APD releases plan to cut down crime

KRQE TV

Alex Tomlin

Updated: May 19, 2011 3:32 PM

Solving more murders is a main priority for the Albuquerque Police Department; in fact it's a key part of a five-year plan to clean up the city.

That plan was just released, and it also calls for seizing more cars from drunks, cracking down on panhandlers and "baiting" more crooks.

APD Chief Ray Schultz said the plan isn't just about reducing crime, it's also about reducing the fear of crime, so people want to keep living here and visiting here.

Schultz has a 178-page plan for the department with some big ideas like seizing a drunk driver's car sooner.

"See if we are ready to look at seizing or immobilizing vehicles after the first DWI arrest," he said.

Right now police seize a car if someone convicted of DWI is caught tipsy behind the wheel again.

APD isn't just going after drunken drivers.

“We are seeing more and more people not necessarily under the influence of alcohol but things like prescription drugs or other illegal drugs,” Schutlz said.

The plan: every member of the DWI unit will be trained to recognize signs of drug use.

The chief also wants to go high-tech to catch crooks stealing pain killers from pharmacies across town.

“Decoys that would be placed with the items when they are stolen that would allow us to track those offenders,” the chief said.

Another big idea, stop the panhandlers.

“(Those) who are aggressively panhandling violating the laws and causing problems,” said Schultz.

News 13 asked the chief if going after panhandlers contradicts Mayor Richard J. Berry’s recent statements, that his plan to get homeless off the streets wasn't about driving them out of town.

“Very often what we are finding out is that panhandlers are not homeless,” said Schultz.

Schultz also wants to expand the department's bait-car program to catch thieves.

“So it's not just cars, have trucks, motorcycles, construction equipment,” he said.

And he wants to put the bait cars all over the city.

The chief said he expects 80 percent of the ideas in his plan to be up and running at the end of the five years. He also wants a second armored vehicle and two more bomb robots and to renovate parts of the main station.

As for improving the rate APD solves murders, the chief hopes to get that rate up to 80 percent.

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