The Panhandling Crime Wave

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It should come as no surprise to no one that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque over the new “pedestrian safety ordinance” that severely restricts panhandling.

(January 12, 2018 Albuquerque Journal, page A-1, “ACLU suit aims to block panhandling restrictions)

https://www.abqjournal.com/1117868/aclu-sues-albuquerque-over-pedestrian-safety-ordinance.html

The ordinance was enacted by the City Council in November of 2016 despite repeated warnings that the ordinance was probably a violation of constitutional rights.

“This [ordinance] is just another heavy-handed attempt by the city to criminalize homelessness and push poor people out of sight and out of mind. … People have a constitutional right to stand in public places and solicit donations, regardless of whether they’re looking for their next meal or raising money for little league uniforms” said ACLU of New Mexico staff attorney María Martínez Sánchez in a news release.

The plaintiffs in the case are seeking a declaratory ruling from the federal court that the ordinance is unconstitutional, that the ordinance violates the plaintiffs’ rights to freedom of speech under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as Article II, Section 17 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico.

The plaintiffs have filed a motion for a “preliminary injunction” seeking an order from the court that would prevent enforcement by the City of the ordinance until the court decides on the constitutionality of the ordinance.

We should all be thankful we have a City Council enacting ordinances that violate the US Constitution to stop the panhandling crime wave being caused by panhandlers and homeless and all the criminals legally driving the streets of Albuquerque wanting to show an act of kindness or charity to someone less fortunate.

Sarcasm set aside,  the Albuquerque Police Department is having enough problems as it is handling far more important calls for service that do indeed endanger public safety.

APD has only 436 sworn police are assigned to field services, divided into three working shifts, less any of those on vacation, sick leave or in court resulting in approximately 24 sworn officers patrolling an entire area command.

In 2016, APD made 8,744 felony arrests, 19,857 misdemeanor arrests, 1,070 DWI arrests, and 2,462 domestic violence arrests. Albuquerque is number one in the nation for auto thefts, our violent crime rates and property crime rates have increased by 21.5% and 19% respectively and murders increased by 54% in 2015.

Despite our real crime wave, the Albuquerque City Council is worried about panhandling.

There is now a serious risk of financial liability and violation of constitutional rights of trying to enforce an ordinance that may violate the US Constitution and First Amendment rights.

Mayor Tim Keller’s promise to Republican City Councilor Trudy Jones, the sponsor of the ordinance, to have the Albuquerque Police Department enforce the ordinance needs to be put on hold until the Federal Court makes a decision on if the ordinance is constitutional.

Mayor Keller and the City Council need to find a much better way of dealing with panhandling and the homeless instead of enacting ordinances that make acts of charity criminal and forcing a huge strain on law enforcement resources that are needed to address our crime rates.

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.