A large encampment riddled with crime, violence and complaints has been cleared by city teams.
Approximately 160 people and dozens of camps were cleared from the encampment located near the 1-40 underpass on First Street and Indian School in Albuquerque.
Complaints from nearby businesses, a homicide and other violence prompted the City to act; a recent KOB 4 report said. Some of the people cleared eagerly went to motels while others went to city shelters.
“Many many drug dealers, and then of course some violence we had both the homicide and we had actually a scalping incident maybe a month ago,” Dr. Elizabeth Holguin, deputy director of Homeless Solutions and clinical advisor in the City’s Family and Community Services Department, told KOB 4. “There was a lot of drug activity, I think many people heard of the homicide a week or so ago, which I think did motivate people to want to get out of here.”
Those in the encampment were reportedly given notice days in advance that they would be moved into motels. That assurance was in contrast to posting a Closed sign in the area and potentially forcing homeless people to find a new spot down the street.
“Displacement is really kind of the thing we really need to avoid to be successful in these outreach efforts,” Holguin said. “People do want housing. I think there’s a big myth around that oh they don’t want a house. But they do.”
The New Mexico Department of Transportation recently put up fencing and will soon install more permanent, wrought iron fencing to keep the area sealed.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) continues to investigate a person’s death on Juan Tabo and the eastbound I-40 overpass, a recent KRQE report said. APD along with Albuquerque Fire Rescue were sent out just before 11 a.m. on March 19. Police said a motorist reported a body in the area. Specialized equipment was used by crews to retrieve the body. APD has not released names or a cause of death.
