Hotels by ABQ Sunport frustrated with being targeted by criminals

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Hotel properties near the Albuquerque International Sunport are still struggling to keep thieves away. For years, the hotels near Gibson and Yale have been targets for criminals to steal or break into cars.

The hotels have tried to outsmart the thieves over the years by adding more security cameras and even automatic gates, with no success.

“Unfortunately, the criminals, if they have a stolen car, they don’t really care if that’s on camera, and they’ll actually break the gate. We have had people jump over the gate. We have had people dig under the gate. Until we start catching these people and putting them behind bars, this is going to continue,” Imesh Vaidya, the CEO of Premier Hospitality, said.

Vaidya said, recently, many hotels near the airport have hired private security. He explained it’s helped a little bit, but crime is still out of control, adding more than four visitors a week are losing their cars or the valuables inside.

“We actually had a meeting with APD, and they’re just as frustrated as we are.”

Vaidya explained hotels across the state are fighting off thieves lately, but the properties by the Albuquerque Sunport are fighting more than others. He believes thieves target this area because it’s a traveler’s hot spot.

“Number one, the concentration of rooms here, the number of properties, the hotel properties in this region is very high. The density makes it popular for the criminals.”

Hotels have had meetings with APD, asking for special cameras to help. No word on if that will be approved. Vaidya believes things won’t get better by the Sunport until the city solves this out-of-control problem everywhere.

“It’s developed a reputation for car theft and car issues and until we start acting upon it and improving it, it’s going to maintain that reputation.”