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BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – To fight crime in Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is putting more eyes on the streets.
The new BCSO Metro Unit will focus on high-crime areas like downtown. More deputies will patrol the area, and their first operation last week already showed signs of success.
Sheriff John Allen said they are excited to launch the new Metro Unit, designed to be a strong presence in and around downtown Albuquerque.
“We know that criminals don’t stay in one spot. They pop around whether it’s unincorporated or in the city. APD is busy answering calls for service.
I want to make sure that we’re making arrests, that we’re doing diversion, that we’re doing all of the above, to make sure that this crime epidemic—we’re making a difference with it,” said Allen.
According to the source, the unit, made up of three deputies, one sergeant, and one lieutenant, hopes to grow their numbers.
In their first operation on Saturday, July 13, they made 12 arrests, including nine felonies for things like drug and gun possession.
“These are people that are causing havoc for our community, causing havoc for neighborhoods, causing havoc for businesses, and there are people that are just always out on the streets, they never had any accountability. Well, with the BSCO Metro Unit, they will now have accountability,” said Allen.
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After the operation’s success, the sheriff plans to expand his team to reach more areas. Deputies will listen to community members and use new technology to determine crime hotspots.
So far, they’ve been able to conduct traffic stops, issue arrest warrants, and lower drug use. “And all the people that are committing crime, it’s going to be known that the sheriff’s office is coming after them, that’s the bottom line,” said Allen.
The sheriff said the unit will go through more training and hopes to start patrolling at the beginning of August. “The ultimate goal, to be honest with you, is to kick criminals’ butt,” said Allen.
The Albuquerque Police Department is hosting a news conference Thursday morning to discuss further efforts to address crime in the downtown area.