Meadow Lake still making Headlines

Here are some Excerpts:

There are places in Valencia County where homes are protected by barbed wire, businesses' doors and windows are covered with wrought iron and residents don't go out at night.
Belen ranks No. 1 in property crime.Nationally, Los Lunas is in the top 1 percent in violent crime, and Belen is in the top 4 percent for cities their size.
Police say drugs, gangs and criminals from Albuquerque seeking refuge in rural areas are fueling the problem.

"There is more than just a sense that there are more bad guys than good guys. It is a reality in Valencia County," said State Police Lt. Robert Shilling. "Hats off to Albuquerque. They have done a good job at addressing their crime problem. But the reality is they have not squashed it. They have just moved it."

Det. Steve Flores, one of two officers in Valencia County who investigates narcotics full time, said the drugs are also coming from Albuquerque gang members."Before I came here, drugs were running rampant. No one was working it," he said. "The second day on the job, I seized 60 pounds of marijuana. There is plenty of work here."

In the midst of it all are residents like Bill and Rosemary Lebrecht. The couple lives in a nice one-story home on two acres in Meadow Lake.Their home is well kept, the house is graffiti-free and they take pride in their community.But they are surrounded by burned trailers. The never go on extended vacations, and every time they leave, they lock their driveway with a large farm fence.At night? "We never go out," Rosemary Lebrecht said.

Last month, the impact team conducted a special operation in Meadow Lake, seized a significant amount of narcotics and arrested four people who had warrants in Bernalillo County.
Lt. Shilling said, "Crime prevention doesn't start with law enforcement. It starts with citizens not wanting crime in their neighborhood."

This is precisely why the Meadow Lake Residents Association was formed.
We, the Meadow Lake residents, are like minded citizens united in a common goal. In unity, there is strength and together we plan to restore our community so that it will again be considered:
"Safe, Beautiful and a Desirous place to live".


The full article article can be found here:
http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/67453-12-16-06.html