ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Newly released dash cam video is showing how Bernalillo County deputies are dealing with car thieves.

BCSO says deputies have been able to give dozens of cars back to their owners this year. The number is an average of more than one every two days.

BCSO says car theft is a year round issue, not just in the winter time when people are warming their cars in the morning. Right now, they say car theft is on the rise.

The newly released dash video shows a suspect in a stolen car trying to get away from deputies. 

BCSO Deputy Tyler Lapierre says car theft is a major issue the office continues to tackle. 

“Unfortunately, New Mexico and Albuquerque specifically ranks one of the highest in stolen motor vehicles per capita in the entire country,” said Lapierre. 

Lapierre says this year so far, BCSO has made 107 felony arrests and returned 59 stolen cars to owners. He says arrests like this one aren’t just about the stolen cars. 

“It’s not just a single crime that we’re noticing, and that’s not our sole focus many times. Many times when we make that arrest, we’re also noticing, ‘Hey, this person also has a felony warrant,’ or they’re a felon, and they also hire in possession of a firearm,” Lapierre said. 

He says BCSO has also found over five pounds of meth and seized over 5,000 fentanyl pills so far this year during these stops. Adding, that’s why people like the one in the video are often so desperate to escape when they’re pulled over. 

But it’s not just BCSO working on this issue. 

“We work hand in hand with APD’s auto theft detectives as well as state police, the U.S. Marshals. When I say we only have four guys, that’s not only the case, we always work hand in hand with our other outside agencies that our within our area,” said Lapierre. 

An APD spokesperson says auto thefts are down 11% compared to this time last year. Auto theft was also down 7% between 2022 and 2023. 

Even with the successes, Lapierre says there’s a major setback deputies run into. 

“It would just be considered a property crime. So a lot of times the courts, they’ll make their necessary judgments towards allowing individuals to leave on their own recognizance. And then we’re right back in the same page where, you know, it’ll lead to another drug arrest or another stolen motor vehicle,” said Lapierre. 

Lapierre says stop tactics like the one used in the dash cam video are used pretty often. Adding, that deputies try to avoid creating dangerous car chase incidents as much as they can.