Teen firearm arrest in downtown Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (NBC, KYMA) - Albuquerque Police Department (APD) say they're stepping up efforts to curb juvenile gun crime downtown after recovering 15 firearms from 10 teens since the middle of June.

The department is working with federal prosecutors to pursue tougher gun charges while urging parents to keep firearms secure.

APD says weekend nights downtown already include extra officers, surveillance cameras and in some cases the helicopter.

The department says it's also working with federal partners including the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office to explore more federal gun charges for offenders.

A spokesperson for APD, Gilbert Gallegos says, "Unfortunately, we just didn't get a lot of follow-through on that aspect, and we have tried to meet and talk with the new U.S. Attorney about that, but that is something we could be charging a lot more."

While federal partnerships are important, Gallegos believes stronger state laws could also help address juvenile gun crime.

"Otherwise, there's not a lot of strong laws statewide to really provide the consequences, I think, that some of these teams need to do. But in the meantime, officers aren't going to stop," stated Gallegos.