August 31, 2021
Albuquerque Police Department continues to curb car theft as a new national ranking shows the metropolitan area came out of the top 5 with four counties for vehicle theft rate. APD has worked with the State Office of Superintendent of Insurance and the New Mexico State Police to combat car theft.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s Hot Spot report, the metropolitan area, which includes a region with four counties, was ranked worst in the nation from 2016 to 2018.
The 2020 report released today shows the greater Albuquerque area with 632 thefts per 100,000 residents. That’s a 9% decrease from 2019 and a 42% decrease over the past three years, according to the NICB report, which is based on data from the National Crime Information Center.
“The steady improvement in the fight against car theft is evidence of proactive policing and successful partnerships,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “When we came into office for four years, Albuquerque was the first in the country to steal a car. We hired more officers and tackled car theft head on. We need the help of other partners in the criminal justice system to close the revolving door and ensure that the same perpetrators are not on the streets and stealing more vehicles. “
“We continue to work hard with our partners to curb car theft, which we know is one of the main causes of all other crime in the metropolitan area,” said APD chief Harold Medina. “The entire four-county region is declining, with the exception of the areas of Bernalillo County that are outside the Albuquerque city limits. I hope the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office will take steps to stop the increase in car thefts in these areas.
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