City Council candidate Renee Grout is disheartened with what she sees in Albuquerque and says, if elected, there will be change.
Early voting is underway in the Albuquerque City Council runoffs, which run until Dec. 4. Election Day for the two City Council runoff elections is Dec. 7.
Grout, a Republican, is facing Democrat Rob Grilley in District 9. According to statements both candidates made to local news outlet KRQE, top issues include addressing the rise in crime.
“Crime, homelessness, trash, run-down and vacant properties all serve to severely diminish our quality of life,” Grout said in a New Mexico Sun interview. “With the right leadership and the courage to change course, we can create a city where jobs are plentiful, crime is low, and the quality of life is high.”
According to a report by CBS News, Albuquerque was ranked as the ninth-most dangerous city in the United States a year ago. The violent-crime rate is listed as 1,352 per 100,000 residents. And with 84 homicides in 2019, crime continues to be on the rise in the city.
Grout said current city policies contribute to the increase in crime, as instructions have been given to the police department to not arrest miscreants for misdemeanors like shoplifting, prostitution, indecent exposure and loitering. She said the police do not feel supported at City Hall, which, she said, has sided with anti-police activists and criminals when creating policy.
“I think APD is doing the best they can with the officers they have on the streets,” Grout said. “We have too many police officers dedicated to investigating other officers and too few investigating actual crimes. We need to support our police, rather than criminalize them.”
Grout also says city policies have encouraged homelessness, leading to the homeless population doubling over four years.
“We must work to get the homeless off the streets and into permanent housing,” Grout said in the interview. "That means treating those with mental health and addiction issues, while providing resources to others who are down on their luck. We need to look at what other cities are doing to be successful in reducing this issue and adapt them to work in our community. We must enforce the law and stop allowing the homeless who refuse help to set up and camp at, and obstruct city parks, intersections and public areas."
The candidates facing off for Albuquerque's City Council District 7 runoff are Republican Lori Robertson and Democrat Tammy Fiebelkorn. KRQE reports that Robertson is prioritizing support for small business owners in the face of pandemic-related restrictions, and Feibelkorn is quoted as prioritizing "a clean air economy.”
For more information on the election and where to vote, visit bernco.gov.