Bond projects will help fight ABQ crime
As the owner of a Downtown advertising business and chair of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s public safety improvement work, reducing crime in Albuquerque is always on my mind. To grow our economy long-term, we need our city to be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. In the Downtown area in particular, I want our clients and employees to experience a welcoming, vibrant and safe environment.
As our city and state add police officers on the streets, deploy new technology to fight crime and improve the speed and effectiveness of criminal prosecution, the voters have an opportunity in the upcoming election to pitch in and play our part in reducing crime in our community.
By approving all of the various projects that are on the ballot this November — none of which will raise our taxes — we can help fight crime in Albuquerque in a comprehensive way. In a very direct sense, the ballot contains funding for more equipment, vehicles and technology for our police officers and firefighters, as well as upgrades to their facilities. This is a critical time for our community.
Other projects will also help improve certain aspects of our community crime-fighting effort.
For example, the ballot contains improvements to community centers to provide even better and more constructive opportunities for our young people and enhancements to city parks — as well as roads, bridges and trails — to make them safer and more accessible. It’s also imperative that we build a new homeless center that provides around-the-clock sheltering to keep homeless individuals and families safe and off our streets and to give first responders a place to take the homeless to receive services, care and connection to treatment.
I hope Albuquerque residents will join me in approving all of the great projects on the ballot this year. We all want Albuquerque to be the best it can — for business and for our families. This election will allow us to take a step in right direction, without additional taxes.