ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Metro agencies are clearing warrants by the hundreds each week and they’re using state funding to do it. However, that clearance sometimes comes with a catch because new offenses can outweigh the progress.

When Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman looks at some of the people recently arrested on outstanding warrants, he sees disrespect.

“We’re seeing too, far too much disrespect for the law,” Bregman said.

One example is suspect Isaiah Trejo. Officers arrested him at Isleta Casino last month for using narcotics in the parking lot – with children and fentanyl in the car. He’s charged with possession and child abuse.

Trejo failed to appear in court last week, so agents went after him.

“We continue to get better at this,” Bregman said. “We continue to get better at finding people who have warrants. We continue to get better at finding violent people who have warrants.”

Agents in the DA’s office have arrested 87 people and cleared 152 warrants since this effort started in July. The office has used about $150,000 of the available statewide funding.

“That stand funding was crucial in making sure that we have the necessary officers out on the streets getting this important job done,” Bregman said.

APD has used about $630,000 – more than four times the amount of the DA’s office – to pay overtime for officers clearing warrants.

“We’re hitting the warrants in every possible way that we can,” APD Chief Harold Medina said.

The agencies started with about 5,400 warrants over the summer. Medina says they are down to about 4,800 now. According to the chief, new warrants outweigh the cleared ones on some weeks.

“We still do have a problem with individuals not reporting to court, not following the rules they’re supposed to, and this goes right along in line with accountability,” Medina said.

The chief wants to start a warrants team in APD, solely focused on clearing them. He believes it’s possible because of the high number of cadets in the police academy right now.

“We do want to put a team together that focuses on our top property crime offenders and that’s what this next team is gonna entail in the future,” Medina said.

Even if the teams change, the goal stays the same to make Bernalillo County safer.

“Law enforcement has an extremely tough job,” Bregman said. “But I think everyone in law enforcement is completely committed to doing what they can to get a handle on the crime problem in Bernalillo County.”

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police are also part of this effort. The sheriff’s office has used just over $150,000 in funding – bringing the total so far to about a million.