It has been reported that the Keller Administration wants to “bill” for services rendered when the Albuquerque Fire & Rescue Department (AFRD) responds to a car crash or vehicle fire.

The proposal is for the AFRD to send a bill to the insurance companies.

According to the Keller Administration, the City feels it is paying too much overtime to AFRD and the plan will generate $1 million in revenue.

The $1 million in revenue will go towards hiring four additional firefighters for each shift, to reduce overtime costs.

You can review the news report here:

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/city-considers-billing-insurance-companies-for-firefighter-accident-response/5330513/?cat=500

PROPOSAL BURIED IN 2019-2020 BUDGET

On April 1, 2019, the Keller Administration submitted its 2019-2020 fiscal year operating city budget to the Albuquerque City Council for review and budget hearings.

The Keller Administration wanting to charge for AFRD responses for car crashes and fires is contained in the 2019-2020 proposed budget.

You can review the entire proposed budget for AFRD here at page 110 of the budget:

http://documents.cabq.gov/budget/fy-20-proposed-budget.pdf

The operating budget submitted by the Keller Administration is for $1.1 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2019.

Last year, the operating budget was $997 million.

The Albuquerque City Council raised the gross receipts tax last year by three-eighths of 1% before the budget was even submitted.

Last year’s tax increase was implemented in order to deal with a projected deficit of $40 million, a deficit that never materialized.

Last year’s gross receipts tax increase generates $58 million per year.

Mayor Tim Keller signed off on the tax increase breaking his campaign promise to get elected Mayor not to raise taxes without a public vote.

The 2019-2020 budget represents an overall 11% increase in spending over the current year.

The proposed 2019-2020 budget is the first time in city history that the city operating budget will exceed the $1 Billion figure.

A whopping 47% of the General Fund budget expenditures is dedicated to fund the Police and Fire departments.

The Albuquerque Police Departments (APD) proposed budget is for $209,852,000.

The AFRD proposed budget is for $97,894,000.

Under the proposed budget, the AFRD will go from 731 full time positions to 766 positions.

(Page 110 of Proposed 2019-2020 Budget)

In the proposed budget, it states that a new “emergency incident cost” recovery fee for AFRD will be billed to a taxpayer’s auto insurance company when it is dispatched to a call for service to the scene of a car crash or vehicle fire.

If approved by the City Council, this will be the first time AFRD will be billing for services to the scene of a car crash or vehicle fire.

The billing is projected to yield $1 million to fund 12 new firefighting positions out of a department total budget of close to $98 million dollars.

When the Keller Administration announced the proposed budget it also revealed that the city is covering some of the budget increases with gross receipts and property tax revenue created by an accounting policy change.

The accounting policy shift extends the window in which the city can recognize the revenue and the accounting reset results in an extra $34.3 million in revenues.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Police and Fire protection are basic essential services that virtually every citizen in the city pays for with their taxes.

The providing of an essential service, when it comes to police and fire protection, should be free of charge and such services should not be for profit.

Both the police department and the fire department are not “enterprise funds” such as the aviation department that runs the airport, that operates very much like a private business when it charges “user fees” to airlines to operate and maintain the airport facilities but without a profit and with the goal of breaking even.

Taxpayers have the right to demand that they not be forced to pay for basic essential services twice.

The Albuquerque Fire and Rescue Department (AFRD) billing a taxpayer’s auto insurance company when it is dispatched to the scene of a car crash or vehicle fires to raise $1 million to fund 12 firefighter positions borders on the grotesque on so many levels.

It is difficult to understand how $1 million in a $1.1 Billion-dollar budget after last year’s tax increase cannot be found to deliver a basic essential service for the fire department to be dispatched to a car crash or vehicle fire to assist.

Car insurance coverage contracts, other than the premiums and coverage amounts, are basically not negotiable and if the city bills an insurance company it will probably claim it’s not covered and just forward it on to the insured or the party who was at fault.

A very large percentage of people do not carry car insurance, and those who do, the insurance carrier will likely deduct the city charge for AFRD accident scene clean up from any insurance claim paid.

Another foreseeable problem is when the accident is the result of the city’s negligence in highway maintenance or caused by a city vehicle, say a cop running a light and t-boning someone, which has happened more than once over the past few years.

If multiple cars are involved, and liability not determined, it will be difficult for the city to send the bill to the party who is truly liable.

The city maintains a contract with numerous private wrecking companies that are on a rotating schedule, when the city could easily purchase “tow-trucks” and do the job to clean up crash scenes.

And if there is a fatality, and no insurance, the City will probably want to charge the decedent’s family for the call for service which can easily be in the thousands of dollars.

Next thing you know, the Keller Administration will want APD to charge for their calls for service because it is consistently going over its overtime budget by the millions of dollars.

It is not at all difficult to imagine the AFRD or APD generating a bill for a call for service at a scene of a fatality, give it to a decedent’s relatives and telling them “Sorry for your loss. Please give this bill to your insurance carrier”

Over the next few weeks, the Albuquerque City Council “Committee of the Whole”, consisting of all 9 city councilors, will hold budget hearings on each department budget and alter or amend the budget as they see fit, vote to approve and the budget will take effect July 1, 2019.

The City Council needs to put the brakes on this grotesque idea to have AFRD to charge for car crash or vehicle fire calls for service and find the $1 million in the $1.1 Billion budget, especially after Mayor Tim Keller agreed with them to raise taxes last year without a public vote.

POSCRIPT:

A related article on the proposed budget can be viewed here:

Keller submitted a $29 million dollar lodger’s tax request and the City Council approved on a unanimous vote a $30.5 million “Sports -Tourism” lodger tax package to upgrade and build sports facilities throughout the city.

On Monday, April 22, 2019, political blogger and reporter Joe Monahan posted on his blog “New Mexico Politcs With Joe Monahan” an article on New Mexico’s growth during the last 10 years.

The article is very insightful and revealing regarding New Mexico’s population growth and its overall impact and what it reveals does not bode well for the 2020 United States Census..

Below is the Monahan article followed by the link to “New Mexico Politics With Joe Monahan” followed by further comment and analysis and two blog articles:

HEADLINE: NEW MEXICO POISED FOR SLOWEST DECADE OF POPULATION GROWTH IN STATE HISTORY; IMPACTS WEIGHED AND ANALYZED

“The decade of 2010-20 is poised to become the slowest for population growth in 107 years of state history, and the impact of that dubious milestone is felt in a broad swath of economic, social and political outcomes.

The latest stats from the US Census Bureau show that from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2018 the Land of Enchantment has grown its population a mere 1.8 percent, from 2.059 million to 2.095 million.

According to Wikipedia, only the decade of the 60’s has seen slower state population growth. Back then it was still much higher at 6.9 percent and that was seen as a crash.

No one wants to Californicate New Mexico. Part of its charm is its uncrowded conditions but the state is not growing for the many menacing reasons your blog has outlined during the course of this decade–the lack of good-paying jobs; a slowing of federal funding for the national security and defense apparatus; an under educated work force; educated students fleeing the state for greener pastures and a horrific crime wave featuring record murder rates and rampant child abuse caused in large part by a drug epidemic spurred by growing poverty.

While the state grapples with a social conditions crisis that was mostly its own making but also attributable to global economic changes, one state official tried to spin the historic stagnation:

“I would say the state of New Mexico growing at a slower rate than other Western states is not necessarily a bad thing,” said Ryan Eustice, an economist at the New Mexico Economic Development Department. “This allows cities, counties and states to better plan for infrastructure, housing, job creation and education.”

Well, this trend is nearly a decade old so we’ve already had plenty of time to “better plan.”

BIG BERNCO

Big BernCo County did not live up to that nickname in the latest Census numbers. Only 15 more people–that’s right 15–lived in the county in July of ’18 than July of ’17. Maybe they should all be honored at one of those Chamber of Commerce dinners.

The state’s fastest growing county in the Census year measured was Sandoval which is attracting neighboring ABQ residents to Rio Rancho where housing prices are more friendly.

LOSS EQUALS CHANGE

The state’s lost decade coincides with a rise in progressive/liberal politics in the muscular cities of ABQ, Santa Fe and Las Cruces where more growth has taken place than the rural counties which have been hit hardest economically.

The state went from a swing state in federal elections in 2008 to nearly a “Safe Blue” state with Dems in 2018 taking all five slots in the NM congressional delegation.

The economy of the state this decade has been downsized as seen in the ABQ metro where payday loan stores have sprouted like dandelions after a good rain and where the low-paying service sector is becoming more economically dominant.

Some smaller impacts of the Great Stagnation are interesting to note. The restaurant scene has changed dramatically with white table cloth places nearly extinct (except in tourist heavy Santa Fe) and an explosion in pizza and hamburger joints has occurred and dot nearly every street corner in ABQ and elsewhere.

Upscale men’s and women’s clothing stores have mostly gone the way of the Dodo bird. Sure, folks dress up less than in the past but it is also a sure fire sign of the decimation of the well-paid professional classes here.

On the upside of the stagnation, traffic remains tame compared to most other western cities; the ABQ airport is almost never crowded; reservations are easy to get at restaurants that take them; visiting the great outdoors, including the national parks, is still a way to escape the masses, not join them and with the rise of Amazon the lack of retail growth and availability of products in a small city or state is no big deal. Anything can be shipped anywhere.

But the rub is that so much of the population that has stuck around is disenfranchised economically and educationally. The powers-that-be started to tackle that in the recent legislative session, but it will take years for any significant strides to register. Meantime, the state has grown more polarized, with the small wealthy population occupying shrinking patches of gated communities and utilizing private schools to avoid the hazards of public schools. New Mexicans don’t mix as much as they once did.

After the Great Recession started to take hold here, we often wrote that “you were going to see things that you never thought could happen.” Together we have and now we have seen another–a once booming Sunbelt state experiencing an historic decade of going nowhere fast. With apologies to the state’s official slogan, “It goes, but it does not grow.”

Below is the link to New Mexico Politics With Joe Monahan:

http://joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com/

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

The United States Population Count, or US Census, is taken every 10 years and is used to determine congressional representation, federal funding levels and much more. The census is extremely important when is comes to a poor state like New Mexico.

According to a recent Tax Foundation study, New Mexico is the third-most reliant state in the nation on federal funding, in terms of percentages of total state revenue. The federal government allocates approximately $7.8 billion annually in federal dollars for 16 programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, early childhood education.

According to Robert Rhatigan, the associate director of UNM’s, Geospatial and Population Studies program, every household that is not counted in the census represents a loss of about $100,000 in federal funding for the state. A major problem identified is that during the last 2010 census New Mexico had the nation’s second-lowest participation rate at 69%.

On April 24, 2019, Governor Michell Lujan Grisham announce the creation of the “Complete Count Commission” that will work with immigrant rights groups and tribal representatives in an attempt to increase the federal census participation rates in hard-to-count areas, especially rural and very hard to reach areas of the state.

The appointed “Complete Count Commission” will have up to 40 members and consist of cabinet secretaries, legislators, business leaders, tribal representatives and members of community-based organizations. The commission has been allocated $3.5 million for operation costs by the 2019 New Mexico legislature. The money allocated is for a census-targeted marketing campaign but the Governor had requested even more money from lawmakers, and she said that she might ask for more.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1306335/nm-spending-big-bucks-to-boost-census-participation.html

Given New Mexico’s pathetic participation rate of 69% in the 2010 census and New Mexico’s reliance on federal funding tied to our population, the Legislature needs to ensure that all New Mexico residents are counted and it should not hesitate for a split second to allocate sufficient funding for the Complete Count Commission.

What does not bode well for the state is the fact that the latest statistic from the US Census Bureau show that from April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2018 New Mexico’s population has grown a mere 1.8 percent, from 2.059 million to 2.095 million.

New Mexico needs to brace itself for bad news when it comes to the 2020 census that will affect federal funding. Way too much is at stake and the State needs to make sure that every person is in fact counted, especially in the rural areas of the state.

POSTSCRIPT

Below are links examining Albuquerque’s growth and development:

A Brief History of Downtown Albuquerque: 1952 to 2019

A Brief History of ABQ Uptown: 1952 to 2019

The United States Population Count, also known as the US Census, is taken every 10 years and is used to determine congressional representation, federal funding levels and much more.

With the 2020 census approaching, the State of New Mexico is taking steps to increase New Mexicans’ participation in the once-per-decade census and for good reasons on many levels.

During the last 2010 census, New Mexico had the nation’s second-lowest participation rate at 69%.

According to a recent Tax Foundation study, New Mexico is the third-most reliant state in the nation on federal funding, in terms of percentages of total state revenue.

New Mexico relies heavily on federal spending the federal government allocates approximately $7.8 billion annually in federal dollars from 16 programs, including money for Medicaid, food stamps, early childhood education and road repairs.

The University of New Mexico Geospatial and Population Studies program is the state’s designated demographer for the coming census.

According to Robert Rhatigan, the associate director of UNM’s, Geospatial and Population Studies program every household that is not counted in the census represents a loss of about $100,000 in federal funding for the state.

A major problem with the United States Census for New Mexico is that an estimated 43% of the state’s nearly 2.1 million residents live in “hard to count” areas.

On April 24, 2019, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announce the creation of the “Complete Count Commission” that will work with immigrant rights groups and tribal representatives in an attempt to increase the federal census participation rates in hard-to-count areas, especially rural and very hard to reach areas of the state.

The appointed “Complete Count Commission” will have up to 40 members and consist of cabinet secretaries, legislators, business leaders, tribal representatives and members of community-based organizations.

The commission has already been allocated $3.5 million for operation costs by the 2019 New Mexico legislature.

The money allocated is for a census-targeted marketing campaign but the Governor had requested even more money from lawmakers, and she said that she might ask for more.

To complicate matters, President Donald Trump’s Administration is seeking to add a “citizenship question” to the 2020 census forms where people questioned will be asked if they are a citizen of the United States or a citizen of another country.

On April 23, 2019 the United States Supreme Court held oral arguments after multiple lawsuits were filed in an attempt to block the administration’s plans to include a citizenship question.

During the press conference announcing the census commission, Governor Lujan Grisham, who is also and attorney, said “I think it’s unconstitutional to add that question.”

Notwithstanding, the Governor said state officials will work to build confidence in participating in the census regardless of how the Supreme Court’s rules.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1306335/nm-spending-big-bucks-to-boost-census-participation.html

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT HEARING

On April 24, 2019, the Associated Press Reported that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed ready to uphold the Trump administration’s plan to ask about citizenship on the 2020 census, despite evidence that millions of Hispanics and immigrants could go uncounted.

Relevant portions of the Associated Press report followed by a link are as follows:

“There appeared to be a clear divide between the court’s liberal and conservative justices in arguments in a case that could affect how many seats states have in the House of Representatives and their share of federal dollars over the next 10 years. States with a large number of immigrants tend to vote Democratic.”

“Three lower courts have so far blocked the plan to ask every U.S. resident about citizenship in the census, finding that the question would discourage many immigrants from being counted. Two of the three judges also ruled that asking if people are citizens would violate the provision of the Constitution that calls for a count of the population, regardless of citizenship status, every 10 years. The last time the question was included on the census form sent to every American household was 1950.”

“But over 80 minutes in a packed courtroom, the conservative justices did not appear to share the concern of the lower court judges.”

“Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the court’s newest member and an appointee of President Donald Trump, suggested Congress could change the law if it so concerned that the accuracy of the once-a-decade population count will suffer. “Why doesn’t Congress prohibit the asking of the citizenship question?” Kavanaugh asked near the end of the morning session.”

“Kavanaugh and the other conservatives were mostly silent when Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, defended Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision to add the citizenship question. Ross has said the Justice Department wanted the citizenship data, the detailed information it would produce on where eligible voters live, to improve enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.”

“Lower courts found that Ross’ explanation was a pretext for adding the question, noting that he had consulted early in his tenure with Stephen Bannon, Trump’s former top political adviser and immigration hardliner Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state.”

“The liberal justices peppered Francisco with questions about the administration plan, but they would lack the votes to stop it without support from at least one conservative justice.”

“This is a solution in search of a problem,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s lone Hispanic member, said of Ross’ decision.

“Justice Elena Kagan chimed in that “you can’t read this record without sensing that this need was a contrived one.”

“Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to have a different view of the information the citizenship question would produce.”

“You think it wouldn’t help voting rights enforcement?” Roberts asked New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, who was representing states and cities that sued over Ross’ decision.”

“Underwood said the evidence Ross had before him was “that it would not give better citizenship information.”

“And, Underwood said, the record is clear that a census that asks people if they are citizens will be less accurate.”

“Census Bureau experts have concluded that the census would produce a more accurate picture of the U.S. population without a citizenship question because people might be reluctant to say if they or others in their households are not citizens. Federal law requires people to complete the census accurately and fully.”
…
“Justice Neil Gorsuch, also a Trump appointee, also noted that many other countries include citizenship questions on their censuses.”

“Douglas Letter, a lawyer representing the House of Representatives, said the census is critically important to the House, which apportions its seats among the states based on the results.

“Anything that undermines the accuracy of the actual enumeration is immediately a problem,” Letter said, quoting from the provision of the Constitution that mandates a decennial census.”

Following is the link to the full article:

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2019/04/us-supreme-court-seems-ready-to-ok-census-citizenship-question.html

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

The 10-year United States Census is something that the New Mexico Legislature needs to ensure that all New Mexico residents are counted and it should not hesitate for a split second to allocate sufficient funding for the Complete Count Commission. Way too much is at stake.

There is no doubt the “citizenship question” has a sinister intent directed at undocumented immigrants who have been in the United State for any length of time, whether it be a day, days, months or even years.

The Trump administration wants to have a “chilling effect” on the census count and cause both citizens and non-citizens living in New Mexico to believe the census data might be misused to target minorities.

No doubt Trump wants to make sure that States like New Mexico do not get critical funding that will go to assist undocumented immigrants and probably the “minority-majority” state of New Mexico.

Many national Supreme Court observers and analysts are predicting that the United States Supreme Court will not go along with the “citizenship question”.

The United States Supreme Court is now in total and complete control by the hard right as a result of Trump’s appointments.

No one should be surprised if the Supreme Court ruling will be 5 to 4 to include the question with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts once again being the swing vote.

New Mexico, place your bets and hope for the best but do not be surprised if we get the worst in the age of the Trump Administration and from his Supreme Court.

This is the second of two articles of what I remember when it comes to the Albuquerque I grew up in, went to school, worked in, raised a family and what the city has become today.

The first article discusses the history of Downtown Albuquerque from 1952 to 2019 and how the Downtown area has evolved over the years.

You can read the first article entitled “A Breif History of Downtown: 1952 to 2019” at the link in the poscript below.

(Editors Note: The first article “A Breif History of Downtown: 1952 to 2019” has been edited, shortened, and updated. Information contained in the first article on “ABQ Uptown” was used for the second article with additional information added to it. What many readers who were born and raised here or who have spent most of their lives here will discover is that the mere mention of the names of businesses and locations will bring back a rush of memories to them, hence the writing approach.)

INTRODUCTION

To read this article in perspective a few introductory remarks are in order.

Both articles were written with a heavy reliance on memory followed up with research to confirm dates given.

I was born on March 1, 1952 at Presbyterian Hospital and raised in Albuquerque.

According to the 1950 Census, the city’s population was 97,000 people and in 2018 the city proper had an estimated population of 558,000.

https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/pc-02/pc-2-45.pdf

I attended St. Mary’s grade school downtown (1st grade to 8th), then Cleveland Junior High, now Mid School, 9th grade, (Louisiana, NE), and then went and graduated from Del Norte High School (Montgomery, Ave and San Mateo) in 1970.

Around 1960, the Paul and Rose Dinelli family of five moved from a home on Lomas and 3rd Street to a Mossman-Gladden, “red brick”, tract home on San Pedro, North of Menaul. The home was originally purchased for around $16,000.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF “UPTOWN ABQ” AS RETAIL CENTER

From approximately 1952 to about 1965, Downtown Albuquerque on Central from Broadway to Rio Grande, including Old Town, was considered the “hub of activity” for retail and business where you would shop, bank and go for entertainment and the area of major tourist activity. Central Avenue going West from Broadway Ave to the Rio Grande River is traditionally thought of as “Downtown” by many born and raised in Albuquerque or long-term residents.

“Uptown Albuquerque” and the “mid heights” can be defined as the square area bordered by Central Street as the Southern border, Montgomery as the Northern border, San Mateo as the Western border and Eubank as the Eastern border. From 1985 to 1989, much of the Uptown area, including the State Fair grounds on Lomas was Albuquerque City Councillor Pete Dinelli’s District 5, which is now District 7.

“Uptown Albuquerque” at Louisiana and South of I-25 as it is today in the 1970s to the 1990s was originally referred to by the locals as the North East Heights. As time progressed, the area began to be referred to as the “Mid Heights” because of all the residential development that occurred from Juan Tabo, NE to the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.

Juan Tabo to the foothills of the Sandia Mountains is now referred to as the “Far North East Heights”.

After “Downtown Urban Renewal” of the 1960s and 1970s that resulted in the construction of the original Albuquerque Convention Center and Civil Plaza, Albuquerque’s population growth continued to the North East Heights with Coronado Shopping Center and WINROCK eventually replacing the Downtown Central retail shopping area of the city. Many of the national downtown retail stores such as Sears, J.C. Penny’s and Montgomery Wards relocated to the malls to follow all the residential development. It was with the building of the major retail shopping malls in the 1960s and when the city growth and population began spreading to the East and North East when the downtown Central Avenue area very slowly began to wither and die.

Residential home developers Mossman-Gladden, Dale Bellamah, Edward H. Snow,and Sam Hoffman were the four major residential home developers in Albuquerque for decades. (Un-confirmed rumors suggest that Albuquerque residential home developer Edward H. Snow is a very distant grandson of Ed Snow of Game of Thrones. )

In 1950, residential home developer Sam Hoffman built the 800-house Hoffmantown Addition north of Menaul, east of Wyoming. In 1951, Hoffmantown Shopping Center, located at 8200 Menaul Blvd NE and on the SW corner of Wyoming was built by residential home developer Sam Hoffman. The shopping center which still stands today has a curving 450 foot linear building fronted by a parking lot with the distinctive “Hoffman Town Shopping Center” sign. Over the years, many businesses have come and gone at the shopping center. One very popular restaurant was “Charlies Back Door” and “Charlies Front Door”. There was also the Hoffmantown barbershop that was located at the location for many years where Paul Dinelli once worked as a barber before opening “Paul’s Barbershop” at third and Lomas downtown.

In 1954, residential home developer Dale Bellamah developed the 1,600-home Princess Jeanne Park, named for his wife, between Lomas and Indian School from Eubank to Juan Tabo. Dale Bellamah also built the Kirtland Addition just west of the airport.

Around 1960, from San Pedro going North East was basically vacant land that was developed over the subsequent years with many homes built in the area of Menaul and San Pedro NE going North to Candelaria and East to Wyoming.

WINROCK mall was opened March, 1961, Coronado Shopping Center was opened March, 1965 and both were originally “open malls” and two of the very first malls ever opened in the United States.
Both WINROCK and Coronado have expanded and transformed repeatedly various times from open malls to closed indoor malls, with Winrock now undergoing yet another transformation to outdoor retail stores.

The UPTOWN Commons Shopping area opened in 2006 on the site of the original St. Pius High School site.

CORONADO SHOPPING CENTER

Coronado Shopping Center was the first major mall constructed in Albuquerque. Homart Development Company was the developer and it was the mall-building subsidiary for SEARS. Originally, in 1965 Coronado Mall was an open air shopping center with the major anchor stores of Sears and Rhodes Department Stores. At the center of the Coronado open air mall was a fountain with the sculpture entitled “Coronado’s March” consisting of a line of soldiers, horses and pack animals. The sculpture was re located to the South West entrance of Coronado Mall where the food court is located when the mall was expanded and enclosed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronado_Center

Other stores in 1965 at Coronado included Dorothy-Gray’s Dress and Beaty Shop, Fashion Fabric Center, Henry’s Fine’s Menswear, Mandel’s Womans Apparel, the Sewing Nook, Swiss Colony Cheese House, Unique Boutique, Car-Lin Casuals, Lynn’s Apparel Shop, Richman Brother Men’s Wear, Sweetbriar Ladies Wear Shop, Judd’s Jewelers and Bank of New Mexico. A Wyatts Cafeteria and VIP’s Big Boy were also located at Coronado Shopping Center at one time when the mall was eventually enclosed. A “Fudruckers” hamburger restaurant is now located where the Wyatt’s Cafeteria was located and a “Kirkland” Department store is now located where the “VIP’s Bigboy Restaurant” was.

In 1974, Rhodes Brothers was re-branded as Liberty House.

In the mall’s 1975-1976 expansion, Goldwater’s and The Broadway anchor stores were added, and in 1984 a fifth anchor store Sanger-Harris was added.

At one time, a “Broadway” tire and mechanics garage was located on the West area of the shopping center, with the building still standing and used as storage.

A SEARS free standing Automotive and Tire shop was located on Menaul and the building was torn down in 2017 for parking and after SEARS closed.

In the late 1970s, Liberty House closed and was replaced by Mervyn’s Department Store.

“Chelsea Street Pub” was located at the North West Entrance of Coronado Shopping Center with both a mall entrance and an outside mall entrance to be used after regular mall hours to go and eat and drink.

Goldwater’s Department store closed in 1986, but later reopened as May D&F in 1989.

Sanger-Harris was re-branded as Foley’s in 1987 and in 1988 Foley’s closed.

In 1990, J. C. Penney opened at the former Sanger-Harris/Foley’s store area.

May D&F was re-branded as Foley’s in 1993, signifying Foley’s return to Coronado mall.

The Broadway was re-branded as Macy’s in 1996.

In 2006, Foley’s was re-branded as Macy’s, and Macy’s vacated the former “The Broadway” store area, which has now been taken over by Gordmans upstairs and Dick’s Sporting Goods downstairs.

In 2008, Mervin’s closed all stores nationally due to bankruptcy and the store area was remodeled for Kohl’s, which opened in 2010. The Kohl’s store area was “downsized” and a “Panera” bread and sandwich shop was opened on the East side of Kohl’s.

In 2019, Coronado mall is the largest in the state of New Mexico with 150 stores and is anchored by Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Barnes & Noble.

Stand alone restaurants built in 2016, 2017 and 2018 on the Coronado Shopping parking areas include Seasons 52, Five Guy Hamburgers, Jimmy Johns Sandwich Shop, Longhorn Steak House, “Wise Pies Pizza” and “The Cheese Factory” as a built out and separate building from the mall.

Since the mid 1960’s a restaurant has been located on the Southeast corner of Louisiana and Menaul, across from Coronado Shopping Center. The firt restaurant at that location was a “Sambo’s”, followed by a Denny’s and in 2013 a “Chipotle” fast food restaurant was opened with an adjoining dental clinic.

There are a number of strip store fronts on Sand Pedro and Menaul across the street from Coronado Shopping Center, with many well know businesses long gone.

As an example, Fiesta Lanes Bowling Alley was located on the north east corner of Menaul and San Pedro, and the original “bowling alley” marque sign with the outline of a bowling pin and bowling ball still remain as signage for businesses such as Staples Office Supply.

In the mid 1980’s, a Baptist Church was located on San Pedro just South of the “Butterfield’s Plaza” with Butterfield’s Jewelry Store and Mario’s Restaurant across from Coronado still in business.

Around 1985, 1986, the church had to be demolished after a tornado touched down briefly and did structural damage to the church and minor roof damage to Coronado Shopping Center. The law offices Of Freeman, Houseman and Dinelli, PA, were on the 15th floor of the First National Bank Building located at Central and San Mateo and the top of tornado funnel swirling clouds as it was forming was seen as the tornado moved into the city from the Southwest side of the City. A two-story commercial office building called the “Uptown Center Executive Suites”, still standng and fully occupied was constructed on the site of the church after it was demolished.

“WINROCK SAYS IT All”

Winthrop Rockefeller was an American politician and philanthropist and real estate developer, who served as the first Republican governor of Arkansas and he was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family, one of the richest family’s in America.

WINROCK was named after Winthrop Rockefeller who developed the property and its original slogan was “Winrock Says It ALL”.

When WINROCK first opened as an “open air mall”, Diamond Jim’s Restaurant was directly South of the West Side entrance of the mall and before you actually went into the mall as you ascended op thw walkway with a “food booth”.

Rose Fresques Dinelli was a waitress at Diamond Jim’s when it first opened and she stayed with the restaurant to the day it closed. After the restaurant closed, Rose Dinelli went to work as a waitress at “Maria Theresa” when it opened and located on Rio Grande North of Central where she work for years until the day it closed.

Some of the original stores in the original WINROCK open mall included Lerner’s, Thom McCan’s Shoe Store, ZALES, “Toys by Roy”, Montgomery Wards, Record Rendezvous, JC Penny, Jordans, Paris Shoe Store, Hallmark, Pastians Bakery.

Directly to the South and on mall property was the White WINROCK two story hotel complex.

A branch of First National Bank was in the North area end outside WINROCK mall with a Safeway Grocery store and a Value House Jewelry Store.

Where the existing Romano’s Restaurant Grill now is located directly West of WINROCK on Louisiana was “Lieter’s Chevron” gas station.

On the North-East corner of the WINROCK property where a multi-screen movie theater now stands was the FOX WINROCK theater that was the single largest screen in New Mexico. The FOX Winrock Theater had a massive slopping roof that went up to accommodate the screen on the interior with the downside to the theater being that only one movie at a time could be featured.Movies such as “2001 A Space Odessey”, the original “Planet of the Apes” (Charlton Heston) and Taming of the Shrew (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) all premiered in Albuquerque on the big FOX Theater screen. When in High School, Pete Dinelli was an “movie usher”, along with Marty Fickle and Scott Frame, who worked for long time movie theater manager Louis Gasperini.

Where the Gardunio’s of New Mexico Restaurant now sits on the WINROCK property was “Farrel’s Ice Cream Shop” which opened in the mid 1970’s.

WINROCK closed down as a shopping mall for many years with only the Dillard’s Men’s and Women’s locations and a Sports Authority and is now going through yet another transformation.

Today, WINROCK is going through yet another major redevelopment with new stores on the parameter including Dillard’ Men’s and Woman’s Stores, Pets Mart, TJ Max, Northsrom Rack, David’s Bridle Store, DSW Shoes, Famous Footwear, Mattress Firm, Men’s Wearhouse, and ULTA Beauty Cosmetics.

The entire interior of WINROCK and all the store fronts have been gutted to make way for a road down the center lined with stores, restaurants, entertainment and housing or apartment living.

An underground parking lot has also been constructed on the South side of the property that accommodates about 300 cars.

A Regal 16-screen IMAX and RPX Theatre has been constructed on the East of the property.

Chuze Fitness Center replaced “Toys R Us” on the WINROCK property when the toy store chain went out of business in 2018.

Free standing restaurants on the WINROCK property include Red Robbin, Sauce Pizza and Wine, BJ Brew House, Burger 21, Dave and Busters, Firehouse Subs, Garduno’s of Mexico, Genghis Grill.

At the intersection corner of Northeast Louisiana Boulevard and Northeast Indian School of the WINROCK area stood the old Monroe Junior High School which closed in 1974. The school was demolished soon after it closed and the prime commercial property was sold by the School district.

In March, 2014, a unique single-level TARGET store located at the old Monroe School site at the intersection of Northeast Louisiana Boulevard and Northeast Indian School Road was opened. The TARGET is very unique by providing shoppers covered, ground-level parking, with the store elevated directly above the store. The TARGET store includes a fresh produce section, fresh packaged meat and pre-packaged baked goods. The 155,000 square-foot store employs more than 200 people.

ST. PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL TRANSFORMS INTO UPTOWN COMMONS

The “Uptown” Commons stores complex located at Indian School and Louisiana was opened in 2006 and was built on the original site of St. Pius High School.

The St. Pius High School property where the Commons now sits was sold by the Catholic Church and the high school was moved to its present location on Coors Road on the West Side, with that location being the former campus of the University of Albuquerque and formerly the College of St. Joseph on the Rio Grande.

The University of Albuquerque was a Catholic liberal arts university in Albuquerque which closed in 1986.

The west side campus atop a bluff overlooking the Rio Grande on Albuquerque’s West Side was constructed in 1950.

The “Uptown” Commons has become a vibrant retail shopping area with 51 store fronts and high-end retail specialty stores and restaurants.

A few of the stores in “Uptown Commons” include Banna Republic, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Eddie Bauer, Jos. A Banks, Michael Kors, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, an Apple Computer Store, White House Black Market, Eddie Bauer, The Gap, MAC Cosmetics, MATI Jewelers, Jared’s Jewelry Store, Lee Michael’s Fine Jewelry, SPRINT, T Mobile and ATT to mention a few.

Restaurants at the Uptown Commons include BRAVO, the Elephant Bar, Mc Alisters, Sahara Mediterranean, California Pizza, the Melting Pot with a Starbucks Coffee shop.

A Trader Joe’s is also located on the East side of the Uptown Commons property.

https://www.mallscenters.com/malls/new-mexico/abq-uptown-mall

OFFICE BUILDINGS, APARTMENTS AND HOTELS EMERGE IN “UPTOWN”

From 1975 to 2008, a number of hotels, apartment complexes and office buildings were built in the uptown area within walking distance of the cities three retail shopping areas of Coronado, Winrock and UPTOWN creating a synergy with the developed residential areas around the entire area.

The following developments are not intended to be an exhaustive listing of major retail and commercial buildings, but those easily identified by name.

UPTOWN COMMERCIAL OFFICE BUILDINGS:

2500 LOUISIANA, NE

In 1970, the second building from the Southeast corner of Menaul and Lousiana is 2500 Louisiana, NE, a 6 story commercial office building with 69,780 square feet of office space. In 1979, then Attorney General Tony Anaya opened an Albuquerque Satellite Office for the Narcotics and Organize Crime Strike Force with Offices for Assistant Attorney Generals Roy Anuskawitz, Jim Blackmer and Pete Dinelli. Jim Blackmer would later go on to be appointed a Dsitrict Court Judge. In 1981, newly elect Attorney General Jeff Bingaman open and Office for the Consumer and Economic Crimes office assigning Assistant Attorney General Pete Dinelli to the office. In 2019, the building occupants include the Bank of Albuquerque, the offices of Delta Dental Insurance and the Albuquerque Offices of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA).

2444 Louisiana, NE

Built around 1970, the 2 story commercial building located at 2444 Louisiana, NE is currently a branch bank of the BBVA Compass Bank on the first floor.

THE ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS (ALSO KNOWN AS “THE BRUCE AND ALICE KING EDUCATION COMPLEX” or “APS City Center”)

The Albuquerque Public Schools Administration Buildings are two identical 6 story buildings located at 6510 Uptown Blvd and built around 1975. The buildings were initially commercial office buildings until purchase by the school system. At one time the law offices of Sutin, Thayer and Brown, PA, rented office space at the Western building. Albuquerque Public Schools is among the top 40 largest school districts in the nation and the largest in New Mexico, serving nearly 84,000 students in 143 schools scattered across nearly 1,200 square miles.

“6000 UPTOWN” COMMERCIAL OFFICE BUILDING

In 1981, the 4 story 6000 Uptown Office building was built located immediately East of San Pedro and South of Coronado Shopping Center. The building has 67,376 square feet of rentable office area.

“UPTOWN TOWER”

In 1985, Uptown Tower located at 2440 Louisiana, a 7 story commercial office building with 105,666 square feet of office space was completed. Current occupants include Lewis University, New Mexico Healthcare, True Healthcare and Beacon Health Care Options.

2424 Louisiana, NE

In 1980, the 4 story, 70,765 sq. ft. commercial office building located at 2424 Louisiana, NE was constructed and then renovated in 2000 into luxury condos

“CITY PLACE” OFFICE BUILDING

In 1982, the construction of the 10 story City Place Office Building was completed and it is located at 2155 Louisiana, NE at the intersection of Louisiana and Indian School. It is a Class A office building with amenities that include floor to ceiling windows that provide outside views on all four sides of the building. In 1989, the law firm of Butt, Thornton Bayher was renting the entire 4th floor of “City Place” and at one time employed as an associate attorney then City Councilor Pete Dinelli.

THE CBRE OFFICE BUILDING

CBRE Office Building located at 6100 Uptown, NE, opened its doors in 1983. CBRE is a commercial real estate service company. The CBRE building is a 7-story office building with a dark rose colored granite facade.

“THE METRO CENTER BUILDING” AND CITY TENNIS COURTS

The Metro Center Building, located at 1720 Louisiana, NE, just South of the interstate, is an eight story, triangular shaped, office building that was opened in 1983. It boasts jet black windows and sits right on the corner and across the street from the Jerry Klein City Park and the City of Albuquerque Tennis Courts.

Jerry Cline Park is named after APD Police Officer Jerry Cline who was shot and killed while on duty. The Jerry Cline Tennis Courts located at the city park were originally located on the Southwest corner of Louisiana and Indian School where a small strip mall now strands with a Pier One Imports, Le Peep Restaurant and a “Ruth Crist’s” Steakhouse. The Ruth Crist’s Steakhouse is located in the original location of “Baily’s Fine Men’s Wear and Apparel” and at the time was the most expensive men’s garment store in Albuquerque.

ONE AND TWO PARK SQUARE TWIN BUILDINGS

Located at 6565 Americas Parkway, NE, South of Indian School and West of Louisiana, and in the heart of uptown Albuquerque, Park Square is an urban development that integrates office, retail and restaurant space. The complex consists of two 10-story office buildings (each containing 200,000 square feet) and a 43,000-square-foot retail arcade. One Park Square was completed in 1985; Two Park Square was completed in 1989. The law firm of Campbell, Pica and Olson, PA was located in One Park Square and employed as an assciate Pete Dinell. The law firm Sutin, Thayer and Brown was also located in one Park Square and at one time had an entire floor on the premises of the building when it opened.

The office buildings are clad in a buff-colored precast concrete with warm-toned windows and teal green painted mullions. The office buildings have been placed on the site adjacent to each other and facing a large plaza that serves as a convenient drop-off point for tenants and visitors. The two buildings were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

https://www.hines.com/properties/two-park-square-albuquerque

THE CITADEL BUILDING

The Citadel Building, nicknamed the Darth Vader Building, is a 9-story office building that completed in 1997. It is a totally jet-black window glass and black façade building with a silver line along the top that runs down the sides. Because of the shape of the building and the black façade, the building resembles the helmet of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, hence the nickname. The design of the building and the black color was originally intended to look like a piece of San Illfonso black pottery made famous by Maria Preveka. The law firm of Sager and Houston, PA at one time was located in One Park Square and employed as an Associate Attorney Pete Dinelli.

ABQ UPTOWN APARTMENT COMPLEXES

The Uptown Park apartments are studio and 1 and two-bedroom apartments located at 6200 Indian School Rd NE that were built around 1965. In 1978, Pete Dinelli rented a one room apartment for $125 at Uptown Apartments about the size of a dormitory room in order to study for the New Mexico Bar and recalls never getting his damage deposit back.

The Warren Park Apartments located at 6230 Indian School and directly East of the Uptown Park Apartment were also built around 1965.

Around the year 2000, the 4 story Woodmark Assisted Living complex located at 7201 Prospect Pl NE) was opened and provides extensive home care facilities.

ABQ Uptown Apartments were built in 2008 and located at 2222 Uptown Loop, NE, North of Indian School and East of Louisiana. It has rental units of studio apartments and 1,2, 3-bedroom apartments ranging from 603-1,671 square feet. The ABQ Uptown Apartment Complex consists of a number of separate 3 story building.

ABQ UPTOWN HOTEL BUILDINGS

SHERATON HOTEL (FORMERLY THE “CLASSIC” HOTEL)

The Sheraton Hotel is an 8-story hotel located on the North East corner of Louisiana and Menaul and was completed in 1980 and was originally the “Classic Hotel”. It was built by George G. Maloof, Senior and completed in 1980. George G. Maloof and his family were also the original owners of First National Bank in Albuquerque and the owners of the COORS Beer Distributorship for New Mexico. The Classic Hotel and was originally intended to be a “luxury hotel”. On January 14, 1984, Betty and Pete Dinelli spent their honeymoon at the Classic Hotel and after 34 years remain happily married.

George G. Maloof passed away before the Classic was completed. After the passing of George Maloof Sr, his wife Colleen and her sons George Jr., Gavin, Phil and daughter Adriaenne Maloof, took over the Maloof business operations and expanded tremendously. The Maloofs eventually sold the Classic, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and eventually buildt the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Maloof’s purchased the Sacramento Kings basketball team. Daughter Adrianne Maloof is one of the original stars in the Real Housewife’s of Beverly Hills.

THE MARRIOTT HOTEL

In 1981, the 15 story, Marriott Hotel was built in Uptown just off I-40Louisiana and the freeway. The hotel is directly south of the Park Square commercial office building. The Hotel has 21 event rooms with a large ballroom that can be converted into smaller event rooms. The Hotel has undergone a number of renovations over the years to keep it updated and competitive. In 2013, Pete Dinelli was running for Mayor of Albuquerque and debated his opponents in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott.

Around the year 2000, two suite hotels, the 6 story Homewood Hilton Suites, 7101 Arvada Ave., NE and the 6 story Hyatte Place Suites, 6901 Arvada Ave NE, were opened for business. The Hilton Garden Inn ABQ Uptown is a 7-story hotel that was opened for business in 2008 and is located just off I-40 and Louisiana Blvd.

“UPTOWN ALBUQUERQUE” BECOMES THE NEW DOWNTOWN RETAIL AREA

The “Downtown Albuquerque” of 1952 to 1965 has become the government and financial district for the city with the location of city hall, the City/County Government Center, the Court District with the Metro Court, State District Court, and the DA’s Office and the Federal Courts The Social Security Administration, the main bank branches of Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Bank of the West, Compass Bank and other banks and government agencies are also all downtown.

Downtown Albuquerque slowly but surely is beginning to see a return to its heyday of 70 years ago with residential, apartment and condo developments occurring and the development of the rail yards, but it is doubtful it will ever reach the same quaint pinnacle it was from 1952 to 1965.

The center of Albuquerque and the new “downtown” area for commercial and retail is the Uptown Area of the city consisting of Coronado Shopping Center, the many shops at the Commons at Uptown, and the WINROCK development.

The WINROCK development will include even more retail shops and even luxury housing when it’s done not to mention all the restaurants that have popped up in the area with even more planned including commercial office space in the area.

Time does indeed march on even for cities as does a city’s vibrant commercial and retail area.

A link to the first article is here:

A Brief History of Downtown Albuquerque: 1952 to 2019

On Monday, April 22, 2019, the Albuquerque Journal published a “guest editorial” commentary written by Albuquerque Police Chief Michael Geier.

The commentary outlines the city’s efforts to close the loophole on background checks for all gun sales and more importantly giving the reasons why.

Below is the guest editorial in full with the Albuquerque Journal link, followed by statistical information, further Commentary and Analysis and related articles.

JOURNAL HEADLINE: APD IS ON THE CASE FOR NEW BACKGROUND CHECKS LAW

BY MIKE GEIER / CHIEF OF POLICE, ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Monday, April 22nd, 2019 at 12:02am

“While most categories of crime continue to decline, the one notable exception is gun violence. For that reason, the Albuquerque Police Department is engaging in a multi-prong approach to work with communities to address this challenge. One tool that will help is the new state law that closes the loophole on background checks for gun sales.

Many of my law enforcement colleagues pointed out during the recent legislative debate that this new law will be difficult to enforce. The Journal raised similar concerns in an editorial April 13, “Background check on gun sales difficult to enforce.” But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make our state safer.

In fact, we have a responsibility to keep up with technology by trying to disrupt illegal gun sales that are taking place online. Just as consumers in general are turning to online sales and transactions, we see criminals using the same tools to sell and purchase stolen items of all types, including firearms. Our Organized Crime Unit is adept at monitoring common Web sites and social media used for these sales. We are recovering more guns at crime scenes that were purchased by convicted felons who use online avenues to hide their identities.

Now that we have closed the background check loophole, we can go after these illegal sales, even if takes more effort. And we have a powerful deterrent when offenders have to think twice about going online to find a gun, or even set up illegal, private purchases on the streets.

Other states have implemented background checks on all gun sales and have seen real results. On average, states that require background checks on all gun sales see a 10 percent reduction in homicide rates. Responsible gun owners will need to play their part by ensuring a background check accompanies the sale of a firearm, and those who disregard this new law must know that law enforcement will hold them accountable when the law breaking comes to light.

Only time will tell how much this new tool will help law enforcement. In Albuquerque, we aren’t waiting. We will enforce the law, while at the same time engaging with communities to end gun violence. We are addressing gun violence through data-driven and problem-oriented policing, new technology to track gun violence, addressing community concerns, researching the roots of gun crimes, and sharing information with other law enforcement agencies. We are also addressing crimes like domestic violence, illegal narcotics and gang activity that are compounded by the presence of firearms.

As police chief, I am proud of the hard work by every person in the department, from patrol officers and detectives to civilians who support us every day. They deserve the credit for every success we see as crime goes down; likewise, they need our support to effectively tackle challenges like gun violence.”

Below is the Albuquerque Journal link to the guest column:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1305541/apd-is-on-the-case-of-new-background-checks-law-ex-while-most-categories-of-crime-continue-to-decline-the-one-notable-exception-is-gun-violence.html

VIOLENT CRIME FOR TWO YEARS

The yearly numbers of homicides, aggravated assaults (defined as assaults with a deadly weapon), non-fatal shootings, robberies and rape for the last two years and the first quarter of 2019 gives an accurate picture of the city’s violent crime problems with guns.

Following are the sobering statistics:

HOMICIDES FOR TWO YEARS
2017: 72 (First 6 months: 33)
2018: 65 (First 6 months:39)
Change: -10% (First 6 months -18.2%)

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT FOR TWO YEARS
2017: 4,213 (First 6 months: 1,957)
2018: 3,885 (First 6 months: 1,851)
Change: -8 (First 6 months: -5.4)

NON-FATAL SHOOTINGS FOR TWO YEARS
2017: 470 (First 6 months: 60)
2018: 491 (First 6 months: 63)
Change: +4 (First 6 months: +5.0%)

ROBBERY FOR TWO YEARS
2017: 2,930 (First 6 months: 1,467)
2018: 1,887 (First 6 months: 1,012)
Change: -36% (First 6 months: -31%)

RAPE FOR TWO YEARS
2017: 473 (First 6 months: 236)
2018: 461 (First 6 months: 226)
Change: -3% (First six months -4.2)

http://www.petedinelli.com/2018/12/28/abqs-crime-rates-going-down-but-abq-still-a-violent-city/

On March 30, 2019, the Albuquerque Police Department released the City’s crime statistics for the first quarter of 2019 which runs from January to March of 2019.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/apd-most-crime-is-down-but-non-fatal-shootings-are-up/5299172/?cat=500

The specific highlights in violent crime categories for the first quarter of 2019 were:

Homicide: down 24% with 14 homicides reported (Spiked to 21 by April 16)
Rape: down 7%
Robbery: down 22%
Aggravated Assault: down 4%

In the first quarter 2019 report, the city saw an increase in nonfatal shootings. According to the statistics, non-fatal shootings went up 12% and there have been 131 nonfatal shootings the first quarter of the year compared to last year’s number of 114.

DECLARING GUN VIOLENCE “PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT”

On April 8, 2019, APD Officials announced several proactive and reactive initiatives designed to combat gun violence in the City and declaring gun violence a public health risk, initiatives touched on by Chief Geier in his commentary.

The specific initiatives announced include:

1. Using data from APD’s Real Time Crime Center to focus on areas with a heavy concentration of gun violence and identify any patterns and putting more officers in those areas.

2. Forming units of officers called Problem Response Teams in each area command. The Problem Response Teams will be made up of officers who don’t take calls for service but will be available to help community members as they need it. After a violent crime, the teams, along with Albuquerque Fire Rescue, will visit the neighborhood and provide resources or information.

3. Identifying those who are selling firearms illegally to felons or juveniles.

4. Working with agencies and universities to conduct research on gun violence as a public health issue.

5. Implementing a standardized shooting response protocol that police must follow within the first 72 hours of a reported crime. APD intends to collect and test all casings at shooting scenes and intends to purchase new equipment and technology that can assist detectives in investigating gun crimes.

6. APD is in the process of hiring additional personnel for the crime lab and securing technology that will increase efficiency around DNA testing including automating the entire unit. The unit that tests DNA and the unit that tests latent fingerprints will be split in an attempt to reduce a backlog of evidence that needs to be tested.

7. Increasing the use of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network and the Problem Response Teams. The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network program is used to identify which guns have been used in multiple crimes by analyzing all casings they can find at violent crime scenes where a firearm has been discharged.

8. Use of a placard police officers can hang on doors to encourage residents to call with information about a crime.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1301057/police-to-focus-on-gun-violence.html

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Bringing down violent crime involving guns, such as murders and domestic violence, is always more difficult because of entwined issues such as substance abuse, the disintegration of families and many times the failure of law enforcement to respond and social services to respond to warning signs.

A murder is usually committed when another crime is being committed such as armed robbery or domestic violence or it’s a crime committed in the heat of anger and a gun is readily available. Most victims who are murdered know their killer.

It’s difficult at best to bring down homicide rates, but it can be done when you bring down other violent crime such as armed robbery, aggravated assaults, illicit drug offenses and domestic violence.

The increase in nonfatal shootings is a reflection that Albuquerque is a violent city with a culture of violence that will be extremely difficult at best to eliminate.

Twenty eight counties and municipalities in the state that have passed “gun sanctuary resolutions” in defiance to the legislative gun control measures and they are engaging in “feel good” legislation to merely make a political statement.

Any law enforcement official who declares they will not enforce the new background checks laws is proclaiming and making an admission of negligence.

Law enforcement is not above the law, they cannot “pick an choose” what laws to enforce, nor can they decline to enforce laws that their city’s citizens or constituents do not want enforced, which is not how law enforcement works.

The opposing counties and municipalities would better serve their residents and constituencies if they were to promulgate and implement policy measures and provide funding to help the Sheriff’s and Police enforce the law regarding background checks and perhaps fund such services free of charge for their constituents.

The City should provide funding to APD to hire sufficient staff who have a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) clearance to do the “background checks” free of charge for the general public or for a very nominal fee.

If APD does in fact bring down the city’s homicide rate by 10% with the background checks as suggested by chief Geier, it will be worth it and it will save lives.

Only time will tell if APD’s new initiatives are successful, and we all most hope they are for the safety of our families and ourselves.

POSTSCRIPT

Following are links to related blog articles:

“I Will Not Enforce The Law” Admission Of Negligence By Law Enforcement

Background Checks Proposed In “Gun Culture” New Mexico

Four Very Violent Days In A Violent City; APD Declares Violent Crime As “Public Health Issue”

On Satuday, April 4, 2019, the Albuquerque Journal publish an UPFRONT article story on the sudden passing of Judge Pat Murdock written by reporter Joline Gutierrez Krueger.

The article captured the essence of the man, his career and his character.

Below is the article in full with the Journal link and followed by further memorial comments.

HEADLINE: “Judge wasn’t perfect, but he was very good”

“ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Years ago, the bailiff for then-state District Judge Albert S. “Pat” Murdoch remarked about how her boss was the judge most sought after by prosecutors, defense attorneys and law enforcement officers alike because of his judicial acumen, accessibility, fairness, firmness and mercy.

“Everyone loves him here,” she said.

But beyond the courtroom was another matter. Those with less loving thoughts knew Murdoch only by rumor and what they heard on radio talk shows or the nightly news.

They held a general disdain for Albuquerque’s judicial system – and for many, Murdoch was the face of that system.

They typically had never met him – or had while in shackles and jail scrubs.

So Murdoch’s bailiff said she often didn’t tell strangers whom she worked for.

It was 2008, the year her boss had shocked the city by sentencing decorated Marine and Iraq War veteran Elton Richard to two years of hard time and heavy restitution for chasing down and killing a would-be burglar. Murdoch reversed his sentence four months later, granting Richard probation and remarking that he had struggled with the case more than any other as a judge for the 2nd Judicial District.

Murdoch weathered the storm of criticism as usual, won his retention election that year and got on with his duties as the presiding judge of the overburdened criminal division in Bernalillo County, carrying one of the heaviest dockets in the state, overseeing grand juries, keeping himself available at all hours to sign warrants and answer media inquiries and helping new judges learn the ropes.

As a longtime criminal justice reporter, I had come to respect Murdoch. I had spent countless hours in his courtroom, wrote his formal name – including the curious “Pat” in quotation marks – so many times that it was second nature.

Nearly every horrible, high-profile case I covered – the rape and murder of Baby Miranda, the fatal shooting of five people across the city in a day, the gangland torture and execution of a teenager in a city park – had been before Murdoch.

He was a good judge, and I was a witness to that.

Two years later, I bumped into Murdoch’s bailiff in, of all places, a Denver restaurant. She had left the courthouse to pursue her dream of going to culinary school.

We talked about how Murdoch had been like a father to her, a kind but demanding boss who worked long, hard hours taking cases no other judge wanted to touch.

Childhood polio required him to use crutches and kept him from growing beyond 5 feet tall, but to her he was a giant among men.

He was that to many of us.

“He’s such a good judge, a brave man,” she said. “If you don’t like him, you don’t know him.”

A year later, Murdoch was also gone from the courthouse. In a stinging, stunning fall from grace, he was arrested in 2011 on salacious charges involving a prostitute suspected of trying to extort him.

The charges never stuck – they were dropped a month later and never refiled – and they had the stink of something retaliatory, shady or weird.

But the damage was done. Murdoch knew that the law he loved and the job he had done so well were lost to him. He immediately stepped down from the bench. He showed up at his arraignment, a rare thing for high-profile defendants who typically hide from the cruel spotlight and scrutiny.

Less than a week later, he agreed to resign and never again serve as a judge in New Mexico.

He left behind 1,433 cases on his docket, a lot of broken hearts and a large hole at the Bernalillo County Courthouse.

Even that did not totally crush Murdoch. He posted occasional jokes, words of encouragement and comments on Facebook, continued his work with a wheelchair basketball team, maintained friendships with the many people who knew that he was much more than his sins and his shortcomings.

He died Monday, almost a month after turning 67 on his St. Patrick’s Day birthday. Those who had practiced before him – judges, prosecutors, attorneys, law enforcement officers, past and present – grieved his passing, paying tribute to his legacy and his friendship on Facebook posts.

Those who didn’t know him were less charitable, the distinction between the righteous and the wicked blurred by time and Google searches.

It was like his bailiff had said years ago: If you didn’t like him, you didn’t know him.

Murdoch was not a perfect man. We knew that. And maybe that’s what made him a good judge.

We knew that, too.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1305146/judge-wasnt-perfect-but-he-was-very-good.html

MEMORIAL COMMENTARY

I graduated in 1970 from Del Norte High School with Judge Pat Murdock and considered him a dear friend.

Pat was truly an exceptional human being and an inspiration throughout his life.

From a professional stand point, I appeared before him many times as a prosecutor when I was Chief Deputy District Attorney and remember his leadership and guidance from the bench during some very troubling times and cases.

We would often talk in his chambers about what was going on in the political world.

He was a man of compassion and was deeply respected by the New Mexico bar, both the defense and the prosecution.

If all of our District Court Judge’s had just half of his talent and ability, especially dealing with our criminal justice system, things would be a lot better.

I will remember that he always tried to find the good in people, even when he himself was not treated so good in his life by people, even with those he was forced to work with and who were critical of him and his decisions as a judge.

His smile, wit, humor and that contagious laugh will be remembered by me, not to mention his extreme pride in his Irish heritage.

I have no doubt the Lord greeted him at the front gate talking to him in an Irish accent and said to him “Top of da mooorning to ya Patrick Spencer Murdock, walk right in and find a place and get comfortable.”

Vija Con Dios, Mi Hermano.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Visitation 6-8 p.m. Monday at French Funerals, 7121 Wyoming NE. Funeral services 2 p.m. Tuesday at the same location.