Albuquerque police say surveillance tech helps solve more cases faster
APD told lawmakers its cameras and plate readers helped cut auto thefts from about 10,000 a year in 2016 to fewer than 4,000 in 2025.
At the Real Time Crime Center, officers can watch live feeds across the metro around the clock and check a scene before they arrive, using state Department of Transportation cameras, city security cameras and other private and public video sources. Albuquerque police told lawmakers Tuesday that cameras, gunshot detection, license plate readers and drones were helping investigators move faster and close more cases.
The city has pushed that network deeper into neighborhoods and business corridors. Its Community Connect program, launched in 2022, lets businesses and residents voluntarily link cameras to the Real Time Crime Center so investigators can pull footage faster when a shooting, robbery or stolen vehicle case develops. Eight new cameras now line Central Avenue between 1st and 7th streets, linking another stretch of one of Albuquerque’s most heavily watched corridors to the center.
License plate readers were a major part of the pitch. APD’s policy uses the technology to identify people who use vehicles in crimes and to support vehicle-related investigations, and it has been especially useful in stolen car cases, missing-person alerts and searches for runaway suspects. In December 2025, auto thefts were down 42% year to date compared with 2024, and annual thefts had fallen from about 10,000 in 2016 to fewer than 4,000 in 2025.
ShotSpotter has been in place since 2020 and now covers about 40 miles of Albuquerque. A large volume of gunfire has been detected this year, and the system is tied to its S.H.O.T. crime-prevention work in the Southeast Area Command, where gunshot detections fell 47%. APD and city officials have previously sought about $40 million to expand video surveillance through the Real Time Crime Center and to grow gunshot detection.
The drone program is expanding too. APD launched a first-of-its-kind program in New Mexico that lets FAA-certified pilots fly drones from the Real Time Crime Center instead of from the scene. Trained operators can inspect a drone and judge flying conditions in under two minutes before takeoff. APD has 10 drones now and plans to add four more, with new coverage aimed at the Foothills and the Bosque.
The ACLU of New Mexico backs a proposal to delete records within 30 days for people not suspected of a crime. Automatic license plate readers collect time, date and GPS data.
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