Albuquerque Officials Take Steps to Curb Surge in Citations, Jail Stays Related to Homelessness
Albuquerque officials are implementing changes to address the rising number of citations and jail stays related to homelessness. The new measures include scheduling court appearances for specific offenses on Fridays to reduce missed court dates. This initiative aims to provide better support for individuals experiencing homelessness and to decrease their interactions with the criminal justice system.
- ▪The jail population of homeless individuals in Albuquerque surged to 12,000 in 2025 from 3,670 in 2022.
- ▪In 2025, there were 1,256 charges for obstructing sidewalks, nearly six times the number in the previous eight years combined.
- ▪Starting July 1, Albuquerque police will schedule court appearances for homelessness-related citations on Fridays.
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The Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where ProPublica found that the jail population of people marked “transient” or homeless surged to 12,000 in 2025 from 3,670 in 2022 Ramsay de Give for ProPublica Albuquerque Officials Take Steps to Curb Surge in Citations, Jail Stays Related to Homelessness The changes come after ProPublica reported that charges for crimes related to homelessness have skyrocketed under Mayor Tim Keller. In 2025, people were charged 1,256 times for obstructing sidewalks — nearly six times the number in the previous eight years combined.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ProPublica.
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