The violent wave of crime plaguing New Mexico, specifically in Albuquerque, is forcing Walmart at 301 San Mateo Boulevard Southeast to close its doors after nearly 40 years in business at the location. The store is located in the War Zone, also known as the “International District,” known for its crime epidemic.
Walmart spokeswoman Lauren Willis said the store, which has 287 employees, was first opened at the location in 1985 — 38 years ago. The employees will be given the option to transfer to other locations in the city.
Business Insider recently reported, “Walmart did not answer questions about whether crime rates at the Albuquerque location were responsible for the decision to close it. But Albuquerque police officers had their hands full with the store in the past year. The Albuquerque Journal reports that 708 calls were made requesting police service at or near the store in 2022.”
According to a KOB 4 report, “Police were called to the Walmart at San Mateo near Central more than 1,400 times for various calls in 2019. That’s almost four calls every day.”
The closure of the Albuquerque location, as well as locations across crime-ridden states, came after Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon warned last December that certain “stores will close” if high theft rates didn’t slow down.
Cleveland.com reported that the total number of Walmart location closures are as follows: “Arkansas (1 store), Georgia (2), Florida (1), Hawaii (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (1), Minnesota (1), New Mexico (1), Oregon (2), Texas (1), Washington (1), Washington, D.C. (1) and Wisconsin (1).”
Reports note how the shuttering of the Albuquerque Walmart “will impact lower-income residents,” as KRQE 13 reported.
Resident Gabriel Sena told the outlet, “It’s gonna be sad for them, you know, because some people don’t have cars, and this is where they go, and all they have is Smith’s now down on Yale, but that might be out of the way too.”
I used to shop there in the 90’s it was a decent neighborhood. But like everything else here it has been subverted and the people continue to vote in the perps. I very rarely go to Albuquerque anymore.
Albuquerque– Go woke, go broke.
Paul, you are absolutely correct. Residents in that area can thank their leftist mayor and city council members who put the “rights” of criminals and other sleaze bags above those of innocent people.
The previous mayor and governor before them were a bunch of buffons!
Get real. The previous administration were a bunch of buffoons? I’ve been in New Mexico for 58 years. ALL of the previous administrations, going back roughly 20 years have been buffoons!
People keep electing “leaders” who have no common sense, no business background and no ability to stand strong for what the PEOPLE truly want. This goes for NM as well as the other 49 states.
You hit right on the head.
Steve, you are absolutely correct. These people who put those clowns in office. They hide do to being embarrassment. Albuquerque was a great place to visit no more unsafe
It’s so sad that criminals ruin things for others, I pray that another store will open for this neighborhood!
It’s only going to get worse thousands flooding across the border is going destroy more communities everywhere
Correct. The bullets spraying the entrance to the store, the rampant theft, and the encampments all over Central had NOTHING to do with this decision.
We now keep our tourism/play dollars away from ABQ.
Open your eyes to big game.
Run up crime, create empty commercial and residential, buy on the cheap, FINALLY target crime, redevelop, drive up real estate prices, sell, repeat.
BTW. The city wants to buy the building . . .on the cheap.
Really? I don’t think so. Why do people always want to blame the immigrants for everything. You will not find harder workers. They will take jobs that people here think are beneath them. There are bad apples everywhere. Wanting to blame the immigrants for everything bad that happens sounds like something Trump would say to his white supremacists.
You are so right!
Agreed.
It’s a shame potential immigrants do not go to the American Embassy’s in their home country to apply for entrance or work, avoiding a dangerous trip. Many do not realize this as an option. Coming in illegally, too many die, are, stripped of life savings, are abused, and some murdered along the way. Perhaps a program of companies that have jobs here could coordinate with embassies, and potential immigrants apply through them, and if accepted by the company, this would show they will have employment and are sponsored by the potential employer – then potentially it be a safer, more economical way to bring the applicant here? There HAS to be a solution to bring the GOOD folks wanting to come, vs. what we know is the criminal element weaving their way in too easily. The Immigration Act of 1891 barred the immigration of polygamists, people convicted of certain crimes, and the sick or diseased. The Act also created a federal office of immigration to coordinate immigration enforcement and a corps of immigration inspectors stationed at principle ports of entry. All too often the solutions are NOT with the ‘higher’ powers who don’t live on either side of the border situation. And yes, Edna, so many who want to come are good hard working PEOPLE. I don’t have the solution, but there has to be one that benefits our country AND those who want to come. I’m of Irish decent, definitely considered below dirt, so rising above the lowest of jobs to a ‘rightful’ place of employment was not an easy plow to pull. However, bless my ancestors, they persevered.
agree not all immigrants are bad, most of us are children of or grandchildren or ggrandchildren of immigrants. Now illegals may be a different thing, they broke our laws by coming here and yes most were looking for a better life. But they also take jobs from our citizens. You want to know what NM pushes for a higher minimum wage, because illegals bring it down. You speak for Trump now, or are you doing the same thing you say he is doin?
At the Santa Fe Walmart I’d say 90% of workers are Mexicans and about 75% are shoppers. I don’t think I’m racist but most these people can’t speak fluent English and what’s even worse is when their children don’t speak English. The children need to at least try to learn. Why do you think NM Mexico is last in education because the Mexican children can’t even understand what is being taught and slows the learning process. Maybe they should have free programs to learn English. If I went to Mexico would everyone cater to me and talk English. I don’t hate immigrants. What a lot of you don’t understand is that it can take years for citizenship so that’s why they come illegally. P.S my girlfriend is Mexican and she speaks very fluent English and Spanish because her parents instilled that on her.
Those immigrants are service workers for the Santa Fe elite since the original NM Latinos we’re run out with the exorbitant housing prices 20 years ago
What makes immigrants look bad is that they want to come to America illegally!
If you do things properly, you wouldn’t have so many people saying bad things about illegals!
FYI the letter of the law, people who sneak across the border aren’t immigrants! Migrants whatever. The LAW is specific, immigration is a Legal procedure!
These people are used by the Cartels, once paid they could care less whether they live or DIE.
I have No ideal where you get your information Communist news network? Try here CBP.GOV. ICE.GOV, DHS.GOV. ERO.GOV! the majority of the people in the USA don’t even have a small CLUE what’s happening along that Border!
Example has your info source informed you about the 69 Known Documented terrorist caught crossing, since Jan. 1st? Or the 89 caught the year before?Or the battel over a streambed in AZ. where the Border wall was stopped???
As for Your Comment about Trump, did you know in all 4 years of his Administration only 6 Known Terrorist were caught? Obviously Not, like most indoctrinated sheep, you can’t differentiate between Influenced & Informed!
Furthermore did you know on average illegals kill more than 5000 US Citizens a year???
I totally agree with you!!! These people need to open their eyes, there is ugly everywhere!!
Walmart is shutting down a lot of stores. You’re projecting. Damn, this e-Rag is biased!
Yeah, stores that are in crime ridden cities/areas. It has nothing to do with bias, it has to do with shitty policies creating dangerous conditions….that in turn drive businesses out. I refuse to go to ABQ for medical care – I would rather take the extra time and go to Amarillo or Lubbock.
But true.
Well, if Pinon Post is Biased why are you even here? As for Wal Mart closing lots of stores all over the country? YEP they sure are. Pinon Post didn’t mention that they closed every store in Portland! I Wonder why? Or that all these cities have a common link! Political policies!!!!
I live on Gibson near the old Lovelace hospital which is now Gibson Medical Center, which is now being remodeled to be a medical center and housing for the homeless. Will that help all the tent cities I see when I drive around this area? I don’t know. I don’t trust the government to be successful in actually helping the homeless. I am moving out of this area soon, the ‘War Zone’ used to only be east of Wyoming but it has seeped over into this area slowly. Yes, Walmart is closing several stores around the nation, but the first criteria for closing down a store is the crime rate around and in the store.
Open your eyes ‘M Alexander’, reporting that the crime rate is affecting the closing of the San Mateo Walmart does not make The Pinion Post biased.
The International District will survive Walmart’s closure, we are resilient and united! We have a beautiful new library and a new park in the works! We are making a difference in trying to help our unsheltered relatives and friends, showing compassion and giving them back dignity. Homelessness is not a crime folks! I work with Pastor Joanne Landry at the Compassion Services Center, all of us here are making a difference, we aren’t just surviving we are thriving.
Tbe refugees coming through the Southern border are fleeing states that the US has controlled (subverted) for decades by assination ,election interferance and financial manipulation to favor Our business interests . We have raped the commoner peoples and left them in shit holes of top down tyerney . Realize they are coming home to the opportunity the US has denied them .
I hate to see that store closed but I didn’t go there for fear of being mugged in the parking lot in the middle of the day. How about the novel idea of dealing with the crime? They wouldn’t have had to close if we didn’t have a fool for mayor.
Everyone blames the mayor. I’m not cheering for him but
What about our lame governor too!!!
She too plays an important role in all of this! Most likely the governor don’t care simply because she resides in Santa Fe!
I wouldn’t bragg to much living in Santa Fe,
Knowing Espanola is nearby! Another crime wave issue out there!
The sad thing is, folks that need the Walmart are more than likely democrats that voted for defunding the police, not protecting the police from being individuals sued. Now you have to go further for what you need. If you would vote more conservatively, maybe the gangsters would be in jail allowing stores to stay open. Just saying, it is how you vote.
Let’s not blame dems for repub transgressions… Try research, as opposed to parroting unfounded hearsay.
Lol, I go to PHX & Scottsdale AZ every two weeks I don’t see Wal mart closing down stores there? Then again ABQ, with a Population of what 780,000 people average 800 + Felonies reported each day! Making it now 2nd most crime ridden city in the USA.
Compared to PHX Metro Complex with a Pop. of 4.4 million people 2 times as many as the whole state of NM. PHX. (Pop 2.6 mill) it’s self, averages 340 felonies per day. Don’t even rank in the top 50 most Crime ridden cities in the USA! Wonder what the difference is caused by ????????
Where do you think you are saying that democrats are the ones that defunded the police and are the ones that shopped at the Walmart that closed. That is a stupid remark! Our police department has not been defunded. In fact how many millions of dollars have have they paid to the Department of Justice for retraining our police department for using too much excess force? How much has the city of Albuquerque had to pay out for being sued due to this excess force? 100 of millions. STOP BLAMING THE DEMOCRATS.
LoL. Yep, Obama era DOJ consent decree! That is what every high crime city in the USA has in common! feel free to look it up! ABQ. Ranks what 2nd most crime ridden city in the USA with a pop. of what 780,000?
Compared to PHX AZ. Pop 2.4 Mil. (more people than the entire state of NM.) Not even ranked in the top 50 most crime cities. ABQ averages 800 felonies per day reported! PHX 330 per day!
WHY??? both are drug corridors PHX more than ABQ. Must be management policies? I’m open for answers if you have any?
You can thank pretty boy Keller and Moochie Loserjan gruesome for the sanctuary city and the open border policies.. And let the courts know we are tired of the revolving doors ,NO MORALS lawyers and no cajone`s judges that fail to keep criminals locked up!!
Not to nitpick, but Casa Chevrolet was at that location (the old Ed Black) Chevrolet until 1992. We took up 2 whole blocks. We did sell the property to Walmart, so it hasn’t been there 38 years. But from day one, it has been the target or location of over the top crime. Just FYI
I have made several replies above! What no one mentions or maybe don’t know about….. Every high crime city in the USA is an Obama era DOJ Consent Decree agreement. LE can’t act to change policies without consent. From the DOJ!
Now when Trump was in office a special taskforce was created in the DOJ (Operation LeGend) Remember the mother of two state police offers killed in 2019? {Jacqueline Vigil} NMSP, APD BCS couldn’t catch the killer, Operation LeGend caught the killer an Illegal, being protected by Sanctuary city policies.