ABQ RIDE announced on May 18 that public transit safety has improved, as reflected in its eighth quarterly security report submitted to the City Council. The report covers data from January through March and follows ongoing efforts under the ABQ Long-Range Transit Security Plan, which began after launching the transit safety officer program in spring 2024.
The update matters because it addresses community concerns about rider safety and transparency around incident reporting. According to the latest figures, there was a 21% decrease in overall security calls compared to the same period last year, while serious ‘Class A’ incidents dropped by 39%. The department also noted an increase in passenger boardings and changes in response rates among partner agencies.
Transit Director Leslie Keener said, “In the last few years ABQ RIDE has become much safer. We went from no safety program or data to having a dedicated team of TSOs through the police department and working closely with Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), the fire department, and contracted security. As we continue to improve our data collection and reporting, we hope to show how it’s reduced incidents, especially the more serious ones. We’re not just saying it’s safer out there – look at the numbers!”
Key findings include that Class A calls—representing more severe events such as vandalism or fire—now make up only about one to two percent of all reported incidents. The most frequent Class A issues were vandalism and fire, accounting for nearly two-thirds of these cases. Calls requiring police response rose by seven percent due mainly to a transition toward using police-based TSOs as primary partners; meanwhile ACS responses doubled during this quarter.
Transit Deputy Director Bobby Sisneros said, “A key to upping safety is having good data. Our results will continue to improve as we fill positions such as a safety manager to oversee our transit safety program and a data specialist to fully implement reporting and collection practices.” Next steps outlined by ABQ RIDE include hiring additional officers, enhancing their internal data systems, and launching a new internal division focused on transit security.
The City of Albuquerque operates across nine districts shaped by historical developments like railroad expansion according to the city’s timeline. It maintains historic venues such as KiMo Theatre—a landmark blending Pueblo Deco architecture built for community entertainment since 1927—as detailed on the official page. Governance is handled through council duties like goal-setting and budget approval under an annually elected leadership structure described on the official website.
ABQ RIDE’s next phase will focus on further reducing incident rates through expanded staffing initiatives and refined tracking processes.
