John Block, a house representative from New Mexico, has expressed concerns about violent crime in Albuquerque, contradicting Mayor Tim Keller's positive outlook on the city's safety. Block's statement was made on the social media platform X.
"But Keller says the state of the city of ABQ is just peachy," said JOHN BLOCK, New Mexico State Representative for 51st District (R). "Nope, it's still the same Third World war zone. We should rename it to Murderville, Tweakerville, or maybe just Slaughterland."
The debate over crime in Albuquerque intensified in 2025 when Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham approved the deployment of 60 to 70 National Guard members for non-policing duties at the city's request. This move aimed to allow police officers to concentrate on addressing violent crime. City leaders supported this decision amid growing worries about fentanyl and youth violence, while civil liberties groups cautioned against potential overreach. The Washington Post reported that this decision led to significant political divisions across the state.
Albuquerque's crime statistics indicate substantial year-over-year improvements in early 2025. According to data from the Albuquerque Police Department’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) dashboard, there was a notable decrease in several categories: homicides dropped by 48%, shootings with injury were halved, aggravated assaults decreased by 18%, robberies fell by 31%, and reported rapes declined by 19%. Felony arrests increased by 12%, which reflects both enhanced enforcement efforts and a reduction in incident counts.
Despite these improvements, Albuquerque's violent crime rate remains higher than that of similar-sized cities. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data compiled by Wikipedia, Albuquerque recorded approximately 1,369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024. In comparison, Tucson and Mesa had rates of 589 and 483 respectively. The data also indicate that Albuquerque surpasses national averages in both property and total crime.
Block, a Republican representing House District 51 in Otero County, joined the New Mexico House in 2023 following his election in 2022. According to the New Mexico Legislature, he serves as the ranking member on the House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee and is also part of the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee. His interim assignments include Indian Affairs and Finance Authority Oversight, highlighting his legislative focus on elections and fiscal oversight.
