ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque is working on revitalizing downtown, making it safer for everyone. The city and Mayor Tim Keller are seeing that all successful big cities also have a very vibrant downtown. They believe Albuquerque’s downtown has potential.
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Mayor Keller refers to downtown as the core of the city but says it needs to be safer. First, the city is planning on lowering the speed limit throughout the area and fix the police presence in downtown.
They sold the Rosenwald building at Fourth Street and Central to a company that plans to put in condos. That deal includes a lease agreement with the Albuquerque Police Department to turn part of the first floor into a substation. Officers hope the condos will help build more relationships with citizens downtown.
“Being right downtown, being visible, having a place people can walk right up to file a police report or ask for services or assistance is just going to make us that much more effective,” said Officer Hence Williams, Albuquerque Police Department.
The downtown patrol the city has currently will move from the Transit Center to the Rosenwald Building once renovations are done. They also plan on changing shifts for APD in order to rework shift hours so officers are out during peak bar hours downtown. Over the past two months, downtown officers say they have responded to 31 fights and 47 DWI arrests.
