Overview:
New ordinance sponsored by Baca gives mayor sweeping new powers
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A new Albuquerque ordinance hands the mayor power to surge police and city services along commercial corridors, a move supporters call a boost for local business and critics blast as a crackdown on the city’s most vulnerable.
On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council voted 6-3 to approve the “Enhanced Service and Safety Zone Ordinance,” sponsored by Councilor Joaquín Baca. The ordinance establishes a framework for temporary two-year commercial zones based on crime rates and infrastructure needs, which the mayor will propose and the City Council will approve to bolster economic vitality and public safety. Within the zones, the city will focus on existing services like sidewalk cleaning, Albuquerque Community Safety response, police patrols and encampment response. The ordinance also allows the city to prohibit sitting or lying down in the public right-of-way if the behavior “impedes passage” under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Officers must issue warnings before making arrests; violators face up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail.
Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles joined the ACLU of New Mexico in opposing the measure, arguing it targets poverty rather than crime. Daniel Williams of the ACLU said, “criminalization of homelessness… undoes the good work that this council has already done.” Telles said the city can support businesses without penalizing the poor and argued officials should stop treating those as the only two options. Citing 49 recent downtown shootings, Baca called the measure “a safety bill, not an unhoused bill,” adding that some people “cause problems” by refusing services.
Moving forward, the mayor must submit a formal proposal and a funding plan to the City Council to designate the first zones. Each zone will expire after two years unless reviewed and renewed.