The number of neighborhood watch programs in Northwest Albuquerque continues to grow, and residents of apartment complexes in the area are also doing their part to fight crime.
Recently, 16 neighborhoods in the Albuquerque Police Department’s Northwest Area Command created Neighborhood Watch Programs. There are now 182 in that area.
Major apartment complexes are getting behind the effort as part of the crime-free, multi-housing program.
“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing,” Glenda Evans, resident relations representative for Cottonwood Ranch apartments, said about the program. “Our (crime) stats are low, low, low. I’ve been so impressed.”
Evans, who has worked with Cottonwood Ranch located on Coors Bypass for 10 years, said complex personnel and police have developed a good rapport.
“I’ve been able to call (APD Northwest Area Commander Steve Warfield) personally and he will come out or send an extra patrol, depending on what we are concerned about,” Evans said. “They will patrol throughout the night when they’re not busy. They go beyond the call of duty. They have impressed me.”
Pete Gelabert, crime prevention specialist for the Northwest Area Command, said all the major apartment complexes in the northwest area are part of the program.
He didn’t have the exact number of apartments participating, but said the effort has been successful.
Under the crime-free, multi-housing program, apartment complex managers must complete eight hours of training that shows them how to deal with concerns about with drugs, gangs, auto burglary and burglaries. Gelabert teaches them how to handle these crimes, reduce their police calls for service and encourages them to do background checks, Gelabert said.
Ultimately, he teaches them how to have a crime-free apartment complex.
Evans calls Gelabert on a weekly basis to have him run stats that show the number of calls for service made from the complex and the types of incidents reported. The stats help Evans see where there might be room for concern, and address it.
“We have an excellent rapport with all the (apartment) managers, and if the managers feel they need to reinforce crime prevention or reinforce educating, we go back,” Gelabert said.
Meetings are usually organized so that tenants can learn about crime prevention and reporting crimes or suspicious activity they see at their complex.
Gelabert tells them to report suspicious activity by calling 242-COPS or to call 911 if they see a crime in progress.
“(Apartments) are the same as a neighborhood,” Gelabert said. “(Tenants) do live closer and are aware who their neighbors are.
“We encourage them to call police if there are individuals who are hanging around and they know that they don’t belong there. If they look suspicious, call us.”
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