ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Two Albuquerque convenience stores with a history of shootings, theft, and assault are now being held accountable. A city councilor wants to make the businesses come up with a plan to prevent crime.

The plan would give the two 7-Elevens a chance to clean up the crime or get taken to court.

“We have been working with neighbors and the businesses to try to do something different, but this week I finally filed legislation that declares them both a nuisance,” city councilor Pat Davis said.

Davis said the move comes as the 7-Eleven off Central and Solano in Nob Hill and the 7-Eleven at San Mateo and Kathryn continue to be targets for trouble.

“These two properties combined have more than 700 police calls in just a year and a half,” Davis said.

Among those calls were at least one shooting, multiple stabbings, dozens of assaults, nearly a hundred thefts and more than 1,100 complaints from residents. “This 7-Eleven, this establishment has just been a blight on our neighborhood,” resident Linda Frame said in June.

As News 13 has reported, neighbors in the past have tried to keep these stores from selling alcohol because of all the crime.

Davis said the public nuisance designation means the city can move forward with a formal crime prevention plan for these businesses like adding more lighting and security. “We are going to get the police department, fire department and code enforcement to sit down and figure out what they can do in their business, and what we can do on our side of the street to help make this better,” Davis said.

Davis said 7-Eleven has agreed to invest in these changes. “If they do not do something drastic quickly to change that dynamic, this legislation gives us the ability to start the process to close them down,” Davis said.

Davis said the city has only taken one other business to court in recent history because of crime.

The Sahara Motel on Gibson was ordered to have new management come in last year.

He said they will use the same model for the 7-Elevens and other businesses moving forward. KRQE News 13 reached out to 7-Eleven’s corporate office for comment, but have not heard back.

Public hearings about this issue will start next month.