
By: ABQRAW staff
Posted: 2/14/2023 @ 1:15PM
SE Albuquerque – On Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 11:45a.m., Mayor Tim Keller, Chief Medina and APD leadership announced the opening of a new area command in the southeast portion of the city. Former Violent Crimes Lieutenant Ray DelGreco has been named the new acting deputy commander of this new area command. The city is dividing the SE portion of the city into two separate area commands, providing additional resources to the University and Nob Hill areas of the metro. This will be the 7th area command for APD to patrol within Albuquerque.

The new area command will tentatively be called the “University Area Command.” The University Area Command’s jurisdiction will include the Nob Hill and University areas, along with Ridgecrest and the growing Mesa Del Sol area. Officers will patrol approximately 30 square miles from San Mateo west, to I-25 and I-40 South, to the city limits.
“We are investing in public safety and expanding APD resources in the busiest sector of the city,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Our Southeast is vastly diverse, from the International District, to Nob Hill and UNM, and building out the University Area Command will help serve this diverse part of town.”
The 30 officers working out of the University Area Command will include officers on APD’s collateral Open Space Unit. Officers that were once part of the full-time open space unit, are still working those duties on a collateral basis and will have easy access to the Bosque and other open spaces throughout Albuquerque.
Staffing levels of patrol officers has been a concern from the public and City Councilors as of late. According to our research, APD had 297 uniformed patrol officers bid for all of the different citywide area commands.
“We continue to be innovative as the future of policing is ever-changing,” said Chief Harold Medina. “From adding more professional staff, and now expanding our resources in underserved areas of the city, we are making great strides in responding to calls quicker, and being more accessible to the public.”

Former Violent Crimes Lt. Ray Del Greco has been named the new acting deputy commander of the new area command.
Full press conference link here