There's been a bit of progress on the ABQ crime front in 2023 with most of the leading indicators trending down. But can that trend continue in the new year?
ABQ Mayor Tim Keller says the answer depends on the future of one of the most deadly drugs in history which he names as the biggest challenge going into 2024:
Fentanyl is the primary cause of both crime and homelessness so the answer to the question for America and Albuquerque is fentanyl. . .
We don't have the systems to deal with it. We don't even have the pharmacology to deal with it. We don't have the public awareness to deal with it. It is destroying our cities from within and that by far and away, I think, is our biggest challenge next year.
The connection between things like fentanyl and crime and homelessness is our new department, the ABQ Community Safety Department. That department is finishing up its first year of full operations. . . We created the first of its kind in the country--an entire department. . .almost 100 hundred first responders that are now operating 24-7 and they can take you to services--to where you need to go--in a way that officers and EMT's can't because they have to (take people) to the emergency room or to jail.
This is like the connective tissue that is going to help us deal with this. ABQ is ahead of the curve and on this one we are way ahead of curve so that gives me a lot of hope because next year will be the first full year under 24-7 for that department.
There's always reason to hope but especially so at the dawn of a new year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Well, we've come to that time of year again when it's my pleasure to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. It's been my privilege to do so in this space since 2003. That's a lot of luminarias and posole. And per tradition we will pause our blogging (for the most part) until early next year.
We wish this season of peace came with just that. But wars in the Ukraine and Middle East go on and our Christmas wish is for them to end now.
Our other wish is for everyone to have some old fashioned fun over the holidays. And I've got just the guy to get the party started.
Frank, old pal, take us outta here. . .
Merry Christmas, New Mexico!
(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2023