City of Albuquerque begins permanently closing off alleys in the International District

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A project is underway in the International District to permanently close off alleyways. It’s part of City Councilor Nichole Rogers’ plan to deal with homelessness, drugs, and crime in the area.

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“There’s not one magic fix to any of these issues,” Rogers said. She says the alleyway behind the Circle K gas station on Central Avenue and San Pedro Drive is a hot spot for homelessness and illegal activity, like open drug use.

“We’re dealing with lack of housing, lack of mental health resources, lack of substance abuse resources. There’s so many layers to this so this is just one idea—we have to try something!” Rogers said.

So, what Rogers is trying is permanently closing off known problem alleys. “It’s something that we’ve done in other areas like behind Buffett’s Candies on Lomas and Louisiana and it had a huge effect on deterring crime in the area,” Rogers said.

Donna Buffett, co-owner of Buffett’s Candies, said the alley behind their business’s fenced-in parking lot was a constant source of concern. “They started using the fence; they would hang their tents on them, they were making campfires. We would come in the morning, there would be ten to 15 folks. They would have everything set up,” Buffet said, “We were calling the fire department a couple times a week because once it started getting cold, they were building fires.”

However, after the city permanently fenced off the alley in early May, Buffett says everything changed almost overnight. “They’re moving along and going to other places; I don’t think it’s completely solved the problem, but it has definitely alleviated the issues here.”

Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Albuquerque Matthew Whelan backed this up with data: “That’s why we’re expanding this program because we worked with the city councilor, it was Councilor Fiebelkorn, and we closed that alley and it went from Planning and Code Enforcement getting over 100 calls to around ten calls.”

Rogers is hoping to have the same success at three alleys in the International District that are identified as problem spots by police and fire call volumes. “Am I for every alley being shut down or closed? No. But we have to do something because people are suffering,” Rogers said, “And so we know, if we can beautify this alley, we can put lighting, we can do things like that it will also deter activity that people don’t want to do in the light.”

Rogers says costs to put in the permanent fencing vary depending on the size of the alley: “They’re anything from $30- to $90,000 depending on how wide and how big they are.” The money comes from capital outlay dollars set aside for public safety and community enhancement. The fencing allows only businesses and residents who use the alley access to it while keeping everyone else out.

“We’re already spending resources in that area so we want to collaborate with her, so she’s using about $100,000 of her set-aside to close off three areas and we’re looking forward to seeing how it works out,” Whelan said.

“I think it’s a great idea, I think it is helping the businesses in the area to lower the crime, to lower the loitering. All of the trash that’s left behind, the drug paraphernalia, I think it is making it cleaner,” Buffet said, “I do still hope that the leadership of the city realizes that it is going to help that specific area but until the problem is dealt with at a higher level, it’s just moving folks on down the road.”

The city acknowledges this; but said they notify people in these alleys before they close them and try to connect them with the city’s many resources.

“We’re not just trying to push anybody anywhere. What we’re trying to do, address these people experiencing homelessness and give them the resources. Albuquerque has plenty of resources, we have the Westside Shelter, the Gateway Center will be opening soon. So we’re trying to get people enacted into that,” Whelan said, “But we’re also trying to address the neighborhoods to ensure safety so that everybody knows that one of the number one priorities of this administration is homelessness but it’s also addressing public safety.”

“I say to the critics, ‘roll up your sleeves and come help us figure out solutions,’ because we’re open to that,” Rogers said, “This is an all hands on deck crisis and we need to be thinking of it that way and we need to be thinking about it, how do we alleviate suffering? Regardless of why someone is suffering, if you’re unsheltered you’re suffering.”

The other two alleys closing are on Central Avenue and Louisiana Boulevard behind the KFC and the other is on California Street and Linn Avenue near the New Mexico State Fairgrounds.

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