ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Police (APD) is delivering on a promise to go after drivers in cars without license plates following a widespread warning last week. In the last six days, APD said teams of officers have issued nearly 1,000 citations for “license plate-related infractions.”
Albuquerque’s Field Services Bureau and the Traffic Unit started the operation on Saturday, February 4, days after APD Chief Harold Medina posted a video about the problem on social media.
Drivers without a license plate face a $25 citation. However, ahead of the crackdown, Chief Medina noted the larger problem the issue can be connected to: some people are trying to conceal their identity by driving without a plate.
Albuquerque Police provided these stats from just one day of plate patrols by the Traffic Unit. The following numbers were generated on Wednesday, February 8, 2023:
- Northwest Area Command
- 16 stops
- 10 expired plate
- 3 expired temp tag
- 5 evidence of registration
- 9 illegible plates
- 16 stops
- Southwest Area Command
- 6 stops
- 1 no plate
- 3 expired plate
- 4 evidence of registration
- 6 stops
- Valley Area Command
- 8 stops
- 8 expired plates
- 4 evidence of registration
- 2 improper display of plate
- 1 illegible plate
- 8 stops
- Southeast Area Command
- 22 stops
- 2 no plate
- 5 Expired plates
- 20 evidence of registration
- 8 Improper display of plate
- 22 stops
- Northeast Area Command
- 33 stops
- 10 expired plates
- 25 evidence or registration
- 11 improper display
- 33 stops
- Foothills Area Command
- 11 stops
- 1 no plate
- 5 expired plate
- 13 evidence of registration
- 2 improper display
- 11 stops