ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – To protect tourists in town for Balloon Fiesta, the Albuquerque Police Department has beefed up its patrols, especially around hotels and motels. “We want to make sure that people visiting the city have a positive experience,” said Chief Harold Medina, Albuquerque Police Department.
In an effort to stay ahead of thieves during Albuquerque’s largest event, APD has undercover officers patrolling areas beyond Balloon Fiesta Park. “You know, recently we placed bait cars in the parking lots of some of the hotels that are being utilized this week by balloon goers. Unfortunately, but fortunately, one of our bait cars was stolen and we were able to take two individuals into custody,” said Medina.
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As part of the success of the added patrols, 44-year-old Justin Mack was arrested on Monday on six charges including auto theft and carrying a stolen gun.
“So, while we know we can’t eliminate crime we want to be as proactive as possible to respond to these areas, to take people into custody when we can,” said Medina.
APD said, that when the sun goes down vehicles are at their most vulnerable. “We know that during the night hours balloons, balloon trailers, vehicles are left unattended while people sleep in the hotels and we want to make sure that there’s a visible presence, that we’re keeping an eye on these hotels,” said Medina.
With hundreds of thousands of visitors in town for the big event, APD wants to make sure tourists come back year after year. “It is a time of the year where a lot of businesses, not only those directly around Balloon Fiesta Park, but throughout the city see an increase in business. It’s our biggest tourist time of the year and we want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help protect the city’s economic growth,” said Medina.
APD also shared a warning to citizens and tourists saying, “We just want to remind everybody, don’t leave valuables in your car. Make sure you lock your doors, take those valuables into your hotel room, even though it’s a pain cause a lot of times we just see smash and grab type of crimes,” said Medina.
APD urged balloon owners to request GPS devices for their trailers saying it’s free through the department’s partnership with the superintendent of insurance.
