On weekends, Albuquerque police have tripled presence downtown and now close more sections of the area to cars in an effort to increase safety.
Last month, the Albuquerque Police Department began blocking the streets off to all cars other than taxis on Friday and Saturday nights at 10 p.m.
APD Public Information Officer Tasia Martinez said the plan decreases the number of drivers and triples the number of police officers downtown on weekends and holidays. She said that in the past, three to four officers patrolled the downtown area, but the number has increased to 10 to 12 officers and includes additional officers from the Horse Mounted Unit and the Gang Division.
“The number varies based on the night,” she said. “At any time we could also have K-9 units, undercover, all of that; and that adds to the number that could be there.”
Martinez said APD will continue to close Central Avenue from Third Street to Fifth Street and Fourth Street from Gold Avenue to Central Avenue, including access from Fifth Street and Sixth Street. Martinez said the efforts are part of APD’s Downtown Initiative, implemented by Police Chief Ray Schultz in an effort to make downtown a safer area for bar-goers and visitors.
“The whole point is to promote peacefulness downtown and keep crime out,” Martinez said. “The focus is in increasing the safety and maintaining a pleasant atmosphere in downtown as a whole.”
Martinez said the plan calls for an increased police presence.
“There will be an elevated observation post in order to keep a bird’s eye view of potential fights and other problems,” she said. “APD also included the Gang Division in the initiative to assist bar security in the identification of gang members.”
UNM student Kiera Hidalgo, who went downtown last weekend with friends, said the area feels safer.
“You don’t have to worry about people driving around drunk and that is really nice,” she said. “The other thing is, there are more cops and it seems like they were better about breaking up fights and keeping scary people from doing anything they shouldn’t.”
But Albuquerque resident Roman Abdullah said the closure has increased the time it takes to get between bars.
“Before you could have a friend roll in and just pick you and whoever you are with up and then take you to the next place, or you could go early and try to score a parking spot,” he said. “Parking has always been bad down there, but now that you can’t park at all; it’s kind of annoying. I may start going to Nob Hill instead where you can get around better.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“APD will set up a special lane that will be reserved for taxis only,” Martinez said. “The taxi-only lane will allow visitors easier access to cabs but keep out all other traffic.”
She said bartenders and servers are also involved in the safety initiative.
“Bartenders are being asked to promote a safer environment as well,” she said. “They’ve been asked to monitor and not overserve their customers.”
Despite the Daily Lobo’s multiple requests for comment from employees at Burt’s Tiki Lounge, the Launchpad, One Up!, Anodyne, Lotus, Blackbird Buvette and Maloney’s Tavern, no one would give comment on the downtown safety initiatives.
