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I don't know if there's much point trying to figure out why crime is so much higher here if you're deciding whether or not to move here. It's probably enough to know that it is very high - both property and violent crime.
Some people try to say it's mostly gang related and domestic. And that if you keep your head down, you can avoid it. But that's not really the case. Crimes such as burglary and rape are rampant where the victim didn't know their assailant.
Being single, I can take care of myself, so it's not a big deal. But I wouldn't feel safe raising a family here. Unlike a lot of cities with good and bad parts of town, Albuquerque is pretty homogenized with equal parts good and bad in the same neighborhoods.
I empathize with you because I had the same fears before moving here. To be honest, I have never had any major issues with crime, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to say that. I know a lot of "stuff" happened back in the day - 1) there was a rash of car break-ins in my childhood neighborhood which was extremely safe and quiet, and it really got to me. The idiot decided to steal our car manual (likely because it had a black leatherish case and someone deduced that it must be valuable - haha. We found it dumped under a pine tree many years later when we had to cut the tree down.) 2) When I lived on the East Coast in a pretty decent but compact neighborhood and would be up late at night in my apartment, I would hear noises of people rummaging through trash, car alarms going off, etc, riff-raff walking around loud and intoxicated. All that stuff always got to me, and I never feel easy about it.
I had heard a lot of the same stuff about Albuquerque as you probably did, and I moved here anyway. As others on this board can probably attest to, I am just more sensitive to this and live with a lot of paranoia and "fear" about crime. Since I've been here for the past 1/2 year or so, the most I have experienced is the following: 1) Very odd-looking people coming up to you and asking for money (and giving off the impression of intimidation if you don't comply - you have to be ready to handle this if it happens to you) and 2) I had a window with a screen that "fell off" once, and an outside door that I didn't lock that I one day found open. Both individually could be coincidences, but put together, I assumed someone was interested in what I had in my place. Both these things are more than I have experienced before in my sheltered and peaceful life, and more than I am frankly comfortable with. But I moved on. I do wonder when it will be my turn and figure it is a matter of time before I experience something. Unlike others on here, I have a hard time brushing these things off. It seems commonplace for people to say their car was broken into, etc., but for me, that is just not normal nor acceptable.
I moved here anyway, and we are looking to stay. Day to day, these problems just don't seem very palpable to me in my daily routine. I see plenty of happy, peaceful and comfortable people walking around who are like me. I try not to see it as everyone out to get me.
But I do wonder why it seems there are more bad apples in Albuquerque than there should be. I also saw NM as a place where people come to get away from their problems or hide, and I find that more annoying than anything else. I think aries had some good theories, and good advice to not let it paralyze oneself. I also don't go looking for trouble or put myself purposely in situations where I'm exposed.
If you look at straight numbers, it probably looks bad, but I personally would not feel any safer in LA than I do here. NYC, Miami, DC, Chicago, Atlanta - great cities that seem "safe" overall, but man, there is some messed-up stuff going on there as well.
In summary, I do understand how you feel, but as aries said, I would weigh other factors (kids, jobs, lifestyle and the life you want to create) into the equation and not let the crime numbers alone stand as a deterrent. For some reason, people are still moving to Phoenix despite some terrible crime stats.
Another is sprawl. There are so many windows to break into per person, with very few eyes around per square mile. It's not like a big city where lots of people live in apartment buildings with a doorman downstairs. Most people are living on the ground level with many possible routes of entry. Easier pickings.
Sprawl is everywhere Aries. Plain and simple, you can't blame cookie-cutter housing on the rate of crime. Most of the crime happens in the same parts of town.
I mean, where there is crime there is crime! I do believe if you build sprawl in those areas then you have a problem, the criminals will come for sure.. But if you build outward, like example my homes both in Albuquerque and Las Vegas are far from everything else and are some of the safest communities.
Just compare, West gate/west gate heights which is near the South Valley to that break-in rate of Ventana Ranch the outter west side.
As a native Albuquerquean who managed to escape the grip of a typical criminally-minded New Mexican family I can tell you that it is a pervasive problem within families here. There are a disproportionate number of these families throughout the state. I am not saying that transplants don't commit crimes, but based on personal experience a lot of the criminal element are from families with deep roots here. And yes, most of the crime is domestic, gang, or drug related. Part of what feeds the problem is the astonishing poverty and lack of education.
It's difficult to describe the mentality of these families. There is an attitude of entitlement about crime. Committing crimes is a given. Trying to explain that committing crimes is wrong and that there is another way of living is like trying to explain to a fish that they live in something called water and there is another environ called air. This mentality is perpetuated because the entire family, and all of their friends, are the same way. My husband used to contract with YDDC (the juvenile prison), and the staff there called it "mijito syndrome." A teenage gangster would commit some heinous crime (let's say murder), and the family members would be lamenting the fact that s/he was locked up. "Poor baby, s/he doesn't deserve to be treated this way" kind of attitude.
Anyway, that is a big part of why crime flourishes here and will continue to do so.
As far as your decision to move here... I think Albuquerque is a fantastic city. The only crime I've ever experienced is from my own crazy family members (see - domestic). Most people I've known have had either their home or car broken into - some multiple times. If you can tolerate the increased risk, it's a great city. The breaking point for me was having children. I do not want to raise my kids here, so we are hoping to relocate before my oldest begins school. It is not a good place for vulnerable people (e.g. children).
As a native Albuquerquean who managed to escape the grip of a typical criminally-minded New Mexican family I can tell you that it is a pervasive problem within families here. There are a disproportionate number of these families throughout the state. I am not saying that transplants don't commit crimes, but based on personal experience a lot of the criminal element are from families with deep roots here. And yes, most of the crime is domestic, gang, or drug related. Part of what feeds the problem is the astonishing poverty and lack of education.
It's difficult to describe the mentality of these families. There is an attitude of entitlement about crime. Committing crimes is a given. Trying to explain that committing crimes is wrong and that there is another way of living is like trying to explain to a fish that they live in something called water and there is another environ called air. This mentality is perpetuated because the entire family, and all of their friends, are the same way. My husband used to contract with YDDC (the juvenile prison), and the staff there called it "mijito syndrome." A teenage gangster would commit some heinous crime (let's say murder), and the family members would be lamenting the fact that s/he was locked up. "Poor baby, s/he doesn't deserve to be treated this way" kind of attitude.
Anyway, that is a big part of why crime flourishes here and will continue to do so.
As far as your decision to move here... I think Albuquerque is a fantastic city. The only crime I've ever experienced is from my own crazy family members (see - domestic). Most people I've known have had either their home or car broken into - some multiple times. If you can tolerate the increased risk, it's a great city. The breaking point for me was having children. I do not want to raise my kids here, so we are hoping to relocate before my oldest begins school. It is not a good place for vulnerable people (e.g. children).
Good luck on your decision!
Wow. Wow, wow.... WOW!!! I could not have stated this better. Marmom, you have perfectly hit the bullseye with this post.
To make this post short but sweet: "It's the culture, stupid!". The criminal entitlement culture in this town - and in much of NM - is absolutely the worst thing about this place. People think they have a right to beat their wives, join gangs, and act like a bunch of punk thugs because it is not only tolerated, it is accepted. It's as though as it's almost expected of you do become a thug, like it's some sort of pride thing or status symbol. And it's never their fault. either, but some one else's or "the system". It's pathetic.
And I was shocked to see that you wrote down the "mijito" complex, as I was going to say the exact same thing! 'Oh, mijo. You have no job, dropped out of high school, knocked up a girl, drove home drunk, sold drugs, and opened fire on a house with your Glock? Why are they picking on my jito?' You kill some innocent bystander by doing a driveby for a gang initiation? Don't worry, cuz. You'll only get 10 months in prison and your uncle, the police officer, will give you a job when you get out.
But that's the way it is around here. I have never seen such an incredible amount of sheer ignorance concentrated in one city in all of my life. In every other city I have lived in and visited, I have never seen it as bad as it is in Burque. And to think that this is not even the worst city in this state for crime or that criminal-entitlement attitude! There are worse places than here. And even with all those problems, Albuquerque, as you mentioned, is still not such a bad place to be.
'Oh, mijo. You have no job, dropped out of high school, knocked up a girl, drove home drunk, sold drugs, and opened fire on a house with your Glock? Why are they picking on my jito?' You kill some innocent bystander by doing a driveby for a gang initiation? Don't worry, cuz. You'll only get 10 months in prison and your uncle, the police officer, will give you a job when you get out.
And I was shocked to see that you wrote down the "mijito" complex, as I was going to say the exact same thing! 'Oh, mijo. You have no job, dropped out of high school, knocked up a girl, drove home drunk, sold drugs, and opened fire on a house with your Glock? Why are they picking on my jito?' You kill some innocent bystander by doing a driveby for a gang initiation? Don't worry, cuz. You'll only get 10 months in prison and your uncle, the police officer, will give you a job when you get out.
It's unfortunate that you've given an ethnic flavor to your narrative, as if only Hispanics are criminals. This kind of enabling in families exists in every ethnic and racial group wherever you go. I know of plenty of druggies and criminals who are white Anglos.
And as far as raising kids, I know lots of families over the years who have raised great kids here, and of course lots of great people who grew up here without scars.
It's unfortunate that you've given an ethnic flavor to your narrative, as if only Hispanics are criminals. This kind of enabling in families exists in every ethnic and racial group wherever you go. I know of plenty of druggies and criminals who are white Anglos.
I don't think Billygoat even came close to suggesting that only Hispanics are criminals. That is quite a leap that YOU made. I can't speak for Billy, but I can say that in referring to the "mijito complex" I was referring to how the pathologically enabling/criminally-minded family manifests within the local Hispanic culture - which happens to be a significant portion of New Mexico's population. Yes enablers and criminals exist within all ethnic groups. I was mainly talking about my own personal experience coming from a criminal New Mexican Hispanic family (and my husband's experience as someone who works with criminals in this state).
Quote:
Originally Posted by aries63
And as far as raising kids, I know lots of families over the years who have raised great kids here, and of course lots of great people who grew up here without scars.
As for our decision not to raise our children here...each parent has to do what they feel is best and should not be judged for doing so (not that you were judging, but I'm just making a point that NOT wanting to raise kids here does not make us bad, paranoid, weak, etc). There are real risks to living in a higher-than-average crime area, especially when you are related to a bunch of criminals. Not to mention the shockingly horrible education system here. I am not really interested in watching nearly half of my kids' peers drop out of school.
Last edited by marmom; 11-10-2010 at 10:39 AM..
Reason: More soapboxing
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Kulture Klub, Ese
You kill some innocent bystander by doing a driveby for a gang initiation? Don't worry, cuz. You'll only get 10 months in prison and your uncle, the police officer, will give you a job when you get out. 
I have never seen such an incredible amount of sheer ignorance concentrated in one city in all of my life. In every other city I have lived in and visited, I have never seen it as bad as it is in Burque. And to think that this is not even the worst city in this state for crime or that criminal-entitlement attitude! There are worse places than here. And even with all those problems, Albuquerque, as you mentioned, is still not such a bad place to be.
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