Study: Albuquerque Crime Goes Up When Fewer People In Jail

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new study suggests that Albuquerque's crime rate rises when fewer people are in jail. The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2d7gyFS ) that according to the study of the data, the number of people released from the Metropolitan Detention Center because of changes there and in the legal system, have had a greater influence on crime than the size of the police force or the economy. While all crime statistics are up, property crime has particularly increased. In 2010, 2,773 auto thefts were reported in the city. In 2015, there were 5,179. Comparatively, the jail's average population was 3,008 in 2010, and it was 1,713 in 2015. The city commissioned the study after 2015 data found Albuquerque's crime rate was climbing.