All parties have stake in healthy Downtown

AS RESIDENTS of the Gold Avenue Lofts we have to agree with Lavu: Crime in Albuquerque has reached epidemic levels, with Albuquerque making the wrong top 10 lists regularly, and it is rightly the No. 1 topic at each mayoral forum. But this is a citywide crisis, not just a Downtown one. A visit to the Albuquerque Police Department crime mapper shows that the majority of crimes take place outside of Downtown, including the incidents that grab headlines almost daily. But downtowns are often microcosms of cities, both the good and bad. Hence, a healthy downtown can represent a healthy city for its residents and visitors ....

In many important ways Downtown is improving. The increased occupancy in the Simms building, the new Silver Avenue Market, breweries, restaurants, theaters, galleries, murals and new construction projects are positive indicators of good things to come. Downtown is no longer just a 9-to-5 district. It is alive in the evenings, when parents are out with their strollers, couples are walking their dogs, families are on their way to Civic Plaza, theater lovers are heading to the Box and the Cell and the Kimo.

But something must be done about the crime, and the responsibility spreads far and wide — not just the mayor, the command staff at APD and the City Council, but all of us as members of our community must be engaged in finding solutions. Some small solutions should include more police officers on foot patrol rather than staying in their squad cars, increased camera presence and better lighting, residents in partnership with police, speaking out and calling and receiving support.

Now is the time for Downtown residents and businesses to stay and take a stand. JOAQUIN BACA Albuquerque Editor’s note: Five other Gold Avenue Lofts residents signed this letter