ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Ahead of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque police are cracking down on people driving without license plates. The issue is something both APD and Albuquerque drivers said is far too common in the city. They said the traffic busts are to keep people safe during this busiest time of year.
As travelers come in for Balloon Fiesta, APD is kicking up efforts to get drivers on traffic violations, targeting cars with no license plates. “We would like to get at it more than we can, but officers are usually busy going call to call, so every once in a while, we do put an emphasis on it and have our patrol officers look for these specific violations,” said Gilbert Gallegos, Communications Director for APD.
APD said it’s an issue in the city, and drivers agree. “I see at least every day, I see at least more than three people driving without license plate driving,” said Paul Flores, Albuquerque resident.
“I do see traffic violations, I don’t know about a lot, but the lack of a license plate or lapsed registration is pretty obvious to me. I see it frequently, nearly daily,” said Mathew Cork, another resident.
APD will also be looking out for speeding and expired registration tags. “But we do want an emphasis on the no license plates, because especially if anyone’s in a stolen car or coming from out of town, they don’t have license plates, we want officers to be looking for that,” said Gallegos.
In previous years, visitors have been victims of auto theft. APD said they will continue police patrols near hotels to keep thieves away. “We’ve actually seen a dramatic decrease during those time periods. We work with the balloonists and people staying at hotels, so we will really pay close attention to hotels and where visitors are staying,” said Gallegos.
APD said during Balloon Fiesta, they see an uptick in crashes and people not paying attention while driving. The traffic operations typically last a couple of weeks.
