'We know we need this here' City celebrates opening of community safety headquarters

One city leader described the Albuquerque Community Safety headquarters as a “hub” for resources. Residents lauded it as a needed, permanent improvement.

They were among the few hundred people who attended Saturday’s opening of the ACS building.

The new 10,800-square-foot facility in the International District — 1210 San Mateo SE — houses ACS staff and programs. It will also serve as a space for community resources and gatherings.

The city had been leasing temporary space at the Gateway Center property for its base of operations.

This is a “much better facility” for people who may not need the police but “need some help or assistance,” community advocate Gail Starr told the Journal.

ACS responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance abuse and other non-crime-related or non-medical issues, Mayor’s Office spokesman Jorge Hernandez said.

“We know we need this here,” area City Councilor Nichole Rogers told the crowd. “This could be and will be a hub for our community to get access to the resources that we need to help pull people out of suffering.”

Hernandez said the ACS, which was created over two years ago, has responded to more than 75,000 calls.

“In prior years, many of these would have been calls fielded by first responders in the police and fire departments,” he said. “Now, ACS di verts about 3,000 911 calls from those departments each month.”

Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said part of why APD experienced a 56% reduction in its use of force incidents last year was because officers weren’t being dispatched “to calls that they shouldn’t be dispatched to.”

“(ACS) does a great job for the community,” resident Amada Zaleski told the Journal, adding that the new building will be a good resource for people such as those who are unhoused and dealing with addictions.

Starr said the building is “very open and very approachable” and has room for people to come speak and offer its services.

The ACS building has been in the works for a few years.

In 2020, voters approved a general obligation bond that included $10 million for the community safety headquarters, which “allowed us to start developing,” Mariela Ruiz-Angel, city associate city administrative officer, told the Journal.

“As we were growing ACS, we were growing this building,” she said.

Ruiz-Angel said the International District was the chosen site to house the building because “the community wanted something in this area, so we thought this would be a good opportunity for us to have a home in an area that really needs to have some love.”

The community safety headquarters, she said, will also be a “sanctuary” for first responders after a long day or shift.

“It allows them to be able to have a moment of peace, have a moment of reflection, have a moment of what they may need,” Ruiz-Angel said.

Hernandez said that the Southwest Safety Center, which will house Albuquerque police, fire and ACS staff, will open its doors in 2025.