ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque’s police chief says they are making progress cleaning up crime hotspots along Central Avenue, especially recent operations going after guns and drugs. Chief Harold Medina said they began targeting Central in January after an officer was shot at Adam’s Food Market in December.
“I heard the community talk over and over again, they were tired of the drug incidents that were happening in Central and they wanted us to do something against the drug dealers,” said Chief Medina.
Chief Medina and other high-ranking Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officials spoke about new operations: their Central Narcotics Unit and their Gun Violence Suppression Unit. As a result of this operation, APD made 28 felony arrests and cleared 24 felony warrants including robbery, child abuse, theft and trafficking.
APD highlighted two of those arrests, including one who had four felony warrants and was caught with guns and large quantities of fentanyl, meth, heroin, cocaine and more.
“We’re committed to working in Central, committed to arresting drug dealers, committed to making sure we do everything we can to get firearms out of Central,” Chief Medina said.
APD says these units are working with the DEA and ATF on any cases that arise at the federal level. Chief Medina said Tuesday that he is expanding the operation to Maine and Louisiana.
The Central Narcotics Unit has eight full-time detectives and the Gun Violence Suppression Unit has six detectives working in Central’s problem areas.
