The lowrider community in Albuquerque is into more than flashy customized cars and elaborate hydraulic systems. It’s also committed to connecting the community with law enforcement for the betterment of everyone.
Eyebrows were raised when the Albuquerque City Council allocated $30,000 to customize an old patrol car into a lowrider. That decision has led to the city with the support of the Albuquerque Police Department hosting a “Vehicle for Change” conference highlighted by the Lowrider Super Show at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
“We’re having people from all over the nation, National City, from Arizona, from Kansas, all here to talk about how we bridge the gap between community and law enforcement,” City Councilor Klarissa Pena said during the event held last weekend.
The Lowrider Super Show had more than cars on display. The Lowrider Bike Club, a new program that is connecting children to the lowrider culture, proudly displayed some of their two-wheeled creations. The Duke City chapter is the third in the nation. The first started in Kansas. Club leaders say there are 10 chapters throughout the nation that brings children together after school to build and paint bikes.
“We were changing lives one pedal at a time, and they did that because we literally had a bike with one pedal,” Erik Erazo, a founder of the bike club, told KOB 4.
Two members of the club are graduating from high school this year, and both give a lot of credit for their success to the relationships with the volunteers and mentors in the club. “I like working with everybody, every mentor, every volunteer,” Daniel Villalobos, one of the students to join the Lowrider Bike Club, told KOB 4. “I’m very timid, I’m very self-reserved, but I just got to say I appreciate all of you guys for working with me. Thank you.”
