Albuquerque Mayor & Council Created the Homeless Crisis
It is time to throw the bums out, and I do not mean the homeless.
New Mexicans are compassionate people and were behind Mayor Berry’s “A Better Way” initiative to address homelessness in the City of Albuquerque. The idea was that if the COA provided the needs of the homeless, they would not be on the streets. Those elected officials did not understand what every business owner knows: your customers will increase when you provide what they need at a fair price. The Mayor and City Council Members did not end homelessness; they raised homelessness.
I assume Santa Fe Democrats did not pass a “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law because it was too harsh to those with two felonies. A few years ago, I gave a ride to an individual catching a train to VAMC treatment center in St Luis. On the way, we stopped for his belongings (stashed behind a bush), and I bought him breakfast and lunch to go. I asked him where he was from and what brought him to New Mexico. He was from California and had two felonies and could not handle the stress of not getting a third felony. New Mexico was welcoming.
Santa Fe Democrats Banned Qualified Immunity for our police two years ago. My buddy, Susan B, in Los Angels, related to me; her friend witnessed a person looting two closed stores and then proceeded to the city bus. She flagged down a police officer and pointed out the thief and the store he looted. The police officer responded that since she would not file charges, I would not attempt to arrest that individual who most likely would resist arrest. I would be sued when four Albuquerque homeless-looking people stole nearly a thousand dollars in liquor. No one called 911. We know it is pointless to contact or file a police report.
I spoke with a retail clerk of a dollar-type store two years ago. She told me their new manager had ended the policy of allowing the neighborhood homeless people to shoplift. After implementing the new policy, homeless person or persons started a fire in the store. Essentially the homeless are running an old fashion protection racket. It reminds me of watching the “Sopranos,” where an organized crime family runs a shake-down racket. And like in the “Sopranos,” the police and politicians look the other way.
The Mayor and City Council have, until recently, been passively involved in the homeless shake-down racket. But now they provide the means for the homeless to take their shake-down rack across the city. People are observing the homeless waiting for the Albuquerque bus to return them safely to their neighborhood with their stolen goods—the video of four individuals stealing liquor and then calmly walking to the Albuquerque Bus Stop.
We hear the official responses so often that we can almost recite them from memory. This is scary for the business owners. It is frightening for the shoppers. This is unacceptable. We are currently investigating. We cannot comment because of the ongoing investigation. We are hopeful our new program will make a difference. Important to file a police report. We get the COA Public Relation spiel, “ Acknowledged the feelings (it is scary), Tomorrow will be better, Blame the victim (they don’t file a police report).
Individuals and businesses have given up on the Mayor and City Council to provide the community’s Basic Safety Needs. Businesses and individuals are contracting with private armed security forces to ensure their and their customers’ safety and protect their belongings. Businesses have given up filing police reports because the police will do nothing to arrest the perpetrators, and if the perpetrator is charged, the district attorney will not prosecute. We can no longer afford to report the loss to their insurance company.
I believe the reason for the increase in the murder rate is that the Mayor and City Council have created an environment where law-abiding citizens and criminals have become desensitized, which leads to escalation. Violent and other crimes do not see the same increase (or even decrease) is that those crimes have become just business as usual and not worth reporting. I have now heard of businesses not reporting armed robberies because they cannot afford the time of the investigation when no one will be prosecuted, and they do not want to be shut down for being a criminal nuisance.
Our Mayor, City Council, and business leaders continue to believe that if we “Brag It, Not Bag It,” our city will have a bright future. Now, not just Albuquerque residents understand the chaos on our street, but London residents also know.
How can we regain control of our city streets when the Mayor and City Council have abandoned us? My good buddy demonstrated how. He was in a small shop, and a homeless person walked in and demanded, “You providing me with lunch.” His response was no. The homeless person pointed to the young woman behind the cash register and said he said she will then. The homeless man walked away when my Good Buddy told him, “That’s not happening as long as I am here.”
Imagine: Albuquerque Mayor focus on the needs of the hardworking people of Albuquerque as they do for Albuquerque’s homeless.
Chaos and more chaos is what these "leaders" want. Great Points Mick!