ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Litter is nothing new, but some people say it’s out of hand around Albuquerque. They also explain it’s making the city look bad and taking away from its appeal.
“I think it got really bad. The litter is getting really bad from what I see. It’s kind of sending a bad message with all the litter and stuff,” said Franklin Alvarado, who is fed up with the trash.
Cardboard boxes can be seen left along sidewalks along with empty food containers, abandoned clothing, shopping carts, and beverages. The big problem where litter seems to have been collecting for weeks is piled against a broken fence near I-25 and Pan American freeway.
While the litter could be coming from anyone, some residents speculate the majority of the problem is stemming from the homeless. “I still see a lot of fecal matter, a lot of bottles with urination inside of them. Eight out of 8 out of 10% has to do with the homeless,” added Alvarado.
The city said they are dealing with staff shortages. However, they still have its Clean City Programs that take care of graffiti, weeds and litter removal.
They said solid waste and highway crews are out tackling problem areas and are even working extra hours on weekends. Solid waste said the number of homeless encampment clean-ups went up from about 28 a week from January of this year to mid-August. From August 17 to 24, there were 61 cleanups that week alone.
Coronado Park was closed to the homeless on August 17. A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation said they are working with the corrections department to see if they can bring back an inmate assistance program
