ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Violence in downtown Albuquerque is not a new thing. But how do people living and working there feel about it? KOB 4 spoke to a few of them Tuesday. 

“Growing up in Albuquerque. It’s kind of an expected that there’s something happening and not to kind of mind your own, or else. You don’t know what’s gonna happen,” said Zebb Trujillo, who works downtown. 

Trujillo is talking about spending time in downtown Albuquerque. He says he enjoys the Art Walks every month and local businesses, but things like a recent shooting in the area keep him vigilant. 

“You got to kind of be mindful about what’s going on around you, it can be pretty dangerous. Usually, when you come out at nighttime, you’re gonna see a fight or two, at least, if not worse, but yeah, it’s a little sketchy,” said Trujillo. 

The Albuquerque Police Department says it’s investigating a shooting that happened early Tuesday morning. That’s where officers found a man with gunshot wounds by Knockouts strip club near Central and 3rd Street. 

Johnny Sturgis works in the area and says crime has impacted the downtown area. 

“I know there’s an old restaurant over here we used to go to a lot, and they kind of got chased out because of the crime. They’re having people come in and do stuff that wasn’t, you know, any good. Ended up moving over by the movie theater,” said Sturgis. 

John Emmons has lived downtown for five years, and it’s been a lot of the same types of issues. 

“It’s an ongoing thing. It just never seems to end down here. Whether it’s the homeless who haven’t too many drugs, but it’s a sad situation. I still love Albuquerque, but it’s so hard to put up with this crap day in and day out,” said Emmons. 

Emmons says even with the new APD Sub Station downtown, more foot patrol officers would be helpful. 

Trujillo says the city needs to physically clean up the trash and human waste in the area. 

“I think a lot of it is just they need more resources for the homeless down here. It seems like there’s a lot of people out here sleeping in the cold, and they don’t got much going for him. So I mean, you know, I can’t imagine they’re gonna be happy,” said Trujillo. 

That APD substation was added last fall. It’s on the corner of 4th and Central, right in the heart of downtown. 

When it opened, the city called it part of a Targeted Enforcement Action and Monitoring Plan. Its goal is to patrol the downtown area proactively and have a stronger APD presence there.