ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Mayor Tim Keller and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina admit we’re not close to where we need to be when it comes to crime in our city, but new preliminary crime statistics from 2024 prove we’re on the right path.

According to APD data, for the first time in several years, we saw a decrease in aggravated assaults. Those crimes dropped 11% since 2023. The number of gunshot victims also dropped by 14%. Homicides decreased for the second year in a row, this time by 3%.

As far as areas with an increase, arrests were up 4%. Felony warrant arrests were up by 28% year to year.

Property crimes were a mixed bag. Robbery was down 8%. Shoplifting was down 4% and auto theft was down 2%. Burglary, however, was up 11%.

Chief Medina said he’s not surprised to see burglary cases were up, especially because shoplifting stats were down. He said people who commit those crimes are typically trying to pay for a drug habit. So, with more shoplifting enforcement, those people turned to burglary.

He also blamed the spike in burglary numbers on Bernalillo County’s Youth Services Center being at capacity in January 2024.

“It starts with the beginning of the year with our inability to book juvenile offenders. We knew they were committing crimes, we were arresting them for them, we weren’t able to book them, and their crimes continued,” Medina said.

The facility reached capacity again last week for juvenile male offenders. Bernalillo County’s Youth Services Center Director Tamera Mercantel said it was only full for about 24 hours. Currently, there are 66 beds for male juvenile offenders and eight are open.

“If we had someone who’s being charged with murder, and we were at capacity we didn’t have an available bed, it could be that we have to turn them away,” Mercantel said. “Or we examine where we’re at, what we know we might have coming up, then we make the most responsible decision that we can.”

The staffing ratio at the detention center is one officer per eight residents during the day. At night, that ratio goes from one officer to 16 residents.

Mercantel said they’re currently trying to hire about 33 staffers. She said before the pandemic, the average daily population at the facility was 21 residents. Now, it’s 54 with some violent offenders staying for more than 1,000 days.

Mercantel also said 38% of the juveniles in the facility are there on murder charges.

Bernalillo County is hosting a job fair Saturday, March 1 for YSC staff from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at YSC. Applicants can visit the even with their resume. You can also apply online here.