On April 26, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released its Violent Crime Survey and national totals for the crimes of homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. According to the report, Albuquerque is ranked 17th among 70 of the largest cities in the nation looking at trends in the 4 categories. The single most troubling statistic is Albuquerque’s increase in homicides.
The Major Cities Chiefs Association uses the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime report definitions of Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Aggravated Assault. The national statistics are as follows:
HOMICIDE TOTALS
2022: 4,511
2021: 4,624
RAPE TOTALS
2022: 15,541
2021: 16,371
ROBBERY TOTALS
2022: 60,175
2021: 53,212
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT TOTALS
2022: 156,735
2021: 152,760
The statistics for Albuquerque reported by the Major Cities Chiefs Association for two years were as follows:
Homicide
2022: 115
2021: 106
Rape
2022: 194
2021: 286
Robbery
2022: 962
2021: 747
Aggravated Assault
2022: 2,291
2021: 2,373
The Major Cities Chiefs Association report shows in 2022, there was a 5% drop in homicides nationwide. According to the report, Albuquerque had one of the worst homicide rates in the nation and is one of 27 cities across the nation that saw an increase in homicides. The nearby cities of Phoenix saw a 13% increase in homicides, Denver reported an 8% decrease in homicides and the city of El Paso saw a 28% decrease in homicides, one of the highest drops in the report.
The report did not reveal that Albuquerque’ homicides have spiked the last 6 years and had an alarming 71% spike in homicides. On March 16, 2023 the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) released the 2022 crime statistics along with crime statistics for 2021 for a comparison. APD Chief Harold Medina reported Albuquerque crime statistics as follows:
CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS
Crimes Against Persons include murder, rape, and assault.
2021: 13,242
2022: 12,777 (4% DECREASE)
CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY
Crimes Against Property include robbery, bribery, and burglary.
2021: 44,822
2022: 43,824 (2% DECREASE)
CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY
Crimes Against Society include gambling, prostitution, and drug violations and are typically “victimless crimes”.
2021: 3,903
2022: 5,133 (24% INCREASE)
Over the last 6 years, Albuquerque had a dramatic 71% spike in homicides. The number of homicides reported over the last 6 years is as follows:
2017: 70 homicides
2018: 69 homicides
2019: 80 homicides
2020: 78 homicides
2021: 110 homicides
2022: 120 homicides.
In 2019, Mayor Keller announced 4 programs to deal with the city’s high violent crime rates:
THE SHIELD UNIT to assists APD to prepare cases for trial and prosecution.
DECLARING VIOLENT CRIME A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS to deal with crimes involving guns.
THE “VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PLAN” targeting violent offenders
THE METRO 15 OPERATION PROGRAM again targeting violent offenders.
In 2017 Tim Keller ran on the platform of reducing the city’s high crime rates, increasing the size of the Albuquerque Police Department from the then 950 to 1,200 and returning to “community-based policing”. Keller went so far as to say about the city’s high crime rates:
“It’s unfortunate, but crime is absolutely out of control. It’s the mayor’s job to actually address crime in Albuquerque, and that’s what I want to do as the next mayor.”
Fast forward to October 4, 2021 when running for a second term Keller said this:
“I think we have honored the commitment to fight crime in a real way. … we’re actually trying to address crime from all sides. … I don’t think it’s fair to say that there’s something we could have done that would have prevented an increase in homicides … “
Keller reacting to the Major Cities Chiefs Association report said this:
“We have two challenges working against us. One is national trends that are all getting worse so we have to do what we can in our city, but when there's a tidal wave of crime across America, it's going to affect us.”
It’s not an issue of being fair nor a “tidal wave across America” but one of leadership and being held accountable for failing to do what you promise to do as an elected official. Keller repeatedly refuses to admit his programs to prevent violent crime have failed. The “tidal wave across America” did not hit Denver where there was an 8% decrease in homicides nor the city of El Paso which saw a 28% decrease in homicides. A 71% spike in homicides during Keller’s tenure is an obscene reflection that the city has become one of the most violent cities in the country under his tenure.
Pete Dinelli is a native of Albuquerque. He is a licensed New Mexico attorney with 27 years of municipal and state government service including as an assistant attorney general, assistant district attorney prosecuting violent crimes, city of Albuquerque deputy city attorney and chief public safety officer, Albuquerque city councilor, and several years in private practice. Dinelli publishes a blog covering politics in New Mexico: www.PeteDinelli.com.