Speed camera stolen in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One of Albuquerque’s newly-installed speed cameras was stolen this week, according to police.

According to Albuquerque Police Department Public Information Officer Rebecca Atkins, the Lead and Cornell camera was stolen Monday sometime during the day. The camera was installed just three weeks prior, on June 10.

Residents in the area aren’t surprised this happened, but they say the cameras are very much needed.

“They are speeding at all hours of the day and night,” said Don Hancock, who lives on Lead. “There are accidents all the time.”

Since it went live, that speed camera picked up nearly 3,000 drivers speeding 10 mph over the posted 30 mph limit. One of those drivers went 96 mph, according to numbers released by APD.

There was another speed enforcement camera located on Coal and Cornell, which caught more than 5,000 drivers going 10+ mph over the limit. It was also removed to avoid it being stolen or vandalized. Residents in the area say they need both back as soon as possible.

“We wanted the speed cameras to come. We want them to come back,” Hancock said.

Atkins said the city is now looking at ways to make the cameras more secure, like moving them to higher areas where they cannot be easily reached. She also said the cost to replace the stolen camera will not fall on the city but on the company that provided the cameras.