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Old 06-05-2007, 10:53 AM
 
Location: Metro Milwaukee, WI
3,198 posts, read 12,669,447 times
Reputation: 2241

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As for that whole COPS thing, yes, sadly that show gave Albuquerque a much rougher reputation nationally than what is really the case.

The funny thing...the Albuquerque Journal ran a front-page story a couple of years ago after Mayor Martin Chavez banned COPS from filming shows here any more - they interviewed the main producers of the show. The producers of the show indicated that the sole reason that they had filmed so many episodes here was one reason: they liked the weather here so much!

Seriously...they said it wasn't because the crime was especially more notable here than in any other big city...but they liked the weather here so they liked to come here and shoot.

I came here from the Midwest (Milwaukee, WI) and I heard all about the COPS stuff from concerned people there, as well as relatives I have in Denver, CO who should know better due to the geographic proximity to ABQ. But it isn't really their "fault"...they just didn't know ABQ really well and saw the same thing on COPS that you did.

But just remember: a show like COPS could make any city - be it Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Phoenix, L.A., Houston, Dallas, Miami, etc. - look like an utter and complete crime-filled rat's nest if they wished. They just pick the "worst parts" of the city filled with the most crime and shoot, and that gives the impression of the city. That is what they did with COPS in ABQ. They were in the SE coridor of Albuquerque along Central where much of the crime is confined (and where you'd never consider living anyway) and painted (I believe unintentionally) a foolish picture of Albuquerque as a whole.

You didn't see the COPS people shooting in the NE Heights, Rio Rancho, West Side Albuquerque, the North Valley, the Uptown area, Corrales, etc. I would have loved to have seen a COPS from the Tanoan Communities or Los Ranchos de Albuquerque!

So...I do not blame you for being concerned from what you saw on TV. But from a young father of two young children who lives in Albuquerque in an absolutely quiet, safe, serene, beautiful atmosphere, let me assure you that the COPS stuff isn't any more reflective of this area as a whole than it is for any other city reflected on that show.
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Old 06-10-2007, 02:35 PM
 
5 posts, read 13,086 times
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Wow! You have all been very helpful. I am taking notes now, so I know they will come in handy as we get closer to the move and begin looking for a home. Rotorhead, you are right on the money. My older daughter will begin first grade there in ABQ and my younger daughter may or may not begin school there, depending on what the Army has in store for us. And as for the COPS thing, I completely agree about how that show can give any city a bad name. I am from Nashville originally and COPS has filmed there quite a few times. It's hard to believe that crime like that goes on there because I always lived in a nice, quiet area there, but you're right...it's in every city. There are always good and bad parts of town no matter where you live.
Thank you all again so much. This forum has been a great resource for me and I appreciate all of your input.
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Old 10-29-2007, 11:01 PM
 
Location: Eagan, Minnesota
751 posts, read 1,167,460 times
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Default Cops TV Series

I was wondering what the locals think about the COPS episodes filmed in Albuquerque?. Is it bad exposure or are you Ok with that?? I have to admit that before I saw the very first COPS in Albuquerque, I did not know anything about the area and had never heard anything about Albuquerque. The first time I saw COPS in Albuquerque, I was amazed by the adobe homes and the distinct look of the city, in a way, watching COPS definitely influenced my decision to move to the area. Last night, they had back to back COPS in Albuquerque and I find them SO incredibly amusing and fun to watch. It is definitely not the same as watching COPS in Ft Worth. There is always some bizarre/odd twist to the stuff you see in ABQ. One of my favorite ones is the Mexican lady that does not speak English and has a big parakeet in her house, she calls the COPS almost every day because she misses her husband that passed away. She was actually featured twice
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Old 10-30-2007, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Metro Milwaukee, WI
3,198 posts, read 12,669,447 times
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There was an article in the Albuquerque Journal over a year ago about all of the frequent COPS episodes that were filmed in Albuquerque. Mayor Martin Chavez (and many others) hated how often COPS filmed in ABQ, as it gave a perception nationally of Albuquerque being terribly crime-laden (which is certainly is not) and overall gave off a highly unfair negative stigma. People essentially thought, "Hey, all I know about Albuquerque is that I see them on COPS every other episode - what a bad place that must be."

However, the producers of the show stated firmly in the article that there really was only one reason why they filmed in ABQ so frequently: they really liked the weather / climate.

To thoughtful, logical people, I don't think it mattered much if COPS was filmed in ABQ or not - most will realize that in any city of size (eg: a metro area over 500,000), you would be able to film horrific-COPS-esque scenes. However, due to people not thinking / realizing that, it gave off a highly unfair stigma to ABQ, and thus overall was probably not a good thing to have them filming there so often.
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Old 10-30-2007, 02:13 PM
 
Location: Eagan, Minnesota
751 posts, read 1,167,460 times
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When I came back to Minnesota, I met this guy from Boston and I told him that I had lived in Albuquerque. He said "Oh, Albuquerque! They have a lot of tranvestites there". He was referring to a couple of the COPS in Albuqurque episodes where they show some pretty bizarre transvestites being arrested.
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Old 10-30-2007, 07:26 PM
 
Location: Albuquerque, NM
1,418 posts, read 4,901,074 times
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I believe COPs has been banned from filming in Albuquerque. It was because a big convention was supposed to come here, but then the head hancho of the convention saw an episode of Cops Albuquerque and cancelled. That was the last straw for Marty.
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Old 02-15-2008, 10:12 PM
 
Location: Metro Milwaukee, WI
3,198 posts, read 12,669,447 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Some Random Guy View Post
4. What are crime statistics like in either city??
Albuquerque - for a city of its size (usually classified as a mid-sized or big-sized city) - has slightly below average crime stats comparatively. Not horrible, but slightly below average.

Albuquerque also has a very unwarranted national reputation as being a higher crime city. This was formed - as foolish as it sounds but this is true - because it was featured often on the nationally distributed TV hit series "Cops"...people always saw ABQ on the show, and thought "wow, is ABQ a bad place." In reality, COPS was filmed in ABQ so frequently because the producers of the show really liked the climate in ABQ...nothing more or less - they liked the weather and wanted to be there. The scenes filmed in COPS in ABQ sadly could've been filmed in most any big city any night of the week.

ABQ as I said does have slightly below average crime rates, but I just think one would be foolish to refuse the city based on crime stats. There are so many parts of ABQ - the majority - like other big cities - where it is so extremely safe and relatively crime free outside of small petty stuff. Parts like most of the NE Heights, the Northwest side, the West Side, the North Valley, Rio Rancho and Corrales (suburbs), much of Downtown, Nob Hill, the Uptown area, the Foothills, the newer portions of the SE Heights - this is a significant majority of the city - is very safe.

There are, like most other big cities, portions of the city that are especially crime-ridden and you'd probably want to avoid. But like you would in any other big city, you learn those areas, you avoid them, and you don't have a problem.

Las Cruces' crime rates are pretty darn good. Again, it is a city of less than 100,000 people, so crime isn't as big of a deal in a smaller town than it is in a bigger city like ABQ. Crime does exist here too, and I would say that if you lived in the majority of ABQ that is fairly crime free, you would feel about the same in Las Cruces as you would in ABQ.

If you just use a hare of common sense, crime shouldn't be a major issue in either city.

Last edited by Poncho_NM; 02-19-2014 at 11:08 AM..
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Old 07-29-2008, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Alto
185 posts, read 486,702 times
Reputation: 208
Default Is it all relative?

It is kind of funny that Cops and similar shows seem to always have a segment filmed in Albuquerque! (Surprised the Chamber of Commerace hasn't put up a stink about that). But does seem unfair to NM. Maybe our experience in NM has been sheltered, but we've always felt a whole lot safer there than we do in Minnesota-and even outside of the big cities. Yes, you can read about drunks and breakins but it sure seems like NM doesn't have the killings and rapings like we always hear about on the local news. Could it be NM deals with the bad guys a little different than the yankee liberals do? Had a middle age dad get beat up at a local MN amusement park over the 4th by a bunch of "ferrell" youth. Seems one of the thugs slapped the guy's 16 year old daughter on the rear, and when the guy said something, the punk called a bunch of his buddies to "come take care of these B**ches". Guy still in the hospital and the 7 punks are back on the street. Have a feeling NM would have dealt with these punks different than Minnesota did!
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Old 08-01-2008, 01:18 AM
 
3,422 posts, read 10,868,129 times
Reputation: 2006
Cops is no longer filmed in ABQ. I think Marty put an end to that b/c of the bad publicity, didn't he?
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Old 08-01-2008, 01:07 PM
 
Location: Santa Fe
713 posts, read 1,839,362 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lisdol View Post
Cops is no longer filmed in ABQ. I think Marty put an end to that b/c of the bad publicity, didn't he?
Yep, they don't allow Cops to film in ABQ anymore.
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