Albuquerque ordinance would put private security on patrol of city areas
ALBUQUERQUE, NM Oct 15 2017 Albuquerque has an officer shortage but no shortage on crime, so a city councilor has an idea to help with both problems: city paid security guards at popular spots around town.
With so few police officers trying to patrol such a big city, many businesses are forced to pay for their own security.
Owner of the Bricklight District near Central Avenue and Harvard, Jay Rembe, said crime in the district over the past two years has gotten out of control.
“From cars being broken into to homeless and to mental health issues,” Rembe said. “We need to get our streets back. We need to make sure that anyone who’s doing what they’re not supposed to be knows that we’re serious and they’re not welcome here and hopefully we can put them in jail or put them where they need to be so we have a great, wonderful city.”
He has been working with District 6 City Councilor Pat Davis, who’s spearheading the Security Assistance Funding Zone ordinance. The idea is for the city to help foot the bill.
“If enough businesses in an area want to band together, come up with a crime plan with APD that prevents crime before it happens, the city’s willing to invest and split the cost,” Davis added.
That means the city would pay half the bill – up to $100,000 per area – for cameras and security guards in commercial zones like the Bricklight District, Nob Hill and Old Town, among others.
The idea is to save the city money in the long-term to avoid paying officers overtime.
“Police seem to be overwhelmed,” Rembe said. “They’re trying to do their best. It’s just not good enough.”
Statistics from the city’s month-long trial-run in the Bricklight District in September show crime went down.
“We had a security camera, a security trailer with extra cameras and bicycle patrols and they made a series of arrests,” Davis said. That included four felony arrests and 22 additional citations for other incidents.
However, when police leave the crime comes back, so people who frequent Central Avenue were quick to back this idea.
“I would feel safer if there was a security guard,” said Emily Goodwin of Albuquerque.
Rembe doesn’t think security guards will solve all of Albuquerque’s crime problems, but it’s a step in the right direction.
In an effort to make communities safer, city council has already added new bike patrol officers to Nob Hill.
“We’re investing in more police officers, but at the end of the day, it can’t just be the police that are working on this,” Davis said.
KRQE
