The city of Albuquerque, N.M.’s, police department (APD) is marking the success of a proactive transit safety operation along the Central Avenue corridor. The operation began two weeks ago in southeast Albuquerque with APD’s Southeast Proactive Response Team. The goal of the operation was to address crime concerns at bus stops, on buses and known problem locations along the transit route. The operation yielded the following results:
- 106 felony warrants cleared
- 66 felony arrests
- 10 misdemeanor arrests
- 38 misdemeanor warrants cleared
- Eight criminal summonses
- 22 citations
- Eight traffic stops
- Three criminal trespass notifications
- Five firearms recovered
- Two recovered stolen vehicles
“These types of operations address real concerns that we receive from community members,” said APD Chief Harold Medina. “The proactive response teams were created for issues like this. To be able to proactively address crime trends or arising issues. We want our bus systems to be safe for people who need to use them so we will continue executing operations like this one.”
APD will launch a full program of Police Service Aides that will be riding on the buses throughout Albuquerque, along with the proactive patrols by officers and the use of Transit Safety officers. The city says the efforts will supplement the Metro Security Division, which is already patrolling bus stops, buses and transit routes.
“Our buses are a lifeline for people getting around town, but we’ve seen an uptick in illegal activity at bus stops and on routes that we will not accept as the status quo,” said Alburquerque Mayor Tim Keller. "We’re adding more police and security resources for our transit system so it’s safer for riders, staff and the surrounding areas.”
“Families, commuters and everyday residents deserve safe public transit systems,” said Alburquerque Director of Transit Leslie Keener. “We’re taking multi-pronged approach to making ABQ Ride safe, and we appreciate the One Albuquerque effort from multiple city agencies and the community to help.”
