Albuquerque Community Safety Makes Citywide Impact with Proactive Life-Changing Outreach

ALBUQUERQUE — As Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) continues to evolve, it is proving that through efforts rooted in compassion and collaboration, lives are changed. One of the department’s key initiatives, ACS Connect to Care, is a series of pop-up events bringing critical services directly to people experiencing homelessness or mental health crisis.

Through these events, alongside case navigation and proactive outreach, ACS is helping people take steps toward safety, health, and long-term stability.

From January through August 2025, ACS hosted 16 Connect to Care events, bringing critical resources directly to where people need them most. These events unite city departments, healthcare providers, and community partners, including the Albuquerque Police Department, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, UNM Mobile Medical Team, Roadrunner Food Bank, Veteran’s Integration Center, First Nations Community HealthSource, New Mexico Department of Health, City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare, and Vets for Pets, along with other city and community partners working together to make a difference.

See highlights of a recent ACS Connect to Care event HERE.

By setting up these events across Albuquerque, ACS ensures that hundreds of unsheltered residents received immediate care and a direct path to vital services.

At these events:

• 609 people engaged with critical resources
• 273 received medical assessments, including psychiatric care, opioid treatment, wound care, and medications for infectious diseases
• 136 people received Narcan and harm reduction education, with 8 transported immediately to substance abuse treatment
• 18 veterans were connected to the Veteran’s Integration Center for housing and benefits
• 43 individuals received help applying for SNAP food assistance
• 85 individuals completed housing assessments to begin the process toward stability

“This is community safety reimagined,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our ACS teams and partners, more people in Albuquerque are finding stability, connection, and the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.”

ACS has also seen groundbreaking success in its Street Outreach Case Navigator program, which focuses on individuals with the highest needs who frequently rely on emergency services. Since January 2025:

• 88 people have been supported through intensive case navigation
• 70 have secured permanent housing, an 80% housing success rate
• Navigators are actively supporting 25 high-acuity clients, helping them access benefits that sustain long-term housing

As a result of this success, ACS expanded from one to two full-time Case Navigators this spring, deepening its commitment to meeting people with dignity and persistence until lasting solutions are found.

“This work is about more than services, it’s about restoring dignity and creating hope,” said ACS Director Jodie Esquibel. “Every connection at these events represents a life moving closer to healing and stability.”

Meanwhile, Street Outreach Coordinators and Responders continue to walk alongside community members, offering support that removes barriers and builds trust:

• Providing safe transport directly to shelters
• Helping obtain critical documents such as IDs, birth certificates, and Social Security cards
• Connecting individuals with pets to veterinary care so families can remain together
• Partnering with UNM Mobile Street Medicine for safe field treatment

“Every statistic tells a story of a neighbor who no longer has to face crisis alone,” said ACS Homeless Liaison Administrator Jennifer Martinez. “When we bring compassion to the frontlines, we see people not just survive, but begin to thrive.”

Together with its partners, ACS is redefining what public safety looks like in Albuquerque, one connection, one resource, and one life at a time. As the work expands, so does the promise that no one in crisis has to face it alone.

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About Albuquerque Community Safety: ACS 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.