It’s not often that we tell you that crime is down in Albuquerque, but Albuquerque Police data says that’s exactly what it shows – at least when it comes to robberies.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – It’s not often that we tell you that crime is down in Albuquerque, yet Albuquerque Police data says that’s exactly what it shows – at least when it comes to robberies.
As police announced on Thursday, the number of all robberies in Albuquerque has fallen by 33% from January to today compared to the same period last year.
According to APD leader Harold Medina, the decline is even greater when looking back to 2018.
Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.
APD officials say there has been a 15% decrease in individual robberies, a 39% decrease in attempted robberies and a 51% decrease in commercial robberies.
Medina also highlighted a 5% drop in car thefts, saying that’s a big deal considering the rest of the country.
“When you talk to police chiefs across the country, the main thing they notice is that the number of car thefts is sky high. So we’re doing much better on car thefts than the rest of the country,” Medina said.
Medina says these declines are proof that recent changes within the department are working, including investments in new technology, an improved detective academy and having civilian employees review more surveillance video and other digital assets.
“To give you just one example of how helpful the Diverts have been to us this year, they have provided us with video footage of over 700 cases, 82 of which were robberies. That has been very helpful in solving those cases,” said APD Commander Jeff Bernard.
Medina also praised the department for its ability to take suspects into custody more quickly, preventing repeat offenders from committing as many robberies.
However, a significant drop in robberies doesn’t necessarily mean things are getting better for local business owners, who still pay the price for other crimes in Albuquerque.
“You never know when it will happen. It could happen again next week, I have no idea,” said Fabby Espitia, owner of El Roi Cafe.
Espitia is no stranger to the problems in downtown Albuquerque. She opened the El Roi Cafe on the corner of Sixth and Lomas three years ago. Last Friday morning, there was a second break-in.
“When I pulled up, I turned right here on the street and saw him inside,” Espitia said.
She says he broke in through the front door at around 4:45 a.m., but apparently he wasn’t after money.
“He came in, moved all the chairs, took some of my kitchen knives and had several drinks,” Espitia said.
Espitia says it took an officer 45 minutes to arrive at the scene. When the intruder left, she followed him and took video of him with the allegedly stolen drink.
“I put myself in danger, I did, but I was just fed up with it. I just thought, ‘No, this is not OK.’ This happens to a lot of small business owners, and I didn’t want that. If I could help catch one of these cases, then I wanted to do that,” Espitia said.
The police were finally able to catch the suspected intruder. 46-year-old Daniel Franco is accused of aggravated assault and theft.
Although he didn’t steal much, court records show he caused at least $1,000 in damage.
“I don’t feel like a victim at all. I think these people need help. Many of them need help, psychological help, and that’s why I hope he gets help,” Espitia said.
Despite the damage and frustration, Espitia says she will move on and hopes it doesn’t happen again.
“We’re just going to get back to dealing with the problem, that’s all we can do. I’m not going to let that stop me from staying in business or continuing to do business. We’re just going to keep going and keep going. That’s all we can do,” Espitia said.
But what’s the difference between a robbery and a burglary? Commercial robberies – crime has dropped 51%, according to APD – occur when businesses are open.
The incident at Espitia’s store was technically a burglary because the store was closed at the time.
According to APD data, the number of burglaries has actually increased by 15% compared to the previous year
