Council adopts 'Enhanced Service and Safety Zone' ordinance after heated debate over enforcement and services

The Albuquerque City Council voted 6–3 on May 4 to adopt an ordinance establishing "Enhanced Service and Safety Zones," a new tool that allows the mayor, with council approval, to designate commercial corridors for concentrated city services, targeted capital improvements and additional enforcement tools.

Supporters framed the measure as a public-safety and economic-revitalization tool. "This is a safety bill, not an unhoused bill," Councilor Brook Baca said, describing downtown crime and business losses and urging the council to give the mayor and the administration tools to respond to concentrated problems. Council supporters cited recent downtown shootings and argued the designation comes with council oversight, time limits and the ability to require service plans and funding descriptions.

Opponents — including advocates, researchers and many public commenters — said the ordinance risked criminalizing homelessness and urged a service-first approach. Daniel Williams of the ACLU of New Mexico told the council, "Criminalization of homelessness does not solve the problem. It makes our problems worse." Several public speakers said people living outside would be displaced without adequate housing, outreach or wraparound services.

Councilors adopted several amendments before the final vote. Notable changes included a unanimous amendment requiring that law enforcement issue a written warning or criminal trespass notification before issuing a citation or making an arrest for ordinance violations; and an amendment requiring quarterly public reporting on enforcement, referrals and outcomes. Attempts to strike criminal penalties or remove language criminalizing sitting, sleeping or camping in a zone were put before the council and did not succeed. The ordinance as adopted includes a two-year sunset/review provision and requires designation packages to include purpose, proposed services and a funding plan to be reviewed by council.

Mayor and administration staff will present any proposed zone to the council via an executive communication that must include findings, a map, an itemized funding plan (including whether new or reallocated departmental resources are required), proposed infrastructure improvements, and an analysis of whether a business improvement district (BID) was explored as an alternative. That requirement was added during debate to try to ensure financial transparency and to assess whether a BID might be a more sustainable, locally funded approach.

The council heard extensive public comment before the final action. Advocates from the homeless-services community pushed for stronger outreach and shelter capacity; researchers and civil liberties advocates warned the measure could create enforcement burdens without evidence of improved outcomes; business owners and downtown residents urged decisive action to restore safety and economic vitality.

The ordinance will take effect according to the dates set in the city code once the mayor signs it and the procedural requirements are met. Councilors who voted in favor said the measure gives local leaders a structured way to focus city resources on corridors that have concentrated service needs and economic activity; those who voted no said they feared the law could lead to repeated enforcement cycles that punish vulnerable people without addressing root causes.

The council recorded the final vote as 6 in favor and 3 opposed.