ABQ Times

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) has reported a decrease in shoplifting incidents in major shopping districts across the city as the busy shopping season approaches.

Officers from APD's Proactive Response Team (PRT) in the Northeast and Northwest Area commands have concentrated their efforts on property crimes, particularly shoplifting, at locations such as Cottonwood Mall, Coronado Shopping Center, and Uptown. According to APD, there were 884 reported shoplifting incidents in January 2024 compared to 444 incidents in August 2024. PRT officers and Organized Crime Unit detectives have conducted joint operations in these busy shopping areas, identifying and arresting repeat offenders.

Investigations revealed that many repeat shoplifters were also suspects in other property crimes like auto burglaries, auto thefts, narcotics offenses, and trespassing. The increased focus around shopping districts has allowed PRT officers to contact individuals loitering or trespassing at businesses. This proactive approach has led to stronger relationships with business owners, loss prevention personnel, and stakeholders. Enhanced communication between businesses and APD officers has helped many businesses revisit their reporting policies, allowing for better investigation of shoplifting cases and holding offenders accountable.

"Last year, the shoplifting aggregation and aggravated shoplifting laws went into effect which have helped officers and detectives build stronger cases against repeat offenders and individuals who utilize a weapon during a shoplifting," stated an APD spokesperson.

Earlier this week, Northeast PRT officers arrested Michael Utzler for felony shoplifting; he had two active warrants for similar offenses. They also arrested Joshua Seitz for felony shoplifting; he was already under investigation by another agency for previous incidents.

Business owners are encouraged to join the Albuquerque Retail Assets Protection Association (ARAPA) to connect with local law enforcement, share trends, help identify repeat offenders, and build lines of communication.

A detailed breakdown of this year’s shoplifting incidents is available along with video footage of arrests.

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