Just Moved Here, And Feeling Unsafe (Albuquerque: high crime, buying a house, safe neighborhood)

[Danbo1957]

Good grief Todd, get a grip on reality:

In 2008, NYC had 523 murders and 25,000 aggravated assaults; ABQ had 38 murders and 2900 aggravated assaults. And concerning NYC rape statistics, there were around 1400 rapes in 2008, an INCREASE from previous years' totals:

http://www.nysun.com/new-york/murder...tistics/81211/

[ziaAirmac]

It's been said before by many of the posters in Albuquerque, without agenda: Visit first. And I don't mean stay in a hotel room and take trips out to special locations. Check the place out. Albuquerque, like any city, is a blend of positives and negatives. Like any relationship, it's more complex than: 'it seems like there's a lot of crime, this is a bad city.'. Each person has to find out if the blend of positives and negatives come out as a plus for their personality.

Without judgement or negative connotation, I have to say that I want to laugh when I read posts like the thread starter. This past week I: hit the Botanical Gardens with my daughters to meet old friends visiting town, cycled to a few local parks to let the girls play (at one, they enjoyed a meal courtesy of the city), visited with a clerk at my local grocery store that knows my family well enough to chat about how things are going in our lives as he checks us out, got some babysitting to get a date night with my wife out at Crazy Fish sushi, then walked up to Starbucks to enjoy a Chai and people watch. Met friends at a pool for a pool afternoon and completed the dozens of errands a working house with two businesses and two toddlers needs to complete to keep running.

Was it without negatives? Of course not: Some homies decided it would be funny to lay on their horn, then take off in our neighborhood.....at 2:30 in the morning. When I called to report it, I was asked: "Did you see a weapon?" suggesting they needed to be preparing for a drive-by to warrant a police response. The local Sears auto did more damage to my car than they fixed, and they're completely ducking responsibility. I'm going ten rounds with them over it. Some jack off in a land yahct (SUV) parked in a compact car spot, but decided my car should get dinged when he got in later even though I was perfectly centered in my adjacent spot. Am I going to leave Albuquerque over that stuff? Nope. I had a great week with friends and the girls, got some good gardening in and enjoyed a couple decent sunsets.

If you look at the facts of your post, the most aggressive thing that you described was being glared at. You have perceptions and feelings, but have no real experience with the crime you're worried about. Do you need to be aware of your surroundings and live smart (don't leave a stack of CD's in your car next to your GPS and laptop bag.)? Sure you do, just as you would in any city. But you relate more worry than what you've actually experienced warrants, so maybe it is just the adjustment period, or maybe Albuquerque's particular mix of positives and negatives don't weigh out right to warrant a long term relationship with you.

Harvest festivals, shopping in Nob Hill, hiking in the foothills, cycling on the Bosque Trail, enjoying the Botanical Gardens, the upstairs patio at Seasons or the Monte Vista Fire Station, that's my Albuquerque. And a car full of homies with a horn aren't going to keep me from it.

[ziaAirmac]

Skyszlimit, I'm with 1/4lifecrisis. Don't just drop a bomb, how about some leaflets to let us know about your experience. As relative newcomers you're experience is quite valuable to people considering Albuquerque.

[malamute]

It surprised me to know that New Mexico is one of the top unsafest states and Albuquerque has so much crime.

It probably does have to do with people shutting their eyes and pretending violence and the tragedy of violent crime doesn't really exist and therefore they will never demand anything be done about it.

You can help keep yourself safe by becoming informed and aware of the kind of crime and where it happens. Also by getting involved and fighting crime.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

Some of the statistics regarding crime rates in various cities to which I refer come from the FBI:

Table 4 - Montana through Ohio


Plus, since the New York population numbers in include all five boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Staten Island, it doesn't indicate how safe Manhattan (where I lived) really is.

So my concerns are not purely a matter of ignorance. I've actually done some research.

Thanks Todd, I wanted to make sure you understood the statistics. I never said ABQ was safe, but like the crime rate in the Bronx is higher than Manhattan, there are areas of ABQ which are safer than others.

ABQ or even New Mexico is not for everyone. But you are here and I think you just need to adjust and I think you can do it...


Rich

[casden]

Originally Posted by malamute

It surprised me to know that New Mexico is one of the top unsafest states and Albuquerque has so much crime.

It probably does have to do with people shutting their eyes and pretending violence and the tragedy of violent crime doesn't really exist and therefore they will never demand anything be done about it.

You can help keep yourself safe by becoming informed and aware of the kind of crime and where it happens. Also by getting involved and fighting crime.

I don't think that people in ABQ are "shutting there eyes", I think that because many of them who live there, who know first hand what it's like, and who have not experienced crime, are wondering where these people who suddenly appear on this forum and kvetch about being mugged, and hearing gunshots in church (just adding a little exaggeration to appease the drama queens who are constantly posting how crime is so bad in ABQ), and all these other (sometimes exaggerated, sometimes not) illustrations of what happens.

Those people who are asking about it should take the "padding", or unjustified drama out from some of these posts, and experience the Duke City by actually visiting - they might be surprised that it is the same (as far as crime is concerned) as many, many cities in this country. Trust me - I travel for work and I've been all over this country, and continent - the big cities and the podunk towns.

It's as though the people who post with that much drama, have never lived in a city. It seems that they are either from a small town or an upscale suburb near some city, but never really went to the city - and experienced it first hand. Then they move to the middle of Albuquerque and are paranoid that there going to get shot while their using their toilet! Of course this is my opinion.

Statistically, according to social psychological research, most violent crimes happen between people who know each other (drug dealers and users, family members in flammatory situations, etc.) and not complete strangers walking down the street in a city - any city (including Albuquerque).

In ABQ most crimes are petty crimes like property damage and robbery. I think this following link from the popular (and really cool!) ABQ website called "Duke City Fix" - where a poster tells about the Citizens Police Academy. That's a rellay good start that the people of Albuquerque are trying in order to prevent crimes from happening:

ABQ. CPA:Citizen's Police Academy (APD) - Duke City Fix


Obviously the people who are not complaining about the crime are not "pretending violence and the tragedy of violent crime doesn't really exist", because they know better than to go get involved in those situations, or go to the bad areas, etc. So they are pretty observant and smart, and they have a little "street smarts" - which is wise for anyone who llives in a city. Be aware of surroundings, and avoid bad areas and situations. This may be why they don't see as much crime and feel safer.

[abqsunport]

Something that also has forgotten. Many Police Departments report crimes differently. APD's policy is to report every single crime; whereas many other cities are much looser on the crimes they report. Just by this alone, much crime data becomes biased and skewed with great levels of margin of error.

[berncohomes]

Originally Posted by abqsunport

Something that also has forgotten. Many Police Departments report crimes differently. APD's policy is to report every single crime; whereas many other cities are much looser on the crimes they report. Just by this alone, much crime data becomes biased and skewed with great levels of margin of error.

The police also only report crimes which have been reported to them.

[Fischer_girl]

I am a young, petite female living in Santa Fe. My husband I work completely opposite shifts therefore I am left to fend for myself 90% of the time. I spend my time working in Espanola (seeming far worse than ABQ), living in SF and doing necessary shopping etc in ABQ. We living in a gated community but its sort of a joke. The gate is often stuck open, and stays open far longer than it needs to to let one car come in.
I haven't been here forever..but I have never had anything scary happen to me between the three towns I frequent very often. However, I think a lot of it is being smart. Don't go to the "bad areas" (if there is such a long) at night or alone.
I don't know where you come from but I will say that I felt the same way when I came here. The manner in which certain areas of town (as well as those rural) are kept up are very strange and somewhat sad compared to areas I came from. It was a shock for me at first as well..but than I came to realize that just because people live the way they do does not make them bad, dangerous or scary. In fact..if I had a choice in the matter..I would rather live in ABQ than up this way. I think once you are here awhile you will start to notice that things aren't as bad as they feel, which, as you stated in your origional post, have a lot to do with the disorientation of moving. Give it time..I promise it gets better! I told my husband upon moving here that as soon as one...ONE bad or scary thing happens we are out of here!...well...we're still here!

[rybert]

OMG! Not the War Zone! You're a crazy person, Todd!