City Councilor Klarissa Peña | City Councilor Klarissa Peña (https://www.cabq.gov/)
City Councilor Klarissa Peña | City Councilor Klarissa Peña (https://www.cabq.gov/)
On june 1, at Westgate Community Center two high school seniors were honored for their participation in the Duke City Leadership Lowrider Bike Club. This club started on April 7, 2023 and the first cohort of students completed the program on May 23, 2023. The positive youth development after-school program has been held every Tuesday for two hours from 3:00 – 5:00 PM. Eight students participated in this first round of the program and two high school seniors from the program on june 1.
Now that these two seniors have graduated from high school, they will be able to take their lowrider bikes home with them. As part of the program, the Drug Enforcement Administration has also provided students with public safety education surrounding fentanyl and other drug use. Bernalillo County has also informed the students about summer internship and part-time job opportunities.
“This Lowrider Bike Club has created a safe space and bridged the gap between students, lowrider mentors, and local law enforcement officers to share their experiences, creativity, and expertise in customizing lowrider bikes and addressing community issues,” said City Councilor Klarissa Peña.
The Program Coordinator, Rob Vanderslice, and other mentors have developed strong relationships with these high school students over the past few months while helping them upgrade and customize their bikes. Graduating seniors will have their bikes on display to compete at the Lowrider Supershow at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Sunday June 4, 2023.
The Duke City Leadership Lowrider Bike Club follows the success of the APD Youth Leadership Lowrider vehicle program. APD’s Southwest Area Command’s PRT Team worked with youth from around Albuquerque to rebuild an out-of-commission police vehicle into a lowrider representative of the Albuquerque car culture. Bernalillo County is now collaborating with the City of Albuquerque and using their blueprint to transform their own vehicle into a lowrider.
The Duke City Leadership Lowrider Bike Club will be starting again in Fall 2023 and has 20 slots open for high school students interested in participating. For more information on the Duke City Leadership Lowrider Bike Club, please visit: https://www.cabq.gov/council/find-your-councilor/district-3/duke-city-leadership-lowrider-bike-club
Efforts like the Duke City Lowrider Bike Club have been coming out of the National Cruising Community Policing Conference and starting today, City Councilor Klarissa Peña, the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office are hosting the 3rd Annual Conference through Sunday, June 4, 2023. The Conference provides communities throughout the country the opportunity to share best practices about their current community policing efforts that use lowrider culture as a “vehicle for change.”
“It’s an honor to bring all of our collaborating communities together for the third year in a row to strategize how to use lowrider cars and bikes as community policing tools,” said Councilor Peña. “Cruising has such a rich history here in Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico and we’re using that to bridge the gap between lowriders, law enforcement, and our youth.”
Cities and Counties that have been involved in the creation of the blueprint and who are attending the Conference include Olathe, KS; Kansas City, KS; Tucson, AZ; National City, CA; El Paso, TX; Espanola, NM; and Bernalillo County, NM.
The Conference will include a wide variety of presentations, workshops, and breakout discussions with communities from around the country to move the National Cruising Community Policing Forum forward. The City of Albuquerque has already developed a blueprint for communities around the country to start developing their own cruising community policing programs. Some of these programs have utilized funding from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Operation Engage” to get their programs off the ground.
The Conference will conclude at the Lowrider Super Show at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Sunday, June 4, 2023. The car show will feature the Albuquerque Police Department’s and the Olathe (Kansas) Police Department’s lowrider vehicles and bikes.
For more information on the Conference, visit: https://www.cabq.gov/council/find-your-councilor/district-3/national-vehicles-for-change-conference-registration
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