ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Bosque provides great opportunities for getting outdoors, but given its seclusion, it also sometimes attracts campers. So how does the city deal with that?
Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police Department says camping isn’t allowed in the Bosque. And in fact, the police’s Open Space Division patrols the area for illegal camps.
The Open Space Division was shut down in 2022 due to limited resources in the department. But it was revived earlier this month. The team uses boats and horses to monitor the area and recently found 10 encampments.
Once discovered, the camps are reported to other city departments better able to help the unhoused. Sometimes the police will actively engage with people in the Bosque. For example, last weekend, police located and arrested Carlos Diaz, who was wanted on a felony warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Gallegos says that there’s some indication that illegal camps are starting to increase in the Bosque. Albuquerque police plan on continuing patrols in the area. But if you come across a camp, you can call the police’s non-emergency line at 505-242-COPS or 505-242-2677.
