Crime in Albuquerque
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6/22/2009
I've visited other similarly big cities and, in my opinion, Albuq.'s got some serious issues. I certainly wouldn't raise a family there and even without children I would think twice before I moved there.
I lived in Abq. from 1970 to 1995. My family moved from Texas to Alb. and I attended public schools - after my experiences I decided that I would never send my children to an Albuq. public school (I had attended schools in Texas, and had some good experiences to compare). I lived in nice neighborhoods in Albuq: the Ridgecrest area (S.E.), the Northeast area (Tramway/Menaul; Carlisle/Washington; Menaul/Wyoming) and the Northwest area on a 1/2 acre (between 4th and Rio Grande/ N. of Montano). When my children were pre-teen we chose to move out of the state b/c of the crime/gang related problems.
These were incidents that promoted out decision to leave:
1. My favorite local fast-food business near where I lived put in bars at the counter to protect their employees from patrons. I had seen this in areas of the SW that were known "bad areas," but not in the nicer areas of town.
2. For security reasons, a nearby grocery store hired a guard to stand out front and patrons had to pass through some type of controlled access system - security system/metal detectors?. The homeless type of pan handlers were becoming more numerous at this same shopping center and others.
3. Gang members were becoming a nuisance hanging out particularly at the nearby teen hangouts - quick food and ice cream places. You often had to walk through a group of them just to get inside.
4.I quit advertising and selling items from my home after several encounters with people who had motives other than purchasing.
5. The frosting on the cake was when we took our children to see a g-rated movie at a drive-in at a new facility which charged by the car-load. After being there a short while, but before the movie had started, a large troublesome-looking group of people climbed out of a car and were soon clashing with another group. Guns were drawn and "warning" shots were fired. As far as we could tell the shots were only fired into the air. We quickly loaded up our kids and called 911 on the way out. Other people who were there seemed irritated, but not horrified as we were. One family sitting in the back of their truck shouted at the trouble-makers who were running and ducking around the cars, "Take it somewhere else". I looked back as we drove away and that family was still there. I really think that Albuq residents are used to living that way. I was told by someone else, "They were only shooting in the air" -- as if that made it more acceptable! I've also been told since then, "It's that way everywhere." But that just isn't so. We left 14 years ago and I don't really even like to go back for visits - but then, that's just my opinion.
FOR THE GOOD PART OF ALBUQ.:
They definitely have some of the best restaurants anywhere - so far I haven't found any that compare! That's the only part of Albuquerque that I miss.
Janice | Claremore, OK