City Cracks Down on Copper Thieves
 Thieves who have been combing the city stealing street signs, manhole covers and wire are going to find out that selling the precious metals is going become very difficult.
That’s because several city agencies led by the Albuquerque Police Department have been targeting recycling centers that pay top dollar for copper. Full Story >>
Albuquerque Police Officers Capture Burglars
 Mayor Richard J. Berry recognized seven Albuquerque police officers who apprehended property crime offenders just moments after they had burglarized a vehicle.
Officers Matthew Trahan, Isaac Maes, William Velasquez, Michael Shook, Travis Cochran, Bryan Price and Samantha Miles were named this week’s Friday’s Heroes. Each week Mayor Richard J. Berry recognizes at least one public safety employee who goes above the call of duty. Full Story >>
APD Detectives Unravel Complicated High Dollar Theft Operation
Albuquerque police have made significant progress in a month’s long investigation into the theft of $190,000 of merchandise, resulting in the arrest of multiple suspects who work for ABF Freight System Inc, as well as several local teachers. Full Story >>
Pawn Shop Operation Yields Thousands of Dollars in Stolen Property and Results in New Partnership
 Albuquerque police recently confiscated thousands of dollars in stolen property after they conducted a week-long pawn shop operation in which detectives inspected every pawn shop in the city.
As a result of the operation, one pawn shop was temporarily closed due to building code violations and a new alliance was formed between pawn shop owners and the police department. The pawn shops assisted APD in identifying the stolen property. Full Story >>
APD to Crackdown on Criminal Activity for the Holiday Season
 Albuquerque police officers will be using helicopters, aerial platforms, horses, night vision goggles, and bait vehicles filled with gifts to catch thieves who prey on holiday shoppers.
Mayor Richard J. Berry and Police Chief Raymond D. Schultz announced on Tuesday an all-out assault on thieves this holiday season. Starting on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, Albuquerque police officers will be working overtime to catch thieves in the act. The officers will work through Christmas. Full Story >>
APD to Crack Down on Car Thieves at the Balloon Fiesta
 Albuquerque police officers will be using bait cars, helicopters, electronic license plate readers and undercover detectives to catch auto thieves at this year’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
Dozens of APD detectives will be working overtime to catch thieves in the act. And, for the first time, APD will be using electronic license plate readers at this year’s Balloon Fiesta. The readers can scan hundreds of plates within minutes to determine if they have been stolen.
Full Story >>
Newspaper Ads Help Capture 100 of the City’s Top Property Crime Offenders
 Police, tipsters and the media have helped put the cuffs on more than 100 of the city’s top property crime offenders.
Mayor Richard J. Berry announced Monday that 110 of the city’s top property crime offenders featured in the Albuquerque Journal have been captured. So far, 238 offenders have been profiled in the eight monthly advertisements.
“This is huge victory for the city, the community and the police department,” Mayor Berry said. “More than 100 thieves have learned that Albuquerque is a bad place to be a criminal.”
The Journal ad features 30 of the city’s most wanted property crime offenders. The city began running the ad in December as a part of Mayor Berry’s initiative to combat property crime. It appears in the Journal every third Friday. The city also publishes offenders on 10 electronic billboards. Full Story >>
APD Receives National Recognition for Working with Retailers to Combat Property Crime
 The Albuquerque Police Department was honored last week at the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Loss and Prevention Conference and Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
APD was honored for forming a business partnership that combats retail crime. The group Albuquerque Retail Assets Protection Association (ARAPA) was formed four years ago and is a partnership between the Albuquerque Police Department and local businesses. ARAPA members work together by posting information on a website accessible only to ARAPA’s business and police members. Full Story>>
Serial Thief Gets 30 years
An Albuquerque man who stole from hundreds of people was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday after several of his victims testified he had “destroyed their lives.”
Shane Price had pleaded guilty to 31 counts of Residential Burglary, Automobile Burglary, Identity Theft, Receiving Stolen Property, and Possession of a Stolen Credit Card. He faced a maximum of 40 years in prison when he was sentenced Friday by Judge Denise Barela Shepherd. Full Story >>
APD’s ROP Team Catches Top Property Crime Offender
 Working off of a Crime Stopper’s tip, the Albuquerque Police Department’s Repeat Offender Project team arrested one of the city’s top property crime offenders Thursday.
On March 26, a warrant was issued for Jeffrey Brasher’s arrest on two auto theft-related counts after detectives used fingerprints to determine he stole a car while it was warming up. Full Story >>
Newspaper Ads Help Capture 50 Offenders; Photographs Will Now Be Featured in Shopping Centers
Mayor Richard J. Berry announced Wednesday that the 50th property crime offender has been arrested as a direct result of the ad in the Albuquerque Journal. The ad features names and mug shots of wanted property crime offenders.
Nancy Plumley was arrested late Thursday by members of the Albuquerque Police Repeat Offender Project Unit after someone called Crime Stoppers and reported her whereabouts.
Plumley was featured in Friday’s Albuquerque Journal “Most Wanted Property Crime Offender” advertisement. So far the city has published four advertisements in the newspaper featuring about 120 of the city’s top property crime offenders. Plumley was the 50th capture. Full Story >>
Night Detectives Help Catch Top Property Crime Fugitive Hours After Mayor’s Address
 The Albuquerque Police Department’s Night Detective Unit wasted no time hitting the streets after they got a pep talk from Mayor Richard J. Berry Wednesday.
The newly formed unit tracked one of the city’s top property crime offenders, Reyanna Atencio, to Raton and gave information to the U.S. Marshal’s Office and the Department of Corrections, who took her into custody.
Atencio, 24, who was wanted on five felony burglary warrants, was featured in February’s Albuquerque Journal Most Wanted Property Crime Offenders advertisement. Full Story >>
Night Detectives Hit the Streets
Mayor Richard J. Berry conducted one of the first briefings Wednesday of the Albuquerque Police Department’s newly formed Night Detective unit.
The unit which consists of eight detectives and one sergeant was formed as a part of the Mayor’s property crime initiative. They have been training for the past month and they officially hit the streets last week. Their mission is to target property crime offenders. Full Story >>
Top Property Crime Fugitive Arrested
 The city’s top property crime fugitive was captured by U.S. Marshal’s Friday morning after a massive manhunt that included newspaper advertisements and electronic billboards.
Michael Candelaria was arrested at 3 a.m. Friday by the U.S. Marshal’s Office in the 200 block of Delmar. The Marshal’s Office was working off of a tip and was conducting surveillance on the address when they spotted Candelaria.
Candelaria was the first property crime offender to be featured on the city’s electronic billboard. He was also featured twice in the city’s Most Wanted Property Crime Offender Advertisement in the Albuquerque Journal. Full Story >>
Third Property Crime Ad Hits Newspaper; 23 Profiled Suspects Arrested Thus Far
 The third installment of the city’s property crime offender advertisement was published in the Albuquerque Journal today.
The ad features 30 of the city’s most wanted property crime offenders. The city began running the ad in December as a part of Mayor Richard J. Berry’s initiative to combat property crime. It appears in the Journal every third Friday.
Of the two previous ads, 23 offenders have been taken into custody. So far 60 have been profiled in the Journal. The city also publishes offenders on 10 electronic billboards. Full Story>>
Mayor, Construction Industry Unveil New Identification System to Prevent Thefts
 Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry and members of the Construction Industry Crime Alliance (CICA) unveiled a new identification system Tuesday that will make it difficult for thieves to sell stolen equipment.
At CICA’s monthly meeting Tuesday, the city provided the alliance’s members a unique identification number that can be engraved onto tools and equipment. The city also provided CICA members decals with their identification number. Full Story >>
APD Nabs Serial Thief………Again
 The Albuquerque Police Department once again arrested a woman who was recently let out of jail while she awaited trial for identity theft involving 450 victims, only to steal the credit cards of two more unsuspecting victims.
On Thursday Albuquerque police property crimes detectives charged Amber Tapia, 22, with identity theft fraud of more than $500, forgery less than $2,500, fraudulent signing of a credit card and conspiracy. She was being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of a $100,000 cash bond. Full Story
Serial Thief Sentenced to 16 Years
Albuquerque Police Chief and Public Safety Director Attend Sentencing
One of the city's most prolific thieves was sentenced to 16 years in prison Monday.
Melissa Chezem was facing a maximum of a 28-year sentence when District Court Judge Kenneth Martinez sentenced her. She had pleaded guilty to 13 theft-related charges. There were more than 100 victims and more than $100,000 worth of property was stolen.
Full Story >
Mayor Berry Pledges to Fight Property Crime
 Mayor Richard J. Berry unveiled his plan to attack property crime Tuesday and in doing so pledged that he will make Albuquerque a bad place to commit crime.
The plan, which was unveiled in front of 500 mortgage brokers at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, will focus on using technology, teaming with private industry and seeking tougher legislation and prosecution. View Mayor Berry's Speech
Berry’s Plan includes:
- Seeking federal prosecution for property crimes involving firearms.
- Fingerprinting everyone who is arrested no matter how small the crime.
- Dispatching CSIs to every burglary.
- Offering cash incentives for people who turn in property crime offenders.
- Tracking property crime offenders who are out on probation. Developing a system that allows pawn shops to track stolen property.
- Sending out mass emails to the community.
- “Tweeting” every car that is stolen.
- Creating a public database that can be accessed through smart phones providing information on stolen vehicles.
- Pursuing a meaningful Three Strikes Law.
- Creating a night detective squad to respond to property crimes in the evening hours.
- Advertising wanted property crime offenders on billboardsand in the newspaper.
Many aspects of Berry’s plan have already been implemented by the Albuquerque Police Department during his administration. In the weeks to come APD will continue to roll out additional features of Berry’s agenda.
“This is a full court press on thieves,” Berry said. “We are making a statement that this is our city, our property and this is our plan to make Albuquerque a tough town for thieves.”
In 2006, the property crime epidemic hit Albuquerque when auto thefts increased by more than 42 percent. During his campaign for Mayor, Berry pledged to address the property crime epidemic. He has ordered Police Chief Ray Schultz to make it his top priority.
“I want to see results,” Berry said. “My administration’s priority is to make our streets safer. The people deserve that.”
|
