Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — APD plans to increase police presence in the downtown area with specialty units such as Horse Mounted, Tactical, Traffic and officers assigned on TEAMS (Targeted Enforcement Active Monitoring) overtime during Summer 2024.
Since the beginning of summer, officers have noted an increase in the number of patrons visiting the downtown area. Officers made arrests and confiscated weapons as they broke up several fights last weekend. They also encountered aggressive bystanders who tried to interfere with officers.
“We want people to be able to come and enjoy downtown, but we want everyone to remain safe,” said Chief Harold Medina. “Increasing the number of officers, and supplementing with specialty units will ensure we have enough resources in the area to address incidents. We want people to know there will be zero tolerance in the downtown area for those who want to come out and disturb others or create unsafe environments for residents and officers.”
APD’s Downtown Unit currently has 10 full time officers dedicated to the downtown area. TEAMS overtime officers will be patrolling the downtown area and conducting more proactive monitoring while Downtown officers and specialty units will respond to calls in the area. The increase of police resources will last throughout Summer 2024.