EAST GATEWAY COALITION
MEETING
OCTOBER 17, 2013
President Roger Mickelson called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.
Commander Kevin Rowe from the APD Foothills Area Command was
introduced. The commander told the
audience that the foothills area has a minimum number of crimes as compared to
other areas of the city. He stated that
he and his officers strive to make the area a desirable place to live, and
repeated their mantra: “One for all, and
all for one” which continues to stabilize the area. He stressed that anyone who has a problem
with panhandlers, molesters, or anything else, call 235-8990 and report the
situation. He thanked the attendees for
the huge turn-out on September 27 which honored officers at the foothills
station.
The president then introduced Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne
Johnson; LT Eric Schum, representing New Mexico State Police; LT Broderick
Sharp, representing Bernalillo County Sheriff; Antonio Garcia, representing NM
Department of Transportation; and, again, Commander Kevin Rowe, representing
APD, who were attending to inform the public about their plans to help prevent
future bottlenecks in the area due to any closure of Interstate 40.
Commissioner Johnson related that there had been many hours of
discussion of the problems caused by a shutdown of the freeway, and to find
solutions to the problems of people not being able to get to their homes in the
East Mountains and the foothills areas when it was deemed necessary to
implement a shutdown. An information
sheet with phone numbers of who to call and what to do in such an emergency is
being formulated and will soon be available to the public. The intent is not to close down the freeway
at Tramway, but to close it at the Moriarty or Santa Rosa exits. 18-wheelers will be directed to the
fairgrounds, UNM, and the balloon fiesta parking areas to get them off the city
streets. Electronic signs will have
information as to phone numbers, routes, etc.
President Mickelson thanked the committee members for their
diligent work and the progress being made to implement prevention of future
problems in the immediate area.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 pm.
