ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s damage control for the city in downtown Albuquerque after someone ripped apart more than two-dozen street trees. Surveillance cameras saw it clearly Thursday night as a man on Central Ave. used his body weight to snap limb after limb from downtown street trees.
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Now, city crews are assessing the damage, spread across more than two dozen trees that KRQE News 13 could find. Longtime Lindy’s Diner owner Steve Vatoseow said he’s never seen vandalism reach this level. “Usually, it’s like broken windows, graffiti, and stuff like that. This is a whole new thing, the destruction of the trees. The city tries to hard to beautify downtown,” said Vatoseow.
The vandalism comes as city leaders have focused on the need for more downtown shade, including trees. It’s one of the key components of the 2050 Redevelopment Plan, which calls for making more comfortable public spaces. “You know, it’s just a terrible thing. There’s no reason for it. I don’t know what thrill they get out of doing destruction,” said Vatoseow.
KRQE News 13 crews saw trees vandalized across at least four blocks of Central Ave., including in front of Ex Novo Brewery, which is about to celebrate one year of business downtown. The restaurant said it has seen an uptick in bad behavior as the weather has gotten hotter.
“We have a program where we help feed the houseless at least once a week here and at our Sammy’s location. And I would say that 80% of the people that come in that are dealing with problems are really respectful of us, the staff, and the space, and yeah, there’s the unfortunate 20%, but I mean that’s just kind of how it works with everybody, not just this specific community,” said Sean Lewis, Ex Novo Brewing Company General Manager.
While City of Albuquerque Department of Solid Waste crews cleaned up the damage on Friday, they’re also still figuring out which trees will have to be uprooted and replaced.
Albuquerque police are looking into the case and have the surveillance video of the suspect. The city hasn’t released a dollar figure yet related to damage or repairs.
The City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Department sent this statement:
Late Tuesday night, several downtown trees were vandalized. Our team is assessing the extent this afternoon. Some will need to be replaced, others can be salvaged, and a few require more time to evaluate. We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to restore the area.
City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Department
The City of Albuquerque Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency sent a statement:
We’re incredibly disappointed by the vandalism to Downtown’s shade trees. Especially during the hot summer months, these trees play a vital role in making our streets cooler, more welcoming, and more inviting. The City will be cleaning up and assessing the damage to the trees, but we won’t let this setback stop our efforts to keep Downtown green and growing.
City of Albuquerque Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency
