Albuquerque Crime (Las Cruces, Rio Rancho: crime rate, how much, safest area)

[JasmineinFL]

After reading the most recent posts about the crime rate in ABQ and NM in general, I haven't been able to stop thinking about a few things:

• I don't mean this to sound snarky, but will I need to be armed (concealed permit) when I get to NM?
• Are most crimes violent (as in I will get shot, robbed and/or raped while filling my gas tank)?
• Is it a life of permantly living in the "red zone" (ie prepared to take fire) or can one live "in the yellow" (cautious and observant)?
• I hear daily news of the horrible violence in Juarez Mexico and have to wonder if it is drifting north?

I don't plan on hanging out in the known "sketchier" parts of town, but it sounds like a person just isn't safe anywhere, be it the NE Heights, East Mountains, or Rio Rancho. Usually, I'm not one to get paranoid about such things, but I am becoming more seriously worried about our upcoming move!

[Poncho_NM]

The crime is what it is. This is not the safest area, nor is it the most dangerous. As long as you are not a victim, then the statistics are worthless. There are countless threads in this forum about the subject, I hope you have searched and read. The quest gets asked several times per week.

I have lived in the area with my wife for 11 years. I have chlidren and grandchildren in the area.

Answers to your four questions are basically NO based on my experiences and what you have provided in your post.

Take an aspirin and relax?

Why do people stay?

Take care,

Rich

[rwjoyak]

Wow, no offense to the OP but...even taking into the negative comments about crime in Abq I've read on C-D, her concerns seem a bit paranoid/really overstated.

IMO Abq is like all big cities and most smaller ones - bad people commit crimes. But they mostly do it in certain areas and mostly to people who do something or have some behavior that causes the bad people to label them as potential victims.

If you don't visit the wrong areas, don't act like a victim and are observant of your surroundings, I think the likelihood that you will become an actual crime victim drop fairly close to zero. That is true in Abq, true in New York City and true everywhere else I've lived or visited.

The Wild Wild West is a thing of the past; there's no need to go around armed in Abq. Not sure how much good it did back in the Old West either, since the bad guys outgunned the good guys in many instances. Same thing is true today.

All you need to do is be smart - no guns required.

[deserttreasures]

I've lived in Los Angles and Houston and never had a problem in either city. I now live in Las Cruces, and again, I've not had any problems. New Mexico is no more dangerous than any other state, IMO. One has to use common sense in wherever you may live.

[AbqTeacher]

I lived in ABQ for 4 years and no one in my family was ever the victim of a crime. Granted, we didn't stroll around in the warzone, but we did go to various parts of town. I never really felt unsafe while I was there.

[Mike Horrell]

Originally Posted by AbqTeacher

I lived in ABQ for 4 years and no one in my family was ever the victim of a crime. Granted, we didn't stroll around in the warzone, but we did go to various parts of town. I never really felt unsafe while I was there.

What Teacher said but we're residents here and I DO go into the War Zone to
eat at some ethnic restaurants, but I do so cautiously. I would never dream of
just strolling around that area, though...

[ABQConvict]

You pretty much have to run from your front door to your armor-plated car. Have your wife lay down some suppression fire and you should be OK. When you get to your destination, throw a flashbang through the door and go in firing.

Carry a couple of grenades or other area-of-effect weapons for the inevitable skirmish groups that you will encounter in the parking lots at the big-box stores and a shotgun with less-than-lethal rounds such as beanbags can be handy when caught near an elementary school.

Other than that there is really no crime to speak of.

[rybert]

Suppression fire is a good idea. The only reason my Wife and I are debating having kids... back-up.

[alloo66]

Originally Posted by AbqTeacher

I lived in ABQ for 4 years and no one in my family was ever the victim of a crime. Granted, we didn't stroll around in the warzone, but we did go to various parts of town. I never really felt unsafe while I was there.

Where is the warzone? Borders?

[AbqTeacher]

Don't forget about air support. Having a Blackhawk parked in your backyard will make your morning commute MUCH safer.