Albuquerque Community Safety divides responders into two zones to improve response time

The department tasked with sending a non-law enforcement response to those struggling with homelessness and behavioral health issues around Albuquerque is dividing into two.

Albuquerque Community Safety is splitting its forces into two zones in hopes of improving response times, Jorge Hernandez, public information officer for ACS, announced Tuesday.

ACS this week launched its bilateral response model, which splits the city into east and west zones, separated by Interstate 25. ACS responders will be dedicated to one side of the city, allowing “resources to be tailored to the unique needs of each zone,” the department said in a news release.

“About 40% of our calls are on the West Side,” Mayor Tim Keller told a news conference.

“While certain areas of the city may typically have more responders due to higher call volume, responder distribution is flexible and adjusted regularly to best serve the community,” the department wrote in the statement. “We will continue to maintain bilateral operations to ensure consistent coverage on both sides of the city.”

ACS responds to more than 3,000 behavioral and mental health related calls every month, according to the release. In June, the department said it responded to 3,583 calls — a monthly record for the department.

The department will also open a new field office, ACS West, on 98th Street, south of Central, and will be the new base of operations for half of ACS responders. The ACS headquarters is located in Southeast Albuquerque off of San Mateo and Kathryn.

“ACS West will be used for responders to write reports, eat meals, and hold shift briefings and meetings,” the department wrote in an email to the Journal. “The facility will also be used to store supplies and responder vehicles.”

ASC also announced that the Southwest Public Safety Center is scheduled to open in the fall. This will be the first facility in the city to house all three public safety departments: the Albuquerque Police Department, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and Albuquerque Community Safety.

ACS said it has received more than 113,000 calls since opening in 2021.