Mayor Responds to Plaza Harassment

SFR's Thursday report about a gun-toting man's intimidation of Plaza vendors  prompted a response from Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber on social media later that day.

"We are investigating allegations regarding an individual allegedly confronting or harassing vendors or people he believes to be minorities who are on the Plaza. Right now, we're in the process of gathering more information from a variety of sources, from the City Attorney's Office to the Police Department," read the mayor's post.

To date, the post has received 253 comments, and Webber says the city has been fielding calls from constituents who are concerned about gun safety.

However, in an interview with SFR earlier today, Webber clarified that the city's inquiry into the matter does not constitute a formal police investigation because police records show there have been no charges filed against the man.

"Nobody is under investigation because there are no complaints pending. What we are looking at is the record of past incidents and issues to see if there is some reason why there should be any action taken," the mayor tells SFR.

In addition, Webber says he reached out to the governor's office earlier today to voice the city's interest in supporting a constitutional amendment to allow localities to create gun legislation that is more restrictive than the state overall.

But, in the meantime, the mayor says that the city is doing everything in its power to protect public safety while not infringing on the constitutional rights of individuals to express free speech or bear arms.

Webber also spoke words of reassurance directed to any individuals in any circumstances who may feel afraid to file complaints with the police in threatening circumstances due to a precarious legal immigration status.

As a sanctuary city, the Santa Fe Police department does not cooperate with ICE, says Webber, adding that "one of the whole points of being a sanctuary city is to make sure that people who would otherwise feel at risk if they spoke out about being victimized by anyone for any reason know that's not a concern in Santa Fe."

The mayor adds that allegations of harassment are taken equally seriously regardless of the political persuasion of the perpetrator, and cautions residents not to engage in retaliatory behavior against the man allegedly harassing those at the Plaza.

Similar sentiments echoed a "Webbercast" posted to Facebook earlier today.

"I want everybody to know that Santa Fe is a very safe city. I have talked to our police department this morning I was on the phone with Chief Padilla, where there are issues our police officers are aware of them," Webber says in the video, urging anyone who feels that their safety is threatened to report the incident when it happens.

"There's a fine line between constitutional freedom of speech and the state constitution, which supersedes local law when it comes to gun safety measures. But when somebody verbally assaults you or physically threatens you, that crosses a line and we need to know about it," he says in the video.

Both Webber and the city police spokesman have declined to confirm the name of the man, who's been frequently spotted wearing Trump shirts and hats, as well as open carrying a pistol on his hip. SFR has contacted the man with an offer of an interview, but so far, he's declined to go on the record.

In parting, the mayor asked the public to act as "peacekeepers," noting "each of us has a choice about what we want to do with our emotions. Do we want to make a situation worse or do we want to walk away?"