Old Town Safety & Security — Neighbor-funded, on-call, 24/7
A practical way for property owners, merchants, and residents to keep Old Town welcoming, walkable, and respected, without waiting on the City.
How this program works — and why participation matters
Old Town’s on-call security program is built on shared responsibility.
Property owners, merchants, and residents all benefit from a safer, more walkable district, and all are expected to contribute their fair share to sustain it.
This is not a transactional service or a pay-to-play benefit. It is shared neighborhood infrastructure that works only when stakeholders take ownership of the place they operate in.
- Participation is expected, not enforced. The program relies on stakeholders stepping up because they recognize the value of consistent, district-wide security.
- Pass-through to tenants is discouraged. Some tenants already participate independently, and safety works best when responsibility is not simply shifted downstream.
- Coverage is district-wide by design. Security response operates across Old Town as a whole, not as a patchwork of paid and unpaid zones.
- This is shared infrastructure. Contributions support a common baseline of safety and behavior, not individualized access or entitlement.
How to Join in! This program TRULY works and is unlike anything else in Albuquerque.
Or if you still have questions about how security services work in Old Town:
Below are the boundaries for the on-call security for Old Town Albuquerque.
All property owners, merchants, & residents, within these boundaries are able to call the security company.
Property Owners | Security Subscription
We need everyone to help make a difference. Subscribe now for on-call 24/7 security in Old Town.
Merchants | Security Subscription
We need everyone to help make a difference. Subscribe now for on-call 24/7 security in Old Town.
Residents | Security Subscription
We need everyone to help make a difference. Subscribe now for on-call 24/7 security in Old Town.
About QGear LLC
QGear LLC is a local private security group operated by Robert Garcia – Director of Operations. The Safety & Security Committee of the Historic Old Town Association met with QGear in June to discuss the details of the security patrols.
What Services will QGear provide?
A Q Gear, LLC security officer will conduct one (1) daily patrol of the entire Historic Old Town Association Boundaries (see map at the top of the page) and the designated parking areas. This proposal includes unlimited calls for service by all residents, merchants, and property owners. The security officer will document any and all activity occurring while on property as well as document any calls for service. Officer will be available for emergency response calls 24 hours per day. Individuals found on property without permission will be removed per City of Albuquerque criminal trespass/loitering ordinance. All reports and pictures will be forwarded, via email, for your review weekly. Incident reports will be forwarded immediately.
Why QGear?
In our opinion, QGear has a great advantage in two ways. 1) They already patrol many of the surrounding properties around Old Town (see the references below) and 2) they have a unique model where ANYONE within the Historic Old Town Association can call for service. This means that ALL properties fall under the security agreement and there is no checkerboard of properties that don’t have security services. With this proposal, ALL properties in Old Town are covered.
QGear References & Current Client List:
See the client list here.
The Vision
The goal is to provide and organize effective security measures that take a large step towards resolving many of the security related issues around Old Town.
It is our hope that everyone helps pay for security in Old Town. Property owners who own large properties & larger merchants pay a larger amount while property owners who own smaller properties and smaller merchants pay less. It is impossible to allocate and then enforce exactly who pays what. So we set up a system based on the number of tenants for property owners while businesses and residents start with the same rate. Then we ask for an additional amount upon checkout in $25 increments for those larger merchants and anyone who is willing to pay more (monthly).
We ask that everyone think about the value that comprehensive on-call security brings to Old Town and what you would be willing to pay for that service, and then match that amount with your subscription. Be as generous as you can. That is how we will be successful in Old Town.
