SEVEN NEWS. THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS HOMICIDES ARE DOWN, BUT CHALLENGES CONTINUE. JULIAN PATA SPOKE WITH A-P-D AND THE TRENDS THEY KEPT TRACK OF FROM 2024. THERE’S A LOT OF CRITICISMS TOWARDS OUR ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE HOMICIDES. APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS THE CONCERNS SURROUNDING HOMICIDES IN ALBUQUERQUE, BUT THE CHIEF SAYS THE CITY MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN 2024. WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY 127 MURDER SUSPECTS LAST YEAR, AND ONCE AGAIN, WE WERE ABLE TO ARREST MORE THAN 100 MURDER SUSPECTS IN A YEAR. A TOTAL OF 79 CASES WERE SOLVED, WITH OFFICERS SOLVING 89% OF THOSE CASES. HOWEVER, THOSE 96 HOMICIDES ARE STILL MORE THAN TRIPLE THE 30 HOMICIDES THE FBI SAYS HAPPENED IN 2014. MEDINA SAYS ONE OF THE TRENDS THEY ARE SEEING IS MORE YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING INVOLVED. BY FAR THE BIGGEST NUMBERS ARE 18 TO 25 YEAR OLDS, WHICH ARE DEFINITELY YOUNGER. YOUNGER PEOPLE. APD SAYS 36% OF HOMICIDE SUSPECTS IN 2024 WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 25. AN ALARMING SIGN TO POLICE THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. WE HAVE VERY YOUNG INDIVIDUALS WHO DIDN’T GROW UP IN THE BEST OF OF HOMES AND BEST OF SITUATIONS, AND THEY ARE NOW HAVE KIDS. SO HOMICIDES IS A SOCIETAL PROBLEM. AS THE YEAR CONTINUES, MEDINA SAYS HE AND THE DEPARTMENT ARE FOCUSED ON INVESTING MORE INTO TECHNOLOGY TO CATCH CRIMINALS BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS. AND AS THE LEGISLATURE APPROACHES THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY WANT TO INVEST MILLIONS INTO THEIR REAL TIME CRIME CENTER AND TECHNOLOGY TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT THESE HOMICIDES FROM TRENDING
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APD reports 96 homicides from 2024, down from 2023
The Albuquerque Police Department reported a decrease in homicides from 2024, but leadership said there are some trends they say are alarming.
"There's a lot of criticisms towards our ability to investigate homicides," APD Chief Harold Medina said. Medina said he understands the concerns surrounding homicides in Albuquerque. But the chief also believes the city made many improvements in 2024. "We were able to identify 127 murder suspects last year," Medina said. "And, once again, we're able to arrest more than 100 murder suspects in a year."Medina said 79 cases were solved, with officers solving 89 percent of cases. However, those 96 homicides are still more than triple the 30 homicides the FBI says happened in 2014. APD said one of the trends they are seeing is more young people getting involved. "By far, the biggest numbers are 18 to 25 years old which are definitely younger, younger people," APD Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos added. APD says 36 percent of homicide suspects were between the ages of 18 to 25. It's an alarming sign to police that something needs to change. "We have very young individuals who didn't grow up in the best of homes and best of situations," Medina said. "So homicides is a societal problem."As the year continues, medina says he and the department are focused on investing in more technology to catch criminals before something tragic happens. With the legislature around the corner, the Albuquerque Police Department said they want to invest $10 million into their Real Time Crime Center and technology to hopefully prevent these homicides from trending upward again.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
"There's a lot of criticisms towards our ability to investigate homicides," APD Chief Harold Medina said.
Medina said he understands the concerns surrounding homicides in Albuquerque. But the chief also believes the city made many improvements in 2024.
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"We were able to identify 127 murder suspects last year," Medina said. "And, once again, we're able to arrest more than 100 murder suspects in a year."
Medina said 79 cases were solved, with officers solving 89 percent of cases. However, those 96 homicides are still more than triple the 30 homicides the FBI says happened in 2014. APD said one of the trends they are seeing is more young people getting involved.
"By far, the biggest numbers are 18 to 25 years old which are definitely younger, younger people," APD Spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos added.
APD says 36 percent of homicide suspects were between the ages of 18 to 25. It's an alarming sign to police that something needs to change.
"We have very young individuals who didn't grow up in the best of homes and best of situations," Medina said. "So homicides is a societal problem."
As the year continues, medina says he and the department are focused on investing in more technology to catch criminals before something tragic happens. With the legislature around the corner, the Albuquerque Police Department said they want to invest $10 million into their Real Time Crime Center and technology to hopefully prevent these homicides from trending upward again.