to comply.

A second violation results in a citation and the business could be ordered to appear in court on a petty misdemeanor charge.

Following a third and subsequent violation, State Police notify the New Mexico Department of Health which can impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per day of non-compliance.

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Across the State Police’s 12 districts, 162 cease and desists were issued.

Of those businesses, nine or 5 percent were cited and charged with an official violation, per data from the New Mexico State Police Department.

The NMSP’s District 5, which covered Albuquerque and the surrounding metropolitan area led the state in cease and desists with 62 such orders issued to businesses in the region between April 7 and May 21.

But more cease and desists didn’t mean more businesses were taken to court, as District 5 saw just two citations.

Citations in the Albuquerque district were issued to Sign Art on April 14 and Rags to Riches on April 13, records show.

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Tying for the most citations was District 3 in Roswell, which encompassed Carlsbad and Hobbs, with two citations despite only 18 cease and desist orders between April 8 and May 19 in the southeast region of the state.

Citations in the Roswell district were issued to American Muscle Gym in Carlsbad on May 16, and Hobbs’ Something or Nothing Smokeshop on April 13.

The State Police’s fourth district, encompassing Las Cruces, New Mexico’s second-largest city and region in the southwest portion of the state, had 29 cease and desist orders and just one citation issued to Loan Max on April 10.

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District 1, which contained the State Capital Santa Fe had only six cease and desist orders and one citation made out to Arroyo Vino Wine Shop on May 8.

Based in Gallup in western New Mexico, District 6 had 17 cease desists issued between April 8 and May 13, with one citation issued to PaPa’s Pawn and Gun on April 27.

Across the state in eastern New Mexico, District 9 based in Clovis had 15 cease and desists and one citation for Clovis Barbershop on May 16.

Another citation was issued in District 12 in the Deming area for Jallisco’s Café in Silver City on May 20, following two cease and desists orders, one to the café and another to Twisted Illusionz.

The Farmington District had five cease and desists from April 18 to April 21, while Socorro’s district had three cease and desists between April 10 and May 10.

Alamogordo’s district also had three cease and desist orders from April 9 to May 16, and the Las Vegas district had two between April 27 and May 19.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.