The overall crime rate in Albuquerque decreased by 4.6% from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2020 when compared to the same time period in 2019, according to data released by the Albuquerque Police Department in September. When compared to the crime rates of 2018, the crime rate statistics show an even greater drop of 15.4%. The stand out category in the decrease was auto theft, dropping 10% in the first six months of 2020 when compared to the same time period in 2019, and a near 31% decrease from the first six months of 2018. The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s latest “Hot Spot” report, released in July, shows Bakersfield, California took over the top spot for auto theft with about 726 auto thefts per 100,000 people and Albuquerque dropped to second place with 697 auto thefts per 100,000 people. This isn’t the substantial drop that Albuquerque residents desperately need, but it does show slight progress in tackling the rampant issue.

This year marks the third that Albuquerque law enforcement officials have submitted data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program. This new reporting framework is expected to be the national standard across the country by the end of 2021. Called the National Incident Based Reporting System — or NIBRS — it attempts to create streamlined crime categories, and more of them to better asses crime rates locally and nationally with better accuracy and detail. Click here for the full story.