Albuquerque crime surge crippling restaurateur’s bottom line as residents ‘don’t feel safe’ going out

A New Mexico Business Owner Raises Concerns About Violent Crime Impacting Customers

A New Mexico business owner is sounding the alarm on how violent crime in his city is impacting customers and hurting his bottom line. 

“It’s almost two years in business… even then I struggle to pay bills,” Diaz Kitchen & Sushi Bar owner Manuel Diaz told “Fox & Friends First” Thursday. “The majority of my feedback is like for safety. They [customers] don’t feel safe.”

Violence in Downtown Albuquerque

The downtown Albuquerque area has become a hotbed for violence in recent weeks – an unwelcome trend for businesses in the area.

Impact on Business and Safety Concerns

Two teens are in custody following separate shooting incidents on Saturday night, one inside the Coronado Mall and one downtown.

Last month, bodycam footage showed Alburquerque police officers pursuing a suspected shoplifter on horseback. 

“After COVID, it’s kind of tough for new business… the crime is pretty much in [the] nighttime and mostly on the weekends with all the nightclubs. You see their videos, like, you know, people going out and getting drunk and stupid,” Diaz said.

Efforts by the Police Department

The Albuquerque Police Department published video of the March 20 horseback incident on Facebook last week. In a post, the department explained that its mounted unit was nearby when its officers heard a commotion about a recent robbery.

Suspect Mark Chacon, 30, allegedly stole $230 worth of merchandise from a Walgreens location. He was later charged with eluding/evading police on foot, shoplifting and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The suspect eventually relented and was placed in handcuffs.

Repeated Targeting of Diaz’s Restaurant

Diaz’s restaurant has been the target of violent crime several times. Last year, his windows were smashed on three separate occasions.  

“For my customers, feedback is more like it’s hard to go in downtown,” Dias said. 

The restaurateur said he had also heard concerns from female customers who “don’t feel safe” venturing out due to the crime.

Commitment to Addressing the Issue

“We are committed to working on Central [Ave.], committed to arresting drug dealers, committed to making sure we can do everything we can to take firearms off Central,” Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said on March 26.

Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.

   The article highlights the issue of violent crime in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which directly relates to SDG 16. The business owner expresses concerns about the impact of violent crime on his customers and his business’s financial stability. The article mentions separate shooting incidents and a video of police officers pursuing a suspected shoplifter on horseback, indicating the prevalence of violence in the area. The targets under SDG 16 that can be identified based on the article’s content are reducing violence and related death rates (Target 16.1), promoting the rule of law and equal access to justice (Target 16.3), and ensuring responsive and inclusive decision-making (Target 16.7).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: foxnews.com

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