Albuquerque Community Safety Frees up 31,000 Public Safety Hours in 2025
ACS closes out year responding to more than 42,000 calls, strengthening citywide emergency response
ALBUQUERQUE – In 2025, the Albuquerque Community Safety Department responded to more than 42,000 calls for service, freeing up over 31,000 hours for Albuquerque Police and Fire Rescue to focus on high-priority emergencies.
Since the department’s inception in 2021, ACS has transformed how the City responds to behavioral health crises and non-criminal, non-medical public safety calls. ACS responders take calls involving mental health concerns, wellness checks, homelessness, and other non-violent situations that do not require a traditional emergency response.
Without ACS, many of these calls would require police or fire response. Instead, trained behavioral health professionals are dispatched to provide appropriate, compassionate care while reducing unnecessary strain on emergency services. In 2025 alone, ACS calls accounted for more than 31,000 hours of response times and strengthen public safety across Albuquerque.
“Albuquerque Community Safety has become an essential part of how our city protects and serves residents,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “By handling the right calls with the right responders, ACS delivers compassionate response while allowing police and fire to focus on critical emergencies.
ACS Behavioral Health Responders complete extensive training through the ACS Academy, preparing them to safely and effectively manage complex situations and connect individuals to the services they need.
“Our role is to complement, not replace our public safety partners,” said Jodie Esquibel, Director of Albuquerque Community Safety. “By responding to calls that match our criteria, ACS creates real capacity for APD and AFR while delivering compassionate, community-centered support. This is why Albuquerque is leading the nation in reimagining public safety”
Since its launch, ACS has provided critical support to thousands of community members by connecting them to behavioral health care, housing resources, and crisis services, helping stabilize vulnerable individuals and strengthen community well-being.
Together, with its public safety partners, ACS remains committed to prevention-focused, coordinated services that deliver the right response at the right time.
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About Albuquerque Community Safety
Albuquerque Community Safety is the City of Albuquerque’s third branch of public safety. Responders take calls for service involving behavioral health, substance use, and other non-criminal and non-medical issues. Request an ACS Responder by calling 911 for emergencies and 311 for non-emergencies.