ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Auto theft in the metro continues to decline and for the first time in years, Albuquerque is not leading the nation in vehicles stolen. The new report, using data from 2019, shows Albuquerque with 697 thefts per 100,000 people, a decline of 11% since 2018.
“This dubious distinction has been a sore spot for Albuquerque, so we’re actually glad that we finally climbed out of the number one ranking for the first time in years,” said Mayor Tim Keller in a press release Wednesday. “While it shows just how deep the hole is that we’re working to get out of, this progress is a result of the hard work of officers to cut auto theft by over a third. We clearly still have challenges but hopefully residents will continue to see the positive changes.”
We were surpassed by Bakersfield, California which had 726 thefts. Albuquerque came in second. St. Joseph, Missouri, ranked third; Modesto, California, ranked fourth; and Odessa, Texas, ranked fifth.
“We are driving down auto theft through aggressive enforcement,” Albuquerque Police Department’s Chief Mike Geier said in the same press release. “We are also seeing a lot of success with our new helicopter, which has assisted field units so they avoid dangerous pursuits and track stolen vehicles more effectively and safely.”
