The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is revamping its open-space law enforcement services in order to use its resources more efficiently.
APD Chief Harold Medina recently revealed the news, according to KRQE. The Open Space Unit is a five-person specialized unit within the department. It is being disbanded due to a relatively low level of activity among its personnel – four officers and a sergeant.
"The officers averaged seven citations over a 90-day period [and] three arrests total that we found for the team," Medina said in a YouTube video posted to APD's social media pages. "We know that the police department is stressed on resources, and we think they would have a better fit adding to a field squad to assist them, as the field is taking somewhere near 15 calls for service per day."
The Open Space Unit patrolled parts of Albuquerque such as the West Mesa, the Rio Grande Bosque, and the Foothills area, KRQE reported. The unit was known for its specialized approach; its members used search-and-rescue tactics and special equipment to rescue two stranded hikers in 2021, according to a prior KRQE article.
Medina said the unit did not use those tactics and equipment frequently, however.
"We can do this much more efficiently and have a core group of officers who could do [open space] when needed," he said. "And not always just be watching over a parking lot while other officers are taking call after call for service."
Medina said he plans to train more officers in open-space specializations, KRQE reported. He wants to create a new Open Space specialization, using APD's Horse Mounted Unit as a model. That unit uses horses to patrol areas during special events; it features two permanent riders but can field up to 12 riders when needed. Medina did not reveal a timeline for when the plan will come to fruition.
"[Officers] take [horse mounted patrol services] on as an additional duty," he said. "What we're going to do is hopefully create a team of up to 10 to 12 officers who can respond [to open-space specialized calls]."
'Open Space officers became part of the larger APD system after 2000, according to the city of Albuquerque website. Prior to that, the law enforcement unit was added to the city's Open Space Division in 1986. The unit had as many as 15 positions, including one chief and three sergeants.