Albuquerque residents say they’re concerned about the city’s direction, and although many feel that city leaders have put forth good ideas on how to address those issues, 61% of residents polled feel the city is unresponsive to their concerns.
That’s the gist of the city’s annual survey, released Tuesday.
When asked how they feel about the direction the city is going, 39% said they were very concerned, with another 24% saying they were somewhat concerned. In contrast, 31% said they’re hopeful about where the city is headed, with only 5% saying they’re very hopeful.
Policing gets thumbs down
Most residents — 69% — reported feeling safe; though they’re not confident in the police department. Just 39% agree that APD is doing a good job addressing violent crime, while 56% disagree with that statement. Respondents felt like the police were doing worse addressing property crimes, with 35% approving of the department’s efforts and 60% disapproving.
The department is now operating under a federal consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the police department after a federal investigation found officers were using excessive force. More than half (51%) of respondents disagreed with a statement that “the Albuquerque Police Department is ready to transition away from oversight by the federal government and operate on its own,” while 39% agreed.
Respondents’ safety concerns are centered on speeding and reckless driving, along with illegal drug use.
Treading water financially
Half the respondents said their finances are about the same as six months ago, while 37% said they’re worse off financially and 12% said their situations have gotten better.
Regarding homelessness, more respondents (23%) said panhandling most impacts them and their families. Other issues connected to homelessness included access to stores and parking lots (listed by 19% of respondents), encampments (17%), not having a stable place to live (16%) and access to parks and playgrounds (15%).
According to a city news release, residents’ other top priorities include the cost of living, infrastructure and growing the local economy.
More than a third of respondents (35%) listed the cost of living, taxes and fees as the most important priority for the City Council and Mayor Tim Keller to work on other than public safety or homelessness.
Infrastructure, including road repairs and new community centers, was a close second, named by 33% of respondents.
Youth and senior programs are the next two priorities. Respondents younger than 50 listed youth programs more frequently (32% to 15%), while those older than 50 preferred senior programs 22% to 8%.
Working on the issues
The results showed the majority of respondents find the city’s efforts to address homelessness, crime and the economy effective.
The 33-question survey was conducted by contacting 400 adults residing within city limits in late February. Respondents were interviewed via landline, mobile phone and text-to-web, from Feb. 26-28. The margin of error is +/- 4.9 percentage points.
Some suggested actions underway
Pinion Research, the firm that conducted the study, Mayor’s Office spokeswoman Ava Montoya said, came up with the following recommendations and others after tallying the results:
A few suggestions that were given for making improvements included improving the city’s streetlight network, enhancing efforts to support community safety programs and emphasizing that all residents have roles in reducing crime and looking out for one another.
They’d like to see continued efforts to attract new, good-paying jobs to Albuquerque, and support the growth of local businesses.
Lastly, they’d like to see the city build on current efforts to create affordable housing and offer the resources needed to put people on a path toward success and reduce panhandling.
“You’ll notice many are things the city is already actively working on, such as big investments in street lights, automated speed enforcement cameras to slow drivers down (and) continued investments in community safety programs,” Montoya said.
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