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[SIZE=2]I've lived in the Baltimore/Wasington D.C. area. Washington has just about the same amount of people as ABQ (500-600K?). I've heard more crimes coming out of the D.C. area than in ABQ. I'm wondering what types of crimes are there in ABQ? D.C. has gun violence, gangs (not as bad as where I live now, Chicago), etc. Probably the reason I don't hear much about crime in ABQ, NM is because it's a big state with small population (under 2 million for the entire NM state, correct?).
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Most of ABQ's crime is uninteresting and predictable; domestic violence, drug-related.
Making the choice to avoid high-risk activity (drugs, gangs, prostitution, living in a violent household) makes your personal crime risk exceptionally safe here. And, unlike DC, it's easier to do here.
It's not perfect in Albuquerque, but you could do a lot worse.
We lived about 200 yards south of Rio Rancho in the NW part of Albuquerque for 3 years (04-07)
There may have been more serious crimes, but all I was aware of in our neighborhood was some graffitti (by wannabes) and breaking into cars (by really stupid kids, see story I'm going to post). I heard about some shoplifting problems down at the Walmart.
In 2007, my dh went out to start his car one morning, but there was no sound, nothing. So he pulled my car out, put it in front of his and popped the hoods to jump the battery. Except the battery was missing.
My dh had a bad habit of leaving his car door unlocked. The first time they stole the cigarette lighter. The second time, the car battery. We're country music fans, so they left the CDs.
Now the truly stupid part:
My dh had just gotten a brand new, cordless, top of the line DeWalt power tool set. He left the drill, a charger, a spare battery and his brand new laptop sitting in the backseat. On the seat next to the door he left unlocked. They had to climb OVER this stuff to pop the hood to steal the $40 battery. (The police said "they" did this a lot so they could power up their "bad a**" go carts. lol
They caught the idiots who broke into my next door neighbor's car. They smashed a window, stole a couple dollars in change, took a couple CDs - and left their own laptop in the front passenger seat.
In most parts of town, the crime is NOWHERE NEAR DC levels.
good to know about the crime. i didn't quite get it when people post here that make it sound (exaggerated) about the crimes in ABQ and NM altogether. Like it's the end of the world or not as "they had hoped for" type of leave-it-to-beaver, cookie-cutter, whatever type of utopia that is delusionally expected in ABQ, NM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sskkc
We lived about 200 yards south of Rio Rancho in the NW part of Albuquerque for 3 years (04-07)
There may have been more serious crimes, but all I was aware of in our neighborhood was some graffitti (by wannabes) and breaking into cars (by really stupid kids, see story I'm going to post). I heard about some shoplifting problems down at the Walmart.
In 2007, my dh went out to start his car one morning, but there was no sound, nothing. So he pulled my car out, put it in front of his and popped the hoods to jump the battery. Except the battery was missing.
My dh had a bad habit of leaving his car door unlocked. The first time they stole the cigarette lighter. The second time, the car battery. We're country music fans, so they left the CDs.
Now the truly stupid part:
My dh had just gotten a brand new, cordless, top of the line DeWalt power tool set. He left the drill, a charger, a spare battery and his brand new laptop sitting in the backseat. On the seat next to the door he left unlocked. They had to climb OVER this stuff to pop the hood to steal the $40 battery. (The police said "they" did this a lot so they could power up their "bad a**" go carts. lol
They caught the idiots who broke into my next door neighbor's car. They smashed a window, stole a couple dollars in change, took a couple CDs - and left their own laptop in the front passenger seat.
In most parts of town, the crime is NOWHERE NEAR DC levels.
I think it's important to have a good grasp on the crime potential and reality in ABQ,
but having spent a great deal of my life in or around Washington, DC, I agree with
sskkc that there is NO comparison between the two cities.
At times I suspect that a form of reverse snobbery comes into play; the kind of thing
where two strangers are talking and one starts in about how bad his traffic is and
the other insists that Oh No! his is so much worse....
I spoke to our local drive-around patrol cop about 8 months ago about property
crime in my area and he said that, to the best of his knowledge, there had been
none in several years. That doesn't mean that I leave my doors and windows open
when I'm out of the house, but I don't feel any real pressure, either.
The only time my laptop is ever in my car is when I'm also in my
car. I don't leave it in there when I stop to go to the grocery
store or a restaurant on the road. I always assume that this
time is the time I'm going to have my car broken into.
I can't imagine leaving it in my car over night.
The same goes for a power tool set.
Actually, the same goes for my car.
It's always in the garage at night.
good to know about the crime. i didn't quite get it when people post here that make it sound (exaggerated) about the crimes in ABQ and NM altogether. Like it's the end of the world or not as "they had hoped for" type of leave-it-to-beaver, cookie-cutter, whatever type of utopia that is delusionally expected in ABQ, NM.
I think part of the perception is due to the extreme poverty in this state that is not as well hidden as it is in other parts of the country. It is not uncommon to see poorly maintained homes, cars, etc. right next door to a more inviting home or area and this can be quite unsettling to some new visitors.
Couple that with the fact that there are numerous military bases in the state, with their attendant 'entertainments' and multiple Indian reservations, housing some of the poorest of the poor, and the general perception can easily be interpreted as one of Old West style 'lawlessness.'
Also, New Mexico is a really big state with relatively few people. The utter expansiveness and the distance between cities can be unsettling for people used to seeing 'civilization' everywhere.
I grew up in, and lived most of my life in the NYC metro area, and I feel safer in New Mexico than I ever felt in the northeast.
The expansiveness and distance, along with dark skies, are the reasons I am so attracted to New Mexico. The reasons I like Socorro are simple. It is a small city with medical facilities and an internationally recognized college within a short motorcycle ride of complete wilderness. Another reason is the weather. I live in southern New Hampshire and this is the first day in three weeks the high temperature for the day cleared freezing. I have been tracking Socorro and the daily low temperatures have been higher than our highs. I am getting too old to enjoy cold any more if you know what I mean.
Even though I have had my old car damaged by would be thieves, I am not really concerned by crime either here or in New Mexico. I avoid the places I consider truly dangerous most of the time but even if I do go there I am just a bit more observant.
[SIZE=2]I've lived in the Baltimore/Wasington D.C. area. Washington has just about the same amount of people as ABQ (500-600K?). I've heard more crimes coming out of the D.C. area than in ABQ. I'm wondering what types of crimes are there in ABQ? D.C. has gun violence, gangs (not as bad as where I live now, Chicago), etc. Probably the reason I don't hear much about crime in ABQ, NM is because it's a big state with small population (under 2 million for the entire NM state, correct?).[/SIZE]
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part of the reason you dont hear about crime in ABQ is cause its in NM and its a small mid-sized city, I mean c'mon, how much crime do you actually hear about in other cities, the national news is mostly focused on CA,NY,Chicago and FL.
there is tons of crime in New Orleans,Cleveland,Atlanta and Detroit, you just dont hear about it.
there are some crimes here that could make national news, and if they did, I just didnt know about it.
the 12 bodies they found in the desert
the guy that shot his baby in the head
the mom that killed her baby then burried him in a sandbox at a local park
the guy that drove a big truck through a neighborhood tearing up cars
the guy that shot down a police helicopter and it landed in a neighborhood
the guy that killed 2 cops and 3 others in 1 day
the many corruption cases
this one is a while back but a 15 y/o and his friend took turns raping and beating a UNM student, then they raped her again after they killed her
the guy that shot down a police helicopter and it landed in a neighborhood
Whoa... I must have been in Houston during that episode...
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lol 
