SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday announced the establishment of the Crime Analysis and Policy Partnership, a volunteer group consisting of current and retired attorneys, former judges and other former law enforcement officials who will identify trends and gaps in the criminal justice system, crime and law enforcement in New Mexico. This group will make policy recommendations to the governor, state and local officials within the criminal justice system.

Members of the partnership were selected for the diversity of their experience in and around crime and law enforcement and their respective abilities to contribute nuanced analysis of proactive, community-based law enforcement planning and response. Their assignment, Gov. Lujan Grisham said, is intended to generate policy direction and practical action items that can be delivered to law enforcement and policymakers for consideration.

“We have been on the back foot for too long in New Mexico,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “The convening of this partnership represents our commitment to a proactive approach. I expect these individuals to ask the questions we have not yet anticipated and bring forward suggestions that will help keep New Mexico communities safe.”

Members of the group include:

Sam Bregman, who will serve as chair of the group, works as a criminal defense lawyer in private practice and is a member of the Trial Lawyers of America and the New Mexico Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Bregman is a former Albuquerque city councilor and prosecutor for the state of New Mexico. Bregman is a member of the New Mexico bar and is licensed to practice in all state courts, the federal district court of New Mexico, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

Kevin Bruno served with New Mexico State Police from 1994 to 2014, retiring as a lieutenant and working within the agency’s investigations bureau for four years. He was formerly the director of operations for Safer New Mexico Now and for the past four years has worked as co-owner and instructor at Southwest Training Consultants, LLC, providing law enforcement training and consulting.

Troy Davis has been a prosecuting attorney for over twenty years, including serving as the 2nd District Attorney for New Mexico, where he supervised the Methamphetamine Initiative Unit, White Collar Unit, and Gang Unit. He currently serves as a prosecutor for the New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance.

The Hon. Nan Nash served on the Second Judicial Court for twenty six years, working as a hearing officer and judge in the domestic relations division and as a judge in the civil division before retiring in 2019 as chief judge. She taught at the University of New Mexico School of Law as an adjunct professor for twenty years. Judge Nash continues to serve as the co-chair of the Access to Justice Commission and as a consultant to the Bernalillo County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Ousama M. Rasheed has been practicing law in New Mexico for nearly three decades, working primarily in criminal defense. He previously worked in the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office and is a former president of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He has assisted the Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Mexico State Police with training cadets.

Margaret Strickland is a civil rights and criminal defense lawyer based in Las Cruces. She is a member of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, having served as its President from 2017-2019. She also serves on the Criminal Justice Act Federal Panel and is currently the panel representative for the Federal District of New Mexico.

The Hon. Sharon Walton served on the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court for nearly two decades after serving as an Assistant Attorney General, Deputy General Counsel for the New Mexico Corrections Department, Corrections Administrator, and Assistant City Attorney for Albuquerque. As a judge, she served as a Problem Solving Court Judge, presiding over the court’s Domestic Violence Repeat Offender Program and as one of the Courts to School judges, in addition to serving as the chairperson of the Supreme Court Rules Committee. Judge Walton continues to teach criminal justice courses at Central New Mexico Community College.