The Albuquerque Community Safety Department (ACS) was created in June 2020 amid the nationwide protests over police violence after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota by police. ACS was proposed as a third branch of the city’s first responder system focused on handling behavioral health and homelessness calls instead of using armed police officers. ACS  is an Office of the Mayor cabinet-level department that works alongside the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and the Fire and Rescue Department (AFRD).

The ACS  dispatches first responders to 9-1-1 calls that are non-medical and non-criminal in nature. ACS responds to calls on inebriation, homelessness, addiction, and mental health. ACS  dispatches first responders to 9-1-1 calls with or without other first responders from the police and fire departments. ACS personnel have backgrounds as social workers, clinicians and counselors and they respond to 9-1-1 emergency calls reporting people who are suffering from addiction, homelessness and mental health emergencies.

Since its inception, the ACS  budget has gone  from $2.5 million in 2021 to $23 million in 2026. The department has 156 full-time positions. The department’s annual call volume has more than quadrupled, with the department taking 45,000 calls in 2025  a year that marked its 100,000th call for service after operations moved from daily hours to 24/7 service.

According to the most recent ACS quarterly report, nearly 80% of ACS calls are for an unsheltered individuals, wellness or welfare checks while 7% are related to behavioral health calls and 4% of the  calls are related to suicidal ideation. While the department’s call volume has increased, quarterly reports showed the amount of behavioral health and suicidal ideation calls it responds to have not grown at the same pace.

The link to the ACS quarterly report is here:

Click to access quarterly-report-q4-2026fy-final.pdf

CITY INTERNAL AUDIT OF  ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT

On July 25, 2025, the City of Albuquerque Office of Internal Audit released a Performance and Operations Audit of the Albuquerque Community Safety Department (ACS). The link to review the full  city audit is here:

 https://www.cabq.gov/audit/documents/25-103_acs_policy_-_practices_performance_audit.pdf/view

 The audit reviewed ACS records and operations between 2020 and March 2025.  Ride alongs with ACS responders were conducted in mid-March 2025. The ride-alongs were in reaction to ACS responders’ “consistently” expressing safety concerns in 2024 and 2025.  ACS Responders reported that they struggled with an inability to provide immediate housing to the homeless while dealing with delayed response times from lags in the 311 citizen call system and 911 communication gaps with fire department dispatch.

According to the audit, ride-alongs with ACS responders  “confirmed” those concerns, finding a responder can never be certain if someone is unarmed and remains on alert due to a lack of protection barriers between vehicle seats. In some calls, responders entered homes or encampments without police or fire assistance or protection.

The audit found ACS provides responders with training to de-escalate “with empathy and compassion,” but responding to people in crisis and unpredictable situations “can expose employees to high-stress and potentially unsafe conditions.” The audit states in part:  “This perceived lack of safety, coupled with the emotional demands of crisis intervention work, creates an elevated risk for employee burnout, low morale, and diminished job satisfaction.  Over time, these factors may contribute to increased absenteeism, lower performance, and ultimately higher staff turnover.”

In addition to safety issues, the audit found ACS Responders expressed challenges with finding shelter for those in immediate need, but have no authority to determine shelter placement, relying on partner agencies. The audit states in part:

“When ACS responders are unable to secure immediate shelter for individuals in need, it increases the risk of continued exposure to unsafe or unstable environments, potentially worsening physical or mental health conditions. …  This gap in service can lead to repeated crisis calls, strain on emergency resources, and a missed opportunity to provide timely, stabilizing support.”

The audit found communication issues that led to 311 calls holding for hours “creating bottlenecks that delay the ability of ACS to clear a scene and become available for the next call.”   According to the audit, a lack of updates from the Fire Department AFR, which uses separate radio channels to protect health information, results in ACS responders sometimes duplicating resources with fire crews.

The audit found in a sampling of calls, responders did not find the subject of the call on several occasions. The response times in those calls, which came through 311 and 911, stretched from a few hours to over 19 hours. ACS officials said responders went to 10,000 calls in 2025  “where the subject of the call could not be located. … This is often related to the high number of calls for unsheltered individuals that come in via 311. … In many cases, the unsheltered individual is not aware that someone has called on their behalf and leaves the area prior to ACS arriving.”

The audit recommended collaborating with the Fire Department, but ACS responded that decisions about communications between APD, which routes ACS calls and the Fire Department “are the responsibility of those two organizations.” 

The July 25, 2025  Office of Internal Audit  Report suggested improving protective equipment and training for responders, working with 311 dispatch to ensure calls are appropriately prioritized and developing a process with Albuquerque Fire Rescue to ensure ACS receives “timely and accurate” updates if firefighters respond to the same calls.  Additionally, the audit recommended that ACS should remind responders they “do not always have to respond to calls for service if they feel it is unsafe.”

 The July 25, 2025  Internal Audit report made the following recommendations to the Albuquerque Community Safety Department:

• Routinely remind ACS Responders that they do not always have to respond to calls for service if they feel it is unsafe.
• Provide enhanced safety and situational awareness training to better equip ACS Responders for unpredictable field conditions, helping them feel more empowered.
• Routinely remind ACS Responders that immediate shelter is available for individuals in need and reinforce the importance of offering and facilitating access to those resources.
• Work with 3-1-1 dispatch to ensure calls are appropriately assessed based on priority directing high-priority situations to 242-COPS or 9-1-1 for quicker ACS response times.
• Explore the feasibility of expanding or improving the personal protective equipment for ACS Responders. This review should consider ACS  Responder’s feedback, recent incidents, and specific risks.

CITY ADDRESSES ACS SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY CONCERNS IN WAKE OF 2025 AUDIT

A full one year after the July 25, 2025 audit,  ACS department leaders said ACS has updated safety training, equipment and has added  scenarios that police are put through, and have added an integrated alert system for responders dispatched to problem areas or difficult subjects.  According to ACS officials, the department turnover rate has dropped from 35% in 2023 to 28% in 2026. The department has 31 vacancies, including four administrator roles and 12 field positions. An ACS spokesperson said the department has added reflective vests and biohazard cleanup kits to responders’ inventory.

ACS Director Jodie Esquibel said the audit pushed the department to implement the “ACS Field Safety Information” platform.  It consists of  a dashboard that shows safety alerts for specific areas or subjects that can be used by responders, calling it “a huge safety net.”  ACS  said the department “is fully committed to ensuring that if an individual needs a place to stay, a placement will be found.” An ACS spokesperson said responders can “escalate any placement issues to their supervisors to ensure the department finds a swift solution.” ACS said in September 2025 the department partnered with APD to launch the “Priority 1 call type,” which prioritizes critical incidents, like suicidal ideation, behavioral health crises and officer requests.

Another issue, according to the audit, is delayed updates on calls from AFR as the dispatch systems do not interface with APD. As a result, ACS responders may go to a call where AFR was already en route to take someone to the hospital, “resulting in duplicate resources and miscommunication.” The audit recommended collaborating with AFR to avoid the issue, but ACS responded that decisions about communications between APD — which routes ACS calls — and AFR “are the responsibility of those two organizations.”

ACS Spokesperson Jorge Hernandez said the department sends about 1% of its calls back to the Albuquerque Police Department due to safety concerns. APD, in general, responds to a higher number of suicidal ideation and behavioral health calls than ACS.  In an email to the Albuquerque Journal, Hernandez said, “Not every behavioral health-related 911 call is appropriate for an ACS response” as it may involve weapons and other “significant safety concerns.”

DEFICIENCY REMAINS ON DISPATCHING

On August 21, 2026  it was reported by the Albquerquerqu Journal that a persistent problem identified by the audit remains involving delayed updates on calls from the Fire Department.  ACS responders may go to a call where the Fire Department  was already en route to take someone to the hospital “resulting in duplicate resources and miscommunication.” The audit recommended collaborating with the Fire Department to avoid the issue, but ACS responded that decisions about communications dispatch  are  between APD and the Fire Department and “dispatch” is  the responsibility of those two organizations and not the ACS.

A Fire Department spokesperson did not respond to questions on whether efforts were made to resolve the communication problem identified by the audit. AFR firefighters spoke with the Journal during recent ride-alongs, with varying opinions on the services ACS offered to the community.  One firefighter said sometimes ACS “adds an extra step to something that was already going to be done.” He said ACS will go to a call but then request AFR anyway due to a medical need. Another firefighter said ACS “was necessary” on a recent call where a man had no emergency or medical complaint and ACS took him to the city’s sobering center.

To address issues with delayed calls, ACS Spokesperson Jorge Hernandez said ACS “continues to collaborate with 311 and 911 to optimize call triaging and dispatch efficiency.” While ACS has done 3,200 transports this year, three times as many “unsheltered individual” calls have gone nowhere due to delays and other reasons. With the updates to training and equipment made, Hernandez said the department “does not anticipate making any major changes to policies or processes unless operational needs dictate a change.”

ACS Deputy Director of Field Operations Walter Adams emphasized that all ACS encounters and transports are voluntary. Adams said this:

“We’re always consistently evolving, we’re only 5 years old,  we didn’t know the situations we’re going to come across. … We really trust our responders to make that decision on if they feel safe. They don’t have to, they can call a supervisor.  They don’t have to put those people in the car. ”

 2026 POINT-IN-TIME SURVEY OF CITY’S UNHOUSED

In mid August , the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness released the  2026 Point-In-Time (PIT) Report with graphs and charts reflecting the numbers of unhoused people in Albuquerque and in the balance of the State. The link to review the entire 61 page 2026 PIT report is here:

https://www.nmceh.org/pitreports

The 2026  Point-In-Time (PIT) survey found 3,122 people in Albuquerque called the streets or an emergency shelter their home. Of that number, 1,440  people were completely unsheltered with no roof over their heads, living on the streets or in emergency shelters.

A 2025 report by the city found 30% of individuals experiencing homelessness self report having a serious mental illness, 25% self report having a substance use disorder and around 66% experience some form of mental health condition.  A report by the New Mexico Justice Reinvestment Working Group found that 65% of individuals who enter the state’s criminal justice system have behavioral health needs and the criminal justice system cannot provide necessary medical  treatment and facilities.

ALBUQUERQUE’S  GATEWAY SYSTEM OF SHELTERS

The Gateway Shelter Network consists of 5 shelters of support for people struggling with homelessness and drug and substance addiction consists of the following:

1. Gateway Center– (Located on Gibson.) Campus providing medical, behavioral, and social services including overnight beds, first responder intake, medical sobering and respite. Old Lovelace Hospital city purchased for $15 million costing $95 million to remodel into shelter with city officials saying upwards of 1,000 unhoused per month are being provided assistance.
2. Gateway West – Safe, supportive 660-bed facility for individuals experiencing homelessness, offering specialized resources and case management. (City officials say the annual impact is services to 5,700 Individuals. Open 24/7 Since 2019)
3. Gateway Family – Supportive housing center for families with overnight beds, meals, and case management to help achieve stable housing. (City officials say the annual impact is 987 individuals being served, Open Since 2020.)
4. Gateway Recovery– 50-resident micro-community offering low-barrier beds, recovery services, and support for 18 – 24 months. City officials say the annua projected impact is 50 – 100 being served. Opening Early 2025
5. Gateway Young Adult – Housing and support for young adults ages 15-25 experiencing homelessness, tailored to their unique needs. City officials say the projected impact is 120 Individuals being served. Opened March, 2026.

It has been determined from review of City Council  approved capital outlay spending by the Keller Administration the city has spent a minimum of $127 million dollars for construction of the 5 Gateway shelters. The Gateway System Capital Outlay spending for Gateway Shelter system is as follows:

Gateway West Shelter:

• $7.6 million for cumulative refurbishing
• $2.0 million in Fiscal Year ’26 for remodeling

Gateway Gibson Center: 

• $15 Million building purchase (Lovelace Hosp)
• $71 Million remediation and remodeling

Gateway Recovery:     

• $5 Million to acquire and install 48 pallet homes
• $1.7 incremental facility development

Gateway Young Adult:    

• $17 Million building acquisition of former motel
• $ 5 Million for remodeling into 70 unit facility
• $3 Million US Senate earmark

TOTAL CAPITAL OUTLAY: $127.3 Million

$332.11 MILLION SPENT BY HEALTH, HOUSING AND HOMELESS DEPARTMENT OVER 5 YEARS FOR HOMELESS INITIATIVES

It is the City of Albuquerque Department of  Health, Housing and Homeless (HHH) that is responsible for operating all 5 Gateway Shelters and responsible to provide services to the unhoused. The HHH budgets are where line-item funding for services to the unhoused are provided.

The approved FY/23  General Fund budget for the Health, Housing and Homeless Department (HHH) was  $62.28 Million.

https://www.cabq.gov/dfa/documents/fy23-approved-budget-final-sept-13.pdf/view

The  approved FY/24 General Fund budget for the Health, Housing and Homeless Department (HHH) was $63.10 Million

https://www.cabq.gov/dfa/documents/fy24-web-version.pdf/view

The  approved FY/25 General Fund budget for the Health, Housing and Homeless Department (HHH) was $61.55  Million

Click to access fy25-approved-budget-final-numbered-hyperlinks-7-31-2024.pdf

The  approved FY/26 General Fund budget for the  Health, Housing and Homeless Department (HHH)  lists 116  separate contracts for services benefiting directly or indirectly to the unhoused totaling $53,901,355.

The link to review the approved  FY/26 budget for the HHH department, page 209, is here:

Click to access fy26-approved-final.pdf

Mayor Tim Keller’s approved FY/27 General Fund budget  for the Health, Housing and Homeless Department (HHH) lists 122 separate contracts for services directly or indirectly to the unhoused totaling $85,283,474.

The link to review the FY/27 budget for the HHH department, page 124, is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/dfa/documents/fy27-proposed-budget-with-weblink-final-4-01-2026.pdf

Mayor Tim Keller and the City Council increased spending for services to the unhoused in one year from  $53,901,355 (F/Y ‘26) to $85,283,471 (F/Y ’27).

The biggest obstacle is that 75% of the homeless refuse city shelter and services, yet millions are being spent. Keller has advocated allowing  upwards of 100 Safe Outdoor Spaces for 1,000  homeless to camp, scattered through out the city. Keller created the Albuquerque Community Safety Division and staffed it with upwards of 125 with social workers and mental health care professionals to do outreach to the homeless and to reduce by the thousands calls for service to APD, but the homeless still proliferate city streets.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Since day one of becoming Mayor in 2017, dealing with the unhoused on the streets of Albuquerque and getting the homeless off the streets and getting them services has been a major priority of Mayor Tim Keller. During Keller’s 8 years and 9 months in office  as Mayor, the number of homeless has more than doubled despite his efforts as the homeless to proliferate the city streets.

The 2026  Point-In-Time (PIT) survey found 3,122 people in Albuquerque called the streets or an emergency shelter their home. Of that number, 1,440  people were completely unsheltered with no roof over their heads, living on the streets or in emergency shelters. The 2026 PIT report revealed an increase in homelessness going from 2,960 in 2025 to 3,112 in 2026, an increase of 152 people. This is a number that should be manageable to deal with  the coordination of first responders efforts, but that is simply not happening.

A major  problem is that approximately 75%  to 80% of the chronic, emergency unhoused simply refuse city services, yet the city spends upwards of $55 to $85 million a year on contracts to provide services and assistance to the unhoused. It is  clear that the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and its 156 full-time positions are at the forefront of first responders to get the unhoused off the streets and to get them the assistance and services they need, but that is not happening.

It’s difficult to understand how it has taken over a full year for the city to address the deficiencies identified in the 2025 audit and the acute failure of the city to coordinate resources to deal with response delays when dealing with the unhoused on the streets of the city.

Mayor Tim Keller has spent a staggering amount $459.40 million over the last 5 years for unhoused shelter and services, yet the homeless numbers on the streets increases. Mayor Tim Keller spent $127.3 to construct the 5 Gateway shelters and spent and additional $332.11 million for  service contract for the  unhoused over 5 years for a grand total of $459.40 million. 

It is painfully obvious that the efforts of  Albuquerque Community Safety Department are seriously lacking to the point of failure in reducing the number of the unhoused on the streets as the unhoused numbers only get worse each year.  

METROPOLITAN COURT DIVERSION COURT

On January 6, 2026, the Metropolitan Court Diversion Court was launched. The court redirects people with serious mental illness into voluntary treatment as an alternative to criminal prosecution for minor and nonviolent crimes. The court deals with people who previously have had criminal charges dismissed because they were found incompetent to stand trial. Eligible defendants are assessed by a social worker or case manager at the point of prosecution and offered on a voluntary basis a structured diversion option, including shelter intake, case management, substance use or mental health treatment, or other supportive services.

FORM SPECIALIZED UNIT TO INITIATE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENTS

It is likely that the Albuquerque Police Department and the city’s Community Safety Department know who the “frequent flyers” are and who need to be taken immediately off the streets because they pose and immediate threat to themselves and others. Both departments could and should assist the District Attorney or the City Attorney with civil mental health commitments of the unhoused and file civil mental commitment actions.

Under New Mexico statutes, the legislature has empowered  District Attorneys authority to initiate civil mental health commitments. The Bernalillo County District Attorney and the Albuquerque City Attorney’ office should form a specialized unit of at least four attorneys to deal exclusively with civil mental commitment actions in the Metropolitan Court’s new Diversion Court. The state or courts would  provide  funding for  the mental health services provided by the state through the Behavioral Health Trust Fund and  the Behavioral Health Reform Package.

Until a far more effective approach is taken to remove the unhoused off the streets and and get them them mental health services they need, the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and its 156 full-time positions will be nothing more than a public relations referral service that is ignored by the unhoused.  

The link to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.cabq.gov/audit/documents/25-103_acs_policy_-_practices_performance_audit.pdf/view

Click to access quarterly-report-q4-2026fy-final.pdf

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/acs-addresses-safety-and-efficiency-in-wake-of-2025-audit/3105742

On September 9, 2026, Democratic Candidate For Governor Deb Haaland submitted the following guest column at the request of www.PeteDinelli.com for purposes of an endorsement. No compensation was paid by Deb Haaland nor her campaign to www.PeteDinelli.com for publication of her column.

“My Plans for New Mexico”

  By Deb Haaland

New Mexico has some of its toughest challenges ahead of us. Data centers are on the horizon, private equity looks to buy up our state’s housing and health clinics, and everyday New Mexicans struggle to put food on the table for their families. I’m ready to bring my personal and professional experience, and my record of delivering to the governor’s office.

Throughout my career, I have gotten things done, because I work hard and  have genuine compassion for New Mexicans, and I have a plan. 

Over the course of my campaign, I released a four pillar plan that includes solutions for tackling some of the toughest challenges that New Mexicans face: education, affordability, public safety, and healthcare. These pillars reflect the real voices of New Mexicans, are informed by my experience as a single mom who lived on the brink, and informed by experts.

I’m highlighting a few of my policy plans here, the rest can be found at debhaaland.com/debsplans.

New Mexico continues to fall behind on education and we must set our kids up for success. If a child can read sooner, they can learn other subjects, unlock their entire educational journey, and have the confidence they need. If we strengthen the foundational educational skills of our children, they will learn to master other subjects. My education plan boosts early literacy so kids can read by the third grade by supporting teachers, increasing reading coaches, and ensuring that schools are equipped with the right staff so students don’t fall behind.

I am also eager to open career pathways starting in middle school. Not every kid wants to go to college and we should have opportunities for every child. My plan provides options for those who want to go into the trades, tech, and other industries that require hands-on experience. This sets students up with a plan for success and provides them with a better understanding of opportunities right here in New Mexico.

Affordability is the issue most New Mexicans talk to me about. I will lower costs, while putting more money in people’s pockets. One way we can do that is by making better use of the resources already available to New Mexicans. We will launch an affordability navigator that will help people find these resources. Imagine the single mother who is struggling to put food on the table being able to quickly launch the navigator to discover programs, tax credits, or other support she is eligible for. This solution may seem simple, but access like this would have made the world of a difference when I was raising my child.

Front of mind for voters is public safety. My plan not only supports giving law enforcement the tools they need, it also sets up a statewide Office of Community Safety.  Law enforcement should  focus on getting illegal drugs and violent criminals off of our streets, but often they  must respond to calls that would be better handled by behavioral health professionals. The Office of Community Safety would put the right resources in the right places, and free up law enforcement to focus on crime. This is an effective, realistic approach to public safety that New Mexico needs.

Addressing behavioral health is crucial, from a public safety and a public health perspective. Ensuring that New Mexicans get the care they need creates healthier and safer communities. As governor, I’ll work toward universal healthcare for all New Mexicans. We deserve affordable coverage options that benefit all of us. A public health insurance option will also help make it easier to recruit and retain healthcare professionals.

If New Mexicans have healthcare coverage, they can access care not only when they are sick or injured, but to stay well. Healthier communities will mean that healthcare costs can go down. Without access to affordable healthcare options, people over use the emergency room which ends up costing all of us more.

 New Mexicans deserve to have a bright future through investments to our education, healthcare, public safety, and through policies that will put more money in their pockets. Donald Trump has made life so much more expensive than it ever needs to be. I know what it’s like to struggle, and I’m ready to stand strong for our state and deliver as governor.

Thank you for your consideration and I ask for your vote!

DEB HAALAND

DEB HAALAND BIOGRAPHY

Deb Haaland, age 65, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo, is a 35th-generation New Mexican. After graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque, she went on to attend the University of New Mexico and graduated with English and law degrees. Haaland became a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo and a member of the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors. Halland chaired the state’s Democratic Party. In 2018, Haaland made history as one of the first Native American women elected to the United States Congress to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District in 2018.  In 2020, President Joe Biden appointed Deb Haaland to be the Secretary of Interior  launching her into the national spotlight as the first Native American Cabinet Secretary in our nation’s history.

On June 2, New Mexico history was made in the Democratic Primary for Governor when Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman to be nominated for Governor of New Mexico. Deb Haaland secured 72.3% (156,861 votes) of the votes to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman’s 27.7% (60,189) cast around New Mexico. Haaland  won every single county in the state by varying percentages. In Santa Fe County she won with 80% of the Democratic vote. In Bernalillo County Haaland won with 69%. In Dona Ana County, she won with 79%. In conservative Chavez County, she won with 73%.

DINELLI  ANALYSIS  AND COMMENTARY

Deb Haaland was one of the most successful state Democratic Party chairs in State history. Under her leadership, Democrats regained control of the New Mexico House of Representatives, and she pulled the party out of debt. She ran against a strong field of Democrats to win election to the United States Congress to represent the Albuquerque area and she served with honor.

As a Congresswoman, Deb Haaland got things done. She  worked to help  small businesses stay open by advocating and securing COVID loans for them. She worked to ensure safe military housing at Kirtland, Cannon and Holloman Air Force Bases.  She worked to get built a new Tohajilee school and the NewSpace Nexus. She did all this in congress until President Joe Biden appointed her to be Secretary of Interior, where she delivered energy transmission lines that brought  in new revenue to New Mexico, the Eastern New Mexico rural water project, a new bridge on the Mescalero Apache Nation and expanded protections for water.

Deb Haaland’s positions on her four pillar plan of Education, Affordability, Public Safety, and Healthcare mentioned  in her guest  article merit further scrutiny, elaboration and analysis:

EDUCATION

Deb Haaland believes that no matter their background, every child in New Mexico deserves a fair shot, the chance to dream big, the ability to reach their full potential. She believes that starts with education. By working together with students, parents, teachers, businesses and unions, she says we can find new solutions. Those solutions include teaching kids to read earlier by detecting literacy problems sooner, bolstering universal childcare, boosting reading and bilingual instruction, and expanding summer reading programs and after-school programming. Haaland wants to expand career pathways starting in middle school through high school and provide hands-on career experience. Haaland wants to Create an Every Child Outdoor Initiative that incorporates outdoor learning into K-12 curriculums and provides implementation resources. Haaland wants to adopt and expand statewide Community School Models that provide wrap-around services like counseling, school based health care, dental, family support, and community engagement at schools so parents and caregivers have convenient services while they’re working and caring for their families.

AFFORADABILITY 

Deb Haaland understands New Mexicans need better wages and lower bills, affordable rent, and a stronger economy. She understands New Mexico has the potential to lead in technology, energy, film, and our outdoor economy. Deb Haaland is committed to economic development to create jobs and deliver on making New Mexico more affordable. Deb Haaland wants to give New Mexicans a raise by increasing the minimum wage and increasing the child tax credit. She wants to ban landlords from using AI-algorithms that artificially inflate rents, also called rent fixing. Deb Haaland wants to aggressively build more housing, focusing on reducing unnecessary barriers and expediting permitting processes and expand down payment assistance programs for first time home buyers and assistance programs for workers in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, public safety, and social work. Deb Haaland advocates establishing  funding sources that invest in new and unique business opportunities in New Mexico and allow the state to recruit and invest in New Mexico based operations.  Haaland wants to invest in more renewable energy to create jobs, lower energy costs, and make New Mexico the energy capital of the country.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Deb Haaland believes New Mexicans should feel safe and a lot of work needs to be done to preventing  and fighting crime. Haaland says she  will work to keep violent criminals and illegal drugs off our streets and ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to fight crime, while addressing the root causes of crime. Haaland will invest in mental health, substance abuse and rehabilitation programs to get people the help they need. Deb Haaland is committed to providing  law enforcement with the tools and technology to arrest violent offenders, track and detain drug traffickers, and get guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. Deb Haaland wants to expand access to substance use and addiction with treatment and recovery rather than just incarceration. Haaland says she will  make moves toward community policing models that supplement traditional police work and will create an Office of Community Safety staffed with social workers and counselors.

HEALTH CARE

Deb Haaland believes our healthcare is under attack. President Trump is gutting Medicaid and healthcare premiums are skyrocketing across the country. Cuts to Medicaid could mean longer drives, rural hospital closures, longer waiting times to see a doctor, and more medical debt for everyone. New Mexico was forced to stepped up to subsidize premiums, leading to record enrollment in New Mexico’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. New Mexico has  a historic doctor shortage. Deb Halland will fight to protect access to healthcare, address the shortage of healthcare providers, and ensure the state is always fighting for the health of our communities. To address New Mexico’s heath care needs, Haaland proposes the following:

• Address the doctor shortage by joining interstate medical compacts, expanding residency programs to rural areas, and bolstering student loan repayment and housing incentives.
• Increase mobile health clinics to reach New Mexicans in rural areas and protect rural hospitals.
• Ban medical debt from being included on credit reports.
• Protect access for those who use the state’s health insurance marketplace by expanding New Mexico’s Health Care Affordability Fund.
• Use budget surpluses to fill Medicaid gaps and hire more guides to help people keep and access their benefits.
• Launch a full throttle operation to deliver mental health and homelessness assistance to New Mexicans in need.

DINELLI ENDORSEMENT

There is way too much at stake for New Mexicans this year in the Governor’s race. Fully funded universal child daycare, preservation of paid college tuition for New Mexico students, support for organized labor, economic growth that supports working families, public safety that is comprehensive as opposed to punitive, comprehensive reform of the Children Youth and Families Department and unflinching willingness to defend New Mexico against a President who harbors a grudge against it because he has been rejected by New Mexico voters all three times he has run for President. Trump has even gone out of his way to offend and to taunt New Mexico by ignoring its rich history and it its cultures and suggesting that its name be changed to “New America”.

These are critical  issues  that must be tackled by our next Governor. Deb Haaland’s commitment to the issues and New Mexico’s future  makes her the most compelling and the most qualified candidate for Governor. She understands the people of New Mexico, its rich culture and the struggles of all New Mexicans. Her campaign has not  been about attacking her opponents. She has focused in a positive manner on our future. She will make a great governor for all New Mexicans!

Please vote Deb Haaland for Governor on November 3!

New Mexico’s early voting dates is from October 6 to October 31, 2026 (county clerk offices October 6–16; expanded locations October 17–31; hours vary by location)

_______________________

POSTSCRIPT

The link to read Deb Haaland’s platform and positions on the four major issues of Education, Affordability, Public Safety and  Healthcare is here:

 https://debhaaland.com/debsplan/

 Haaland’s campaign website is here:  https://debhaaland.com/  

The link to review an extensive profile article on Deb Haaland is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/deb-haalands-unlikely-rise-to-political-prominence-i-never-gave-up-on-myself/3041730

The Albuquerque Journal Editorial Opinion pages feature 5 types of opinion columns submitted for publication with a 600 word policy limitation: those by the paper’s Editorial Board, those by the paper’s Community Council, those by Syndicated Columnists, those by Local Columnists and those by Local Voices. According to Journal editors:

“Local Columnists are tasked with carrying a heavy load of responsibility to help readers scrutinize issues impacting them, their community and their country. It is the Journal’s goal to publish columnists from all walks of life and varying political viewpoints to give readers exposure to all sides of local issues.”

LOCAL COLUMN

Don Hancock has participated in New Mexico Public Regulation Commission proceedings for more than 25 years and serves as steering committee chairperson for the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy.

On Sunday, September 6, the  Albuquerque Journal published on its editorial opinion page C2  the below  600 word “Local Columnist” opinion column by Don Hancck:

OPINION: Where Is The Strong Utility Oversight New Mexicans Were Promised When It Comes To Blackstone’s Purchase Of PNM

New Mexicans are being asked to place enormous trust in the Public Regulation Commission.

New Mexico is facing the possibility of a major shift in utility ownership. The PRC has approved Bernhard Capital Partners’ purchase of New Mexico Gas Co., while Blackstone’s proposed acquisition of TXNM Energy, the parent company of Public Service Company of New Mexico, remains under review.

These two companies provide essential services, make long-term infrastructure decisions and collect their revenues from customers who have no choice about whether to pay their monthly utility bills.

That makes strong, independent regulation essential.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently made exactly that case. Writing about Blackstone’s proposed acquisition of PNM, she argued that New Mexicans can rely on the PRC to provide independent oversight, protect consumers and impose enforceable conditions when private investors seek control of our utilities.

We hope she’s right.

But the commission’s recent 2-1 vote to approve Bernhard Capital Partners’ $1.25 billion purchase of New Mexico Gas raises serious questions about what that oversight will look like in practice.

Commissioner Gabriel Aguilera cast the lone dissenting vote, concluding that the transaction was inconsistent with the public interest because its modest benefits were outweighed by its risks and uncertainties. The majority also rejected additional conditions recommended by intervenor experts and the PRC’s own staff, including measures addressing financial transparency, governance and severe weather protections.

That should concern every New Mexican who pays a utility bill.

The purpose of regulatory oversight isn’t simply to determine whether a deal can legally proceed, as commissioners Patrick O’Connell and Greg Nibert indicated when they announced their decision.

The commission should be asking whether customers will actually benefit, whether financial risks have been adequately addressed and whether protections are strong enough to ensure ratepayers aren’t left holding the bag years from now.

Those questions become even more important when private equity is involved.

Bernhard’s acquisition uses a multilayered ownership structure involving investment funds and intermediate companies. The company has not publicly disclosed the investors in those funds. The deal also includes hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.

That is precisely the kind of transaction that demands rigorous financial scrutiny and meaningful, enforceable protections for customers.

We know the PRC is capable of providing strong oversight.

Just weeks ago, the commission found that PNM and Blackstone violated New Mexico law by completing a $400 million stock transaction without required approval. Thanks to advocacy by Prosperity Works, it ordered the companies to reverse the transaction and demonstrate that ratepayers would not bear the cost. The governor herself pointed to that decision as evidence that this PRC “will use its teeth.”

New Mexicans should expect that same rigor when regulators evaluate whether a utility acquisition actually serves the public interest.

And this matters beyond either transaction.

If utilities move from publicly traded companies into increasingly complicated private ownership structures, transparency and accountability become more important, not less. New Mexicans deserve to know who owns essential infrastructure, how it is financed, what risks customers are being asked to assume and what enforceable benefits they receive in return.

The Blackstone-PNM acquisition is still before the commission. The governor has said the PRC must determine whether that deal serves the public interest and has emphasized the commission’s power to impose enforceable conditions to protect ratepayers.

She’s right.

Private equity investment does not eliminate the need for strong public oversight. It makes that oversight essential.

If strong regulation is New Mexico’s answer to the risks that come with private ownership of our utilities, then strong regulation cannot be optional.

The link to the Don Hancock guest column published in the Albuquerque Journal is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/opinion-where-is-the-strong-utility-oversight-new-mexicans-were-promised/3114209

DINELLI ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

The key terms of the Blackstone offer to purchase PNM  are:

• PURCHASE PRICE: $61.25 per share in cash (all-cash).
• ENTERPRISE VALUE:$11.5 billion (including net debt, excluding securitization debt, and preferred stock).
• PREMIUM:23% above TXNM’s unaffected 30-day VWAP as of early March 2025.
• STRUCTURE: Troy Parent Co LLC (Blackstone Infrastructure affiliate) acquires TXNM; PNM stays headquartered in New Mexico with local management.
• INTERIM EQUITY: Blackstone bought $400 million of newly issued TXNM shares at $50/share in 2025. The PRC later ruled it illegal (no prior approval) and ordered a full reversal at shareholder expense, with penalties.
• TIMELINE: Originally H2 2026; extended to termination date May 31, 2027. Shareholder approval obtained August 2025.
• REGULATORY STATUS: Approved by PUCT, FERC, FCC, HSR. New Mexico PRC and NRC still outstanding. PRC process paused pending stock-sale compliance.
• COMMITMENTS: Keep corporate headquarters  and local management in New Meico; honor unions; minimum 10-year hold; claimed $175 million customer/community benefits (including  large rate credit); ring-fencing and continued PRC rate authority.
• TERMINATION FEES: Blackstone-side termination fee reduced from $350M to $175M in the July 2026 extension.

 The sale of PNM  electric utility to Blackstone was to be completed in 2026. However, the sale was delayed earlier in 2026 when opponents objected to Blackstone’s purchase of $400 million in stock of TXNM Energy, the parent company of PNM, without pre-approval from the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission (PRC). The $400 million stock sale was publicly reported by both companies, but regulated utilities must receive Public Regulation Commission (PRC) consent for large stock purchases.

In July, the PRC voted 2 to 1 confirming a hearing examiners determination that the $400 million stock purchase was illegal and had to be reversed completely with no financial consequences to ratepayers.  PNM has moved to do that although there is some question as to whether or not Blackstone received dividends while they held the shares which have not been reimbursed.

PRC ordered the companies to undo the stock sale transaction and allowed the parties to continue their application process for the sale instead dismissing the application outright as opponents had hoped. PNM said  it had secured funding to reverse the  problematic $400 million stock sale to the buyer without PRC regulatory approval.

On Friday, July 17, 2026 Blackstone said it had extended the acquisition timeline until May 31, 2027 “to allow for further time to obtain regulatory approvals.” The transaction has received approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). New Mexico PRC approval remains the last major hurdle.

New Energy Economy, a Santa Fe-based group opposed to the deal, had hoped the improper stock sale would end the purchase attempt. New Energy Economy said this in a statement:

“We are pleased that the Commission adopted the Hearing Examiners’ findings that Blackstone and TXNM violated New Mexico law and that the unlawful $400 million stock transaction must be unwound at shareholder — not ratepayer — expense… However, the Commission should also have denied the merger application.”

Blackstone’s purchase of $400 million in stock from TXNM Energy, the parent company of PNM, without pre-approval from the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission (PRC) should have gutted the acquisition. It is evidence of  the type of bad faith conduct the state and the PRC can expect in the future once Blackstone takes over PNM and then has  complete control over all of its assets. Corporate profits always Trump’s what is in the best interest of the public.

A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR

 Blackstone-style privatization raises legitimate concerns about transparency, value extraction and future regulation.  What is important is what steps will the Public Regulation Commission exercise its authority of the utility once the sale is completed or will Blackstone be given free reign to do what it wants?

New Mexicans deserve clear answers from Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull before November 3, 2026 election for Governor. They both need to answer with a  press release or formal position paper the following questions:

• Do you support or oppose the Blackstone acquisition of TXNM/PNM as currently structured?
• Will you actively explore and advocate for a New Mexico-based ownership alternative — a consortium of local investors and citizen shareholders backed by smart permanent-fund financing — so that the value created by New Mexico ratepayers stays in New Mexico?
• What specific actions will your administration take to ensure the PRC has the resources and political backing to protect ratepayers regardless of ownership?

Electricity is the backbone of New Mexico’s future. The next Governor will shape whether New Mexicans or Wall Street own that backbone. The time for clarity is now.

Links to related articles are here:

Governor Lujan Grisham’s Naivete On Blackstone’s Purchase Of PNM Exposed In Answering Question “Should NM Buy Its Own Utility?”; COMMENTARY: YES! NM Can Afford To Buy Its Own Utility

Guest Opinion Column: An Open Warning To New Mexico On What You Will Not Be Able To Take Back Once PNM Is Sold To Blackstone; A Challenge To Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull To Take A Firm Position Before November 3, 2026 Election.

Guest Opinion Column: The Case For New Mexico Ownership Of PNM Without State Government Ownership; A Direct Challenge To 2026 Candidates For New Mexico Governor Democrat Deb Haaland and Republican Gregg Hull To State Position On PNM Sale To Blackstone

On August 31, 2026,  it was widely reported by Albuquerque news outlets that six Albuquerque Police sworn officers have been placed on leave as part of an ongoing investigation into a decades-long scheme involving criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear III, his private investigator Ricardo “Rick” Mendez and defense attorney Rudy Chavez  who paid law enforcement to get DWI cases dismissed. APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said  that APD is doing an internal investigation into the six officers, who were not named.Gallegos said this:

“We are not releasing the names at this time. …The overall investigation is still ongoing. These six officers have not yet been interviewed.”

APD created an Internal Affairs Task Force in January 2024 to investigate alleged misconduct by former or current officers. Fourteen officers have since been fired, resigned or retired during the internal investigation. The FBI is leading a separate investigation into allegations of illegal conduct. The six officers placed on leave  have not been charged in the federal criminal investigation.

More than a dozen law enforcement officers have been fired or placed on leave, including nine APD officers who have pleaded guilty in the FBI’s investigation. At least three APD officers’ homes were raided by the FBI during the investigation. A State Police Officer and Deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office have also been implicated.

SENTENCING DATES

Among the guilty pleas in federal court are ten former law enforcement officers, former defense attorney Thomas Clear III, his former paralegal, Ricardo ‘Rick’ Mendez, and former defense attorney Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Chavez. Sentencing dates have been set for some of the defendants.

• Former Albuquerque Police Officer Justin Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15 before Chief District Judge Kenneth Gonzales in Santa Fe.
• Former APD Officer Nelson Ortiz is set for sentencing on September 16, before Judge Kenneth Gonzales in Santa Fe.
• Former APD Officer Harvey Johnson is set to be sentenced on September 29 before Judge Kenneth Gonzales in Santa Fe.
• Former APD officer Joshua Montaño’s sentencing is set for October 14th also before Judge Gonzales in Santa Fe.
• Later in the year, again before Judge Gonzales, sentencing is set for former APD officer Timothy Mc Carson on November 10.
• Former Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy, Jeffrey Hammerel, is scheduled for sentencing in Santa Fe on November 17.
• Former criminal defense attorney Rudolph “Rudy” Chavez is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Matthew Garcia in Albuquerque on December 8th, 2026.

No sentencing dates have been scheduled for any other defendants.

HOW DWI ENTERPRISE BRIBERY AND DISSAL SCANDAL WORKED

According to criminal complaints, indictments and plea agreements filed in Federal District Court by the New Mexico United States Attorney and the US Department of Justice, the DWI Enterprise scheme was very simple and straight forward.  It went on for upwards of 3 decades. Arresting officers would give contact information on motorists they arrested for  DWI charges to private  investigator Carlos Mendez who worked for defense attorney Thomas Clear or to Clear himself. In exchange, the officers would receive cash, gifts and legal services and intentionally fail to show up to required pretrial interviews or court hearings. The officers would also withhold evidence in cases where the suspects hired Clear. Clear would then file motions to dismiss the charges, and judges had no choice but to dismiss the cases for “lack of prosecution” as a sanction against the prosecution.

Clients whose cases were dismissed would typically pay more in legal fees of between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on if the charges were DWI, aggravated DWI other charges in addition to DWI. Law enforcement officers would be recruited by Clear and Mendez to participate in the scheme over many years. The conspirators would also profile people as to their ability to pay higher fees. Defense attorneys customarily charge between $3,000 and $6,000 to defend DWI cases depending on if the case is a person’s first, second, third or even fourth offense, misdemeanor or felony DWI. There is no charge if a defendant  qualifies and is defended by the Public Defender’s Office.

Police officers would intentionally fail to appear at required court hearings, withhold evidence or fail to file court paperwork for DWI offenders, some of whom were aware of the scheme and others who were not, who hired Clear.

Clear said during in his plea agreement that the scheme dated back to 1995. Clear admitted this in his plea agreement:

“Under this scheme, I would then appear at the (Motor Vehicle Division) administrative hearings and the criminal case settings on behalf of the DWI offender and would move to dismiss the proceedings”

Clear and his paralegal and co-conspirator Ricardo Mendez entered guilty pleas on charges of racketeering, among other federal charges. Clear and Mendez have been disbarred from the practice of law. Clear faces 130 years in prison. No one who has pleaded guilty in the case has been sentenced.

HUNDREDS OF DWI CASES DISMISSED

It has been reported that the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office has dismissed over 260 DWI cases linked to the federal cases.  From January 2024 through June 2025,  sixteen officers were added to what’s called the Brady-Giglio List, a designation that deems them untrustworthy witnesses in court. As a result, two New Mexico district attorneys were forced to dismiss the officers’ open criminal cases in Bernalillo and Valencia counties. The two District Attorneys have had to dismiss 306 DWI cases against suspected drunk drivers.

https://www.krqe.com/news/investigations/dwi-dismissal-scandal-306-drunk-driving-cases-dropped-did-the-drivers-reoffend/

SINGLE LARGEST GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION SCANDAL

The bribery of law enforcement to dismiss DWI Cases is the single largest government corruption scandal in the City of Albuquerque’s and the State of New Mexico’s history involving the 3 largest law enforcement agencies in the state consisting of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department (BCSO)  and the New Mexico State police.

In addition to the six APD officers now implicated in the scandal, another nineteen (19) law enforcement officers have been implicated and have resigned, retired, been terminated or federally charged or plead guilty to charges. The FBI executed five search warrants  in January 2024 at three APD officers’ residences, the home of a private investigator, and the law office of prominent DWI attorney Thomas Clear III. Private Criminal  Defense Attorneys Thomas Clear and Rudy Chavez have plead guilty to federal charges and have been disbarred by the New Mexico Supreme Court and the Federal Court. Clear’s private investigator and paralegal Ricardo “Rick” Mendez also plead guilty to federal charges.

CHRONOLOGY 16 APD OFFICERS IMPLICATED, CHARGED OR PLEADING GUILTY

A total of 22 APD police officers have now been implicated. Sixteen APD Police officers have already been implicated in the corruption scandal. One by one, the accused APD officers have turned in their badges and resigned or retired  rather than talking to Internal Affairs investigators about an alleged public corruption scheme involving DWI cases. The names and dates of the 16 officers who have resigned, placed on leave, who have been terminated, retired, charged or plead guilty are:

On February 7, 2024 Justin Hunt, who started at APD in 2000, resigned. On January 20, 2026 Hunt plead guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right.”

On February 29, 2024, Honorio Alba, who started at APD in 2014, resigned. On February 7, 2025 he plead guilty to racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy.(Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)

On March 13, 2024, Harvey Johnson, who started at APD in 2014, resigned.

On March 15, 2024, Nelson Ortiz, who started at APD in 2016, resigned. On March 24, Nelson Ortiz  admitted to his role in the DWI Enterprise bribery scandal and  plead guilty in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He faces 20 years in prison.

On March 20, 2024 Joshua Montaño, who started at APD January 2005, resigned. On Friday, February 8, Montaño plead guilty as charge to  racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)

On May 2, 2024 Daren DeAguero, who started with APD in 2009, resigned.

On May 9, 2024, Matthew Trahan was placed on paid leave as the investigation played out. Trahan has been with APD since 2006, was with the DWI unit from 2014-16 and recently worked as a detective.

On July 30, 2024 APD Officer Neill Elsman, who had worked in the DWI unit within the past several years, resigned before returning to work from military leave. On February 12, 2025 Elsman plead guilty as charged  to 5  counts of  conspiracy, extortion, and bribery. (Article: February 12, 2025.)

On August 1, APD announced that it fired Mark Landavazo, the APD Commander of Internal Affairs for Professional Standards, who started with APD in  2007 and was with the DWI unit from 2008 through 2013.

On October 16, 2024 Deputy Commander Gustavo Gomez placed on paid administrative leave. Gomez was with the DWI unit from 2010 to 2013.

On January 24, 2025 APD announced they placed officers Matthew Chavez on leave.

On February 28, Kyle Curtis announced his retirement after he was placed on leave on February 24 amid being targeted in the Internal investigation involving DWI arrests.

In 2022, Timothy McCarson retired from the Albuquerque Police Department  and he has been implicated in the DWI scandal. The last week of January, 2025,  the FBI asked that he be added to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office‘s Giglio list, which classifies potential court testimony as unreliable. On December 15, 2025, McCarson plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.”

On May 12, former APD officer Steve Hindi was placed on the Giglio list of officers whose credibility is compromised after being implicated in the scandal.

On March 24, 2024  APD  announced it  had placed Lucas Perez on leave as a part of its internal investigation into its DWI unit and the federal investigation. Perez had been with the department since 2016 and served in the DWI unit and become the DWI unit sergeant. On May 27,2025 Lucas Perez plead guilty to conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.

On June 26, 2025  APD Officer Daniel Carr who served with APD for nearly 20 years and who then became a lateral hire and went to work for the Durango Police Department, became the 16th former APD officer to join the ranks of officers listed on the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office ‘Giglio list‘.  This is a listing  of officers who are no longer trusted witnesses in court. He was implicated in the DWI bribery and conspiracy case to dismiss cases. Carr immediately resigned from the Durango Police Department after the Department was notified of the action. Carr has not been charged with a crime.

THREE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERRIFF DEPUTIES IMPLICATED

The dates and names of the 3 BCSO officers who have resigned or placed on leave by Sherriff John Allen or who have plead guilty to charges are:

On February 25, 2025  BCSO Deputy Jeff Hammerel resigned from BCSO and  plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion and two counts of bribery.

On February 24, 2025, BCSO Undersheriff Johann Jareno was asked to resign by  Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen.

March 7^th, BCSO Deputy Jeffry Bartram was placed on leave on after early findings that he may have been involved in the scheme. He has been with BCSO since February 2010 and was on the BCSO DWI Unit from July 2014 to August 2020.

ONE MEXICO STATE POLICE OFFICER

On February 14, 2025 the New Mexico State Police announced it placed Sgt. Toby LaFave on administrative leave after he was implicated by the FBI as accepting bribes in the DWI Enterprise to dismiss cases. Sgt.Toby LaFave was placed on paid leave as the agency did  its own internal investigation into allegations. LaFave was featured for years in state ENDWI campaigns and he was referred to as the DWI King. In in November 2025 LaFave was officially fired for his alleged role in the bribery scheme, but he has not yet been criminally charged.

LaFave, who joined State Police in 2012, said in an online public service promotion video that he has made 3,000 arrests during his 20 years in law enforcement. Court records show LaFave has filed at least 1,300 felony and misdemeanor DWI cases from 2009 to February, 2025. Of the 31 DWI cases where LaFave was the arresting officer and Clear was the defense attorney, 17, or 57%, were dismissed by the courts.

The link to a quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_97483524-eb17-11ef-9c15-8320a7b16191.htm/

DWI DISMISSAL SCANDAL SCORE CARD

Over the last three years, federal prosecutors have secured guilty pleas from Clear, Mendez, attorney Rudy Chavez, nine Albuquerque Police Department officers and one Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputy. Other law enforcement officers, including one from the New Mexico State Police, have either been fired or retired. None have gone to trial, and all 13 defendants prosecuted on racketeering- and extortion-related charges are awaiting sentencing.

Nine APD officers and one Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy have plead guilty to federal charges of taking bribes. Additionally, two Albuquerque defense attorneys, and one private investigator have plead guilty in the ongoing federal investigation into a nearly 30-year conspiracy in which a group of DWI officers received cash, free legal services and other benefits for helping get DWI cases dismissed.

NINE  APD COPS AND ONE BERNALILLO COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF PLEAD GUILTY AS CHARGED

The nine APD officers and one Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy who have plead guilty to federal charges of taking bribes are:

1. On February 7, 2025 former APD Officer Honorio Alba plead guilty to racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
2. On February 7, 2025 former APD Officer Joshua Montaño plead guilty as charge to  racketeering, bribery, extortion and conspiracy.(Article link: Took a plea deal on February 7, 2025.)
3. On February 12, 2025 former APD Officer Neill Elsman plead guilty as charged  to 5 counts of  conspiracy, extortion, and bribery.  ( February 12, 2025.)
4. On March 24, 2025 former APD officer Nelson Ortiz admitted to his role in the DWI Enterprise bribery scandal and pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right. He faces 20 years in prison.
5. On April 29, 2025 former APD Police Officer Harvey Johnson plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit “Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color Of Official Right”. He is facing 20 years in jail.
6. On May 27, 2025 former APD Officer Lucas Perez plead guilty to “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.” It was on March 24, 2024 that APD announced it had placed Lucas Perez  on leave as a part of its internal investigation into its DWI unit and the federal investigation. Perez had been with the department since 2016 and served in the DWI unit to become the unit sergeant.
7. On June 23, 2025 former APD Officer Louis Henckel plead guilty in federal court, admitting to his role in the conspiracy with criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear and his employee  Ricardo Mendez to accept bribes to get DWI cases dismissed. Henckel plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.” The maximum penalty is up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
8. On December 15, 2025, retired APD Officer Timothy McCarson plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right.”
9. On February 25, 2025,  BCSO Deputy Jeff Hammerel resigned from BCSO and  plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion and two counts of bribery. (Took a plea deal on February 25, 2025.)
10. On January 20, 2026, former APD Lieutenant Justin Hunt plead guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Interference With Commerce By Extortion Under Color of Official Right.”

TWO RING LEADERS PLEAD GUILTY AS CHARGED

Former DWI Criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear III and his private  investigator Ricardo “Rick” Mendez  plead guilty as charged to paying bribes to law enforcement to get their client’s DWI cases get dismissed.

On January 24, Ricardo “Rick” Mendez, 53, the private investigator for attorney Thomas Clear III, plead guilty to all the charges contained in the criminal Information including racketeering, bribery of an agent receiving federal funds, aiding and abetting, interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right and to conspiracy. Mendez is facing 110 years in prison on the charges. On April 29  Ricardo “Rick” Mendez was scheduled to be sentenced connection with the DWI scandal. In a surprise move on the day of his sentencing it was simply vacated by the federal court. The  likely reason for the delay is that Mendez is providing new information about the DWI scandal and identifying more suspects to be charge.

On February 12, DWI defense attorney Thomas Clear III, 67 plead guilty as charged to nine federal charges including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, bribery, and extortion. Clear faces up to 130 years in prison and $2 million in fines. Clear has been permanently disbarred from the practice of law by the New Mexico Supreme Court and the Federal Court. A forfeiture action against a home Clear used as his offices has been taken as an asset and as part of the racketeering charge.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY RUDOLPH “RUDY” CHAVEZ PLEADS GUILTY

On July 10, 2025, private criminal defense attorney Rudolph “Rudy” Chavez plead guilty to a federal extortion charge admitting he bribed an Albuquerque police officer in 2023 to help get his  client’s drunken driving case dismissed. Chavez  plead guilty to one count each of interference with commerce by extortion and lying to FBI agents investigating the payoff in March 2024.

In his plea agreement, Chavez admits he contacted Clear’s assistant Recardo “Rick” Mendez after he was hired by his client who had been arrested in April 2023 by Albuquerque Police Department DWI officer Honorio Alba Jr. Through Mendez, Chavez paid Alba to intentionally not appear in court on the DWI case.  Chavez admits this in his plea agreement:

“I admit that when coordinating the scheme, I knew that Alba was a necessary witness and because Alba planned to fail to appear, I knew that the case and proceedings would likely be dismissed.”

Chavez states in his plea agreement he agreed to be interviewed by FBI agents on March 26, 2024. During his FBI interview, Chavez was warned of the potential criminal consequences of lying to federal law enforcement officers. During his interview with  FBI agents, Chavez denied knowing Alba was not going to appear in court.

In his federal plea agreement, Chavez admits he lied to  FBI agents and admits he had phone calls with Mendez ahead of the court hearings to ensure Alba would not attend. Chavez  admits  in his plea he spoke on the phone with Mendez after the dismissal “during which I thanked him and asked him to thank Alba.”

NO AGREEMENTS AS TO SENTENCINGS

Review of all plea agreements reveals there are no agreements as to sentencing, meaning it will be up to the federal judge assigned who will decide the sentences of each defendant. A pre-sentence report will be prepared by sentencing, probation and parole authorities for each defendant, and a recommendation will be made as to sentencing to the judge. Depending on the actual number of charges plead to by each defendant, they are facing jail sentences between 5 years and 20 years and as much as130 years in federal prison and could face fines  as low as $20,000 or in excess of $1 million dollars.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

There is absolutely no doubt that APD’s reputation is  trashed to a major extent because of this scandal. APD is viewed by many as again having just another bastion of “dirty and corrupt cops” who have brought dishonor to their department and their badge and to the department’s professed values of “Pride, Integrity, Fairness and Respect”.  There is little doubt that this whole DWI dismissal bribery scandal has shaken the public’s faith in our criminal justice system and APD to its core especially with the involvement of the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office BCSO and New Mexico State Police Officers.

The only way that any semblance of faith can begin to be restored and for people to begin trusting APD and law enforcement in general is if all the police officers involved in this scandal are held accountable, the lawyers involved are held accountable and when they are all behind bars. That will only happen with aggressive prosecutions, convictions, and lengthy prison sentences for the law enforcement officers and attorneys involved in the “DWI Enterprise” scheme. Justice will not be served until all are sentenced. Sentencings delayed means Justice has not been served.

The courts need to get along with the sentencings.

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/albuquerque-police-department-dwi-investigation/dwi-corruption-scheme-sentencing-dates-set/?ipid=promo-link-block1

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/apd-places-6-officers-on-leave-in-dwi-scandal/3112763

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/six-more-apd-officers-on-leave-after-dwi-deception-investigation/

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/albuquerque-police-department-dwi-investigation/apd-places-6-officers-on-leave-pending-investigation-into-former-dwi-unit/

https://www.koat.com/article/apd-places-6-officers-on-leave-as-part-of-dwi-investigation/73573369

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/albuquerque-police-department-dwi-investigation/apd-places-6-officers-on-leave-pending-investigation-into-former-dwi-unit/

https://www.koat.com/article/apd-places-6-officers-on-leave-as-part-of-dwi-investigation/73573369

https://www.krqe.com/news/investigations/dwi-dismissal-scandal-306-drunk-driving-cases-dropped-did-the-drivers-reoffend/

On August 15, Mayor Keller spoke in front of an audience of upwards of 300  for a full hour to deliver his heavily publicized ninth “State of the City” address. Keller dubbed  his third term agenda as an “Abundance Agenda”.

During his State of the City address, Mayor Tim Keller boldly proclaimed this:

“Government is adding to people’s frustrations during an already turbulent time by maintaining a mindset that adds, rather than removes, barriers in day-to-day life. … When times are good, we have trouble keeping up because we cling to that scarcity mindset. … That’s what holds us back. … Government is actually reducing your freedom. … It’s reducing your set of decisions and it’s not helping in any way. It’s adding to the friction in everyday life and it’s reinforcing a scarcity mindset.”

It’s amazing that Tim Keller talked like he was just elected Mayor. These are words coming from someone who has been Mayor for eight and a half years as he channeled President Ronald Reagan who famously said “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

Keller’s State of the City address focused little on his list of accomplishments and ignored his 8 year record and lack of accomplishment as Mayor. Keller’s State of the City address focused on why Albuquerque continues to struggle with public safety, housing, economic opportunity and government bureaucracy.

The link to review Mayor Tim Keller’s August 15 State of the City Address is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/sotc

HIGHLIGHTS OF KELLER’S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

During his August 15 State of the City address, Keller gave a detailed historical background of New Mexico. Keller said New Mexico is a demonstration of resilience that was built on the foundation of a scarcity mindset, hoarding resources with the idea that the state might need them again. At a time of deep political division nationally and in New Mexico, Keller said Albuquerque has an opportunity to pursue a different path rooted in the city’s own history and identity.

Keller said this:

“We’re a city at the crossroads. We need each other’s help to transcend all that has held us back, to keep our cherished authentic cultural core, and to grow into the city of shared prosperity we are capable of.  I argue that our history is actually core to understanding who we are today and where we have to go.”

Mayor Keller said people in the state say “no” to infrastructure projects, such as  the Rail Trail and the placement of the New Mexico United stadium with both under constant scrutiny. Keller said this:

 “[This is] about a city abundance agenda that is about sharing what we have instead of protecting and hoarding it. It is about making your life a little bit easier each day and it’s about trying to reduce all those things that are causing friction that make your life difficult here in the city of Albuquerque.  … And if we can do that, we can restore some hope. We can restore a baseline of inspiration that actually says that in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this is a better place to live than anywhere else. Not just because of our amazing culture, but also because the government is helpful. … This is not about you, not about me, it’s about us together.  Let’s answer some core questions that vex us today and get to a theory of change for tomorrow.”

Keller challenged leaders across Albuquerque and New Mexico to bring the same abundance mindset to the region’s biggest decisions. Investing in people and infrastructure, supporting transformative projects, and moving beyond the tendency to repeatedly relitigate major investments rather than getting them built.

For his third term, Keller said he is challenging city government to work differently by starting with safety, removing unnecessary barriers, expanding choices, sharing resources the City already has, and making government tangibly useful in people’s everyday lives. This coming from someone who has been Mayor for eight and a half years, and it should have been done all along.

KELLER’S ABUNDANCE AGENDA EXPLORED IN DETAIL

Keller announced that his “Abundance Agenda” will be a push to open more opportunities for people to build, invest, and improve the city while reducing the bureaucratic hurdles that too often get in the way of good ideas. Keller said he wants to focus on sharing “every asset the city has to offer.”  Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” includes initiatives like making it easier to receive a commercial or residential building permit, focusing on local labor agreement and turning city land into affordable housing. With this in mind, Keller said the city will begin to take a new approach to how city resources will be shared.

Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” will focus on three key points during his third term as Mayor:

1. Public safety
2. Making the local government provide help to those in need and
3. Building our civic muscle to be able to actually get things done.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Mayor Keller proclaimed  his Abundance Agenda  will not  succeed unless residents feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and public spaces and he said this:

“None of this strategy works if we are not safe as a community. … Crime is going down in Albuquerque. It doesn’t mean we feel safer, but we know the statistics are going in the right direction. … Folks just want the city of Albuquerque government to help them a little bit, to help ease the pain of everyday life, even if it’s in a small way. … Public safety is a precursor to any form of abundance. You can’t move from a scarcity mindset focused on survival to one of growth and abundance when you’re scared.”

Keller described safety in its broadest sense, encompassing families using parks, people riding buses or walking down the street, businesses opening their doors, and people experiencing homelessness, addiction or behavioral health crises. APD will continue working to reduce crime, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) will continue providing an alternative response to behavioral health and other nonviolent calls, and the Gateway System of Care will continue expanding pathways from the street to shelter, treatment, and stable housing. The City will also take a stronger approach to fentanyl, addiction, and other factors driving homelessness, providing safe alternatives and clear pathways to treatment and recovery while restoring shared public spaces for everyone. He challenged the community “to commit to some clear principles, to a public compact that we can do better than leave someone on the street.”

Keller said that the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) will continue focusing on violent crime, drug houses and businesses associated with illegal drug activity. The mayor highlighted a violence-intervention program that will connect high school students with services and mentors who have lived experience, including people who were formerly incarcerated. Keller said this:

“It has shown for every kid in the program roughly an 80% increase in their grades and an 80% drop in any criminal activity.  … We just finished offering it to every high school in Albuquerque. This is going to make a difference in our city.”

Mayor Keller noted existing programs, such as Albuquerque Community Safety, the Gateway Center and the School-Based Violence Intervention Program which he claimed was the most successful program in the state.

Mayor Tim Keller announced that the Albuquerque Community Safety Department’s (ACS)  role in responding to behavioral-health, mental-health and other nonviolent calls will be expanded. He said the department has now taken 150,000 calls from the 911 system. “Those are all calls APD did not have to respond to so they could focus on violent crime.”

FENTANYL CRISIS

Mayor Keller addressed allegations made by a former Drug Enforcement Agency agent and published by the Albuquerque media that the agency had allowed tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to be trafficked into New Mexico in the name of tracing the drugs’ path to make more major arrests from 2023 to 2025, calling the actions “wrong” and “immoral”. Keller said this:

“We are at least going to honor the cost of those lives that were lost, the cost of everyone who’s working in recovery and in rehab and dealing with this issue, the cost of law enforcement to deal with this issue, and we are going to hold those accountable who made that decision. … We are going to make sure that Albuquerque is never used again by our federal government for a drug experiment.”

Staying on the subject of federal government, the mayor pledged to “stand up to ICE”  (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) following the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saying “we have the laws and the grit and the guts to make sure that that does not happen in Albuquerque.”

MAKING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE HELP TO THOSE IN NEED 

Mayor Keller said responding to homelessness will again be a major priority during his third term with a focus on individualized care. He said the approach includes diversion from jail, transportation, shelter beds and assistance with personal belongings. Keller said this:

 “We have to start treating individuals like people who have their own history and their own needs instead of just by location. … We have to build our system around the actual individual.”

Mayor Keller called for a new public compact that provides meaningful help to people experiencing living homelessness or addiction while keeping shared spaces safe and accessible. Keller said this:

“Public spaces have to be for everyone.  It is not illegal to sit at a bench in a park and it’s also not illegal to walk down the street, but it is illegal to do drugs in our parks. … We have to have compassion to actually get people real help, but we also have to make sure that the public domain is there for all of us to enjoy together.”

To help address the unhoused, Keller said the Gateway System of 5 shelters is providing shelter and services to individuals, families and teenagers. Keller said the Gateway System of Care is  finally up and running, taking care of 1,200 people every night. He also said the Albuquerque Community Safety Department  is helping connect people on the streets or in emergency rooms with Gateway services. Keller boasted saying this:

“ACS is transporting almost 600 folks a month from the streets into the Gateway System. … They’re also diverting 2,000 people from emergency rooms into places like the Gateway System, where they can get the right kind of care.”

Mayor Tim Keller said one way the city can help reduce visible homelessness is to require more treatment and diversion options, as well as additional state support for the Gateway System and housing assistance. Keller said this:

“We should not have to grovel for resources for the Gateway System. It’s the single most needed right thing now in our city and we should not have to beg for housing vouchers.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES

Mayor Keller spoke about housing and affordability among residents trying to buy a home or rent an apartment in the city. Keller said Albuquerque’s rules have traditionally limited people to single-family homes and he wants his administration to manufacture homes and find easier ways to build them. Mayor Keller said this:

“We’re going to start by democratizing what it means to actually decide for yourself what your home should be. … You pick what type, and you’ll have options, choices to actually decide what home means for you.”

Mayor Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” includes a new online program called the “Available City Property Program” that lists nearly 200 city-owned properties that are  vacant or underused public land to be leased, purchased or used for projects such as housing, businesses and community gardens, depending on location and zoning. (POSTCRIPT provides a link to article on “Available City Property Program”.) The city plans to offer vacant buildings to certified child care providers, expand evening and weekend rentals of community facilities and let residents  share excess home-grown produce and eggs at the city’s four Health and Social Service Centers. Mayor Keller said certified childcare providers could use underused city buildings without paying for the space. Keller said this:

“We are just going to let any childcare group that is certified and all that can use our space for free. … We’re going to give you dozens of buildings to take care of our kids for the next generation.”

Keller announced a facility rental program that will allow families to rent city-owned spaces, including community centers and theaters, for recreational use such as quinceañeras and anniversaries. Rental fees will be based on the scale and purpose of the activity for the 20 locations currently available for booking. Certified childcare groups will be able to use the facilities for free, he added. Keller said the city plans to make gyms, community centers and event spaces more accessible after normal business hours and he said this:

 “We are going to let you rent and use our facilities seven days a week and we’re going to let you use them in the evenings.”

Keller  proposed a “yes first” policy that would allow thousands of building projects to begin before inspections are complete.

Mayor Keller addressed a proposed program that would allow residents to take surplus produce and eggs to four city health and social-service centers for distribution. Keller said “So, we’re creating the Backyard Exchange. … We’re going to connect the people with extra to the people who need it. …That is demonstrating food and abundance here in Albuquerque.”

COST OF LIVING AND AFFORDABILITY

Keller said this:

“Cost of living is more than paying bills.  It’s also the time and frustration that everyday tasks take from our lives. Government should make everyday life easier, not take more of your time.”

Keller emphasized how that principle will shape work across City government. For people building or repairing homes and for entrepreneurs trying to open businesses, the City is working to shorten permitting timelines, preapprove more construction plans, use new technology for inspections, and eliminate unnecessary points of delay. For some smaller projects, the City will fundamentally reverse the traditional relationship between residents and government. Keller said this:

“We are switching the default to ‘yes”. … Instead of ‘wait for the City to start,’ it’s ‘start and the City will catch up.’”

The City will also launch a “backyard exchange” connecting excess produce and eggs from local gardens, farms and home growers with families around the city who can use them. It’s another example of the abundance principle of connecting resources that already exist with people who need them.

Keller’s abundance agenda also calls for growing Albuquerque’s economy so families have more opportunities to earn and get ahead. That means building on the city’s competitive advantages in emerging industries including quantum, fusion, and directed energy, while making sure new investment creates good local jobs and supports local businesses through tools like community benefit agreements.

REDUCING FRICTION ON FAMILIES

For families, Keller said his abundance agenda and the changes it will bring are about making it easier to live a good life in Albuquerque. A birthday party should not require navigating layers of government bureaucracy. A youth sports team should be able to find an affordable place to practice. A childcare provider should not be stopped because usable space is sitting empty. A neighborhood should not have to watch vacant public land remain fenced off for decades.

Keller said this:

“By giving people more choices, sharing what government does have and making it easier to do things, we can reduce the pain of daily living. … That is our City abundance agenda; that we all feel safer and feel better about City government because it actually is helpful in our daily lives.”

CLOSING REMARKS

Mayor Keller ended his State of the City  address by saying  the city and state have an “opportunity that we haven’t seen in generations,” noting that the University of New Mexico recently welcomed a new president just months before the state will elect a new governor. Keller said this:

“We have to push back against the scarcity mindset that is still with us from that history that was the other side of resilience because now we actually can demonstrate abundance.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Keller’s eight and a half year record as mayor reflects the type of leadership and failed programs we can expect over the next three and a half years. Keller’s Abundance Agenda will be more of the same approach to government and failed policies to the city’s problems.

THE KELLER RECORD AS MAYOR

Mayor Tim Keller’s did not cover his eight year record as Mayor in his State of the City address and it merits review now that he has announced his third term agenda.

THE ART BUS PROJECT

During his first term, Mayor Keller completed the $125 million dollar ART bus project down central initiated by his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry  The ART Bus budget destroyed many downtown businesses as well as historic Route 66. Keller could have easily abandoned the ART Bus project, especially when he declared it “a bit of a lemon” and was forced to sue the bus manufacturer and Keller settled the case for no damages. Keller could have restored Central, but he abandoned it ignoring the destruction of it and its historical significance.

FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONSENT DEGREE

For seven years, Keller was saddled with a Department of Justice (DOJ) consent degree over APD negotiated by his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry that mandated 276 reforms. Keller promised the consent decree would be resolved and all reforms instituted during his first four-year term, but he took seven years. The city spent millions to implement the reforms while Keller allowed the police union to undercut the reform process. APD finally instituted constitutional policing practices to prevent excessive use of force and deadly force with the DOJ consent decree dismissed, but it was not because of Keller’s leadership but because of the efforts of the Department of Justice and the Court appointed federal monitor holding the city’s feet to the fire. At one point, APD and the city almost came to being held in contempt of court with its failures.

CITY CRIME RATES

Eight years ago when Keller first ran and became Mayor, he proclaimed crime was out of control, that he could get it down and that he would increase APD sworn from the 850 under Mayor Berry to 1,200. During Keller’s entire two terms as Mayor, the number of sworn APD officers has never reached 1,000. During Keller’s first seven years as Mayor, homicides, aggravated assaults and drug crimes spiked to historical highs. Violent crime spiked so bad that Keller announced 5 separate programs, including declaring violent crime a Public Health Crises. The new programs he initiated  accomplished little next to nothing to bring down violent crime. After 8 years, historically high crime rates only began to come down in 2025 with the decline part of a national trend. The city’s ongoing homicide and violent crime rates continue to be at unacceptable highs and people simply do not feel safe in their homes as the fentanyl crisis surges.

APD TOP HEAVY MANAGMENT AND MISMANAGEMENT 

The Albuquerque Police Department is still dangerously understaffed at 913 sworn police officers with only 350 sworn police assigned to the area commands in 3 shifts to handle thousands of calls for service. APD is seriously top heavy with management. Mayor Keller added new levels of police management creating the positions of Major, Deputy Commanders and Chief Public Safety Officer. On March 24, and after over three-month national search, Mayor Tim Keller announced his appointment of Interim APD Chief Cecily Barker as the new APD Chief and Public Safety Executive Director Raul Bujanda who also oversees APD. APD Chief Barker was one of former APD Chief Harold Medina’s Deputy Chiefs, she was Medina’s own personally announce preferred replacement, and she has kept most if not all of Chief Medina’s upper command staff when they should have been replaced. Keller created the Chief Public Safety Officer position and he is  paid $180,000 a year. APD has had eight years of increased budgets, salary increases and lucrative bonus initiated by Mayor Keller yet only 350 patrol the streets and crime is still at unacceptable levels.

Mayor Keller’s mismanagement of APD during his tenure as Mayor extended all the way up to the APD Chief. Keller refused to hold APD Chief Harold Medina accountable for a vehicle crash where Medina negligently plowed into another driver putting the driver in the hospital in critical condition. Medina admitted to violating state law when he failed to have his body camera on during an incident that preceded the crash. After the crash, Keller called Medina “arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city.” Medina’s appointed Crash Review Board declared the crash as “non avoidable” even after Medina admitted to causing the crash. Medina was given a slap on the wrist with letters of reprimand. The City and Medina have been sued by the injured driver and the case is still pending and will likely result in a significant judgement being paid for Medina’s negligent driving and his running of a red light.  Medina is gone, but his philosophy and influence on the department remains firm because his management team remains in charge.

Then there is the largest bribery and corruption case in APD’s history with 14 APD Officers implicated and 3 who have been federally charged and who have plead guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges involving the dismissal of hundreds of DWI cases for bribes. The former APD officers face up to 130 years in prison. Not one of the defendants have been sentenced. On August 31, it was reported that another 6 APD police officers have been placed on leave after being implicated in the scandal. Mayor Keller has refused to take any responsibility for what happened under his watch as he  deflected  and blamed others. Keller blamed the Court’s, the DAs Office and the Public Defenders for the DWI dismissals.

MILLIONS SPENT TO PROVIDE UNHOUSED SERVICES THEY REJECT

Since day one of becoming Mayor in 2017, dealing with the unhoused on the streets of Albuquerque and getting the homeless off the streets and getting them services has been a major priority of Mayor Tim Keller. During Keller’s tenure as Mayor, the number of homeless has more than doubled despite his efforts as he allows the homeless to proliferate the city streets. The most recent “Point In Time” Survey of the unhoused released mid- August reports the city has 3,122 people unhoused, up from  2,960 reported in 2025. In the last 4 years, Keller has spent upwards of $300 million on 5 shelters with 125 service contracts and service programs for the homeless.

Keller has increased spending for services yearly the past four years to the unhoused to the tune of $53,901,355 (F/Y ‘26) to $85,283,471 (F/Y ’27). The biggest obstacle is that 75% of the homeless refuse city shelter and services, yet millions are being spent.  Keller has advocated allowing  upwards of 100 Safe Outdoor Spaces for 1,000  homeless to camp, scattered through out the city. Keller created the Albuquerque Community Safety Division and staffed it with upwards of 125  with social workers and mental health care professionals to do outreach to the homeless and to reduce by the thousands calls for service to APD, but the homeless still proliferate city streets.

KELLER’S UPZONING EFFORTS REBRANDED AS “DEMOCRACY” 

During his State of the City Address, Keller said this in part about housing: “We’re going to start by democratizing what it means to actually decide for yourself what your home should be. … You pick what type, and you’ll have options, choices to actually decide what home means for you.” What Keller did was simply “rebrand” his aggressive approach to make major changes to all city zoning laws. Keller wants to double or triple housing density in established neighborhoods over strenuous objections from  property owners and neighborhood associations. Keller wants to allow “upzoning” by residential property owners to increase density and allow casita and duplex development and apartment development on corners in all established neighborhoods to benefit developers and to deprive adjacent property owners the right to object and appeal. Keller erroneously believes that increased density will increase affordable housing as he  ignores market forces and the profit motive. Keller’s zoning changes will make gentrification an official city policy that caters to developers at the expense of neighborhoods and property rights.

CONCLUSION

Mayor Keller himself has contributed significantly to our frustrations during turbulent times and for the last eight years with many of his failed policies and failed management practices, especially those dealing with the unhoused, APD management and the DWI bribery and conspiracy scandal and residential zoning changes to double or triple density to benefit developers and investors. Based on his State of the City Address, we can expect the same mediocre quality of leadership Mayor Keller has bought to  the city for the last 8 and half years with little to show for it. Keller’s State of the City Address was his attempt at eloquence and inspiration, and it was neither.

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/state-of-the-city-2026-mayor-charts-a-path-from-scarcity-to-abundance

https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/state-of-the-city-2026-mayor-charts-a-path-from-scarcity-to-abundance

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-tim-keller-state-city-address-new-mexico-public-safety-housing-affordability-homelessness-behavioral-health/73444010

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/keller-pushes-abundance-agenda-in-state-of-the-city/3102741?fbclid=IwY2xjawT2eJtwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVZJV2dFN2syOWJFNFpwMWlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeV_hA_Y8xR6kgGM7Ija9zBi6NEd-SN2eH2yh1M_kJpWUQm6Ua_6jAhPoNQXw_aem_-NL-4y3B5oU17kYH279aFg

https://abq.news/2026/08/what-mayor-kellers-new-abundance-agenda-means-for-albuquerque/

https://nm.news/2026/08/17/what-mayor-kellers-new-abundance-agenda-means-for-albuquerque/

https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2026/08/keller-introduces-abundance-agenda-during-ninth-state-of-the-city-address

https://brant.one/2026/08/16/what-is-albuquerque-mayor-tim-kellers-abundance-agenda-key-takeaways-from-his-2026-state-of-the-city-address/#google_vignette

The link to a related Dinelli article is here:

Mayor Tim Keller’s “Available City Properties Program” Viable Option To Solve Affordable Housing Crunch; Keller In State Of City Address Again Advocates Upzoning To Increase Density; COMMENTARY: Surveys Of Available Properties Reveal No Need For Upzoning In Established Neighborhoods; Keller, City Council Need To Defend Neighborhoods From Investors, Developers And Gentrification

On Sunday, August 30, with the general election for New Mexico Governor scheduled for November 3, the Albuquerque Journal Published its expected poll in the 2026 race for  Governor.

The Journal poll found 49% of likely voters surveyed said they plan to vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, who is seeking to become the first Native American woman elected governor in the nation’s history.  Meanwhile, 43% of voters said they plan to vote for Republican Gregg Hull, the former Rio Rancho mayor who would be the first Republican to win a statewide race in New Mexico since 2016. The remaining 8% of voters surveyed said they had not yet decided on who they would support in the November general election.

The overall 6-point margin separating Deb Haaland and Greg Hull in the Journal Poll mirrors the final margin of New Mexico’s 2022 gubernatorial race between Democrat Incumbent Governor Lujan Grisham and Republican Mark Ronchetti.

DEMOGAPHIC POLL RESULTS

The demographic poll results are as follows:

PARTY AFFILIATION

Both Deb Haaland and Gregg Hull received strong support from voters of their own political parties. Hull garnered 89% of Republicans and only 8% of Democrats who said they plan to vote and Haaland garnered 86% of Democrats and only 6% of Republicans who said they plan to vote.

Among Independents polled, who have seen their ranks swell and now make up more than one-quarter of registered New Mexico voters, Haaland secured  45% of Independents to Hulls 36%  and 19% of Independent voters said they had not yet decided who to support.

GENDER

Among Male voters polled, Democrat Deb Haaland received 43% support, Republican Greg Hull received 49% and 8% were undecided.

Among Female voters polled,  Democrat Deb Haaland received 54%  support, Republican Greg Hull received 37% and 8% were undecided

RACE AND ETHNICITY

Amongst Hispanics polled, 53% said they would vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 37% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull, while 10% said they were undecided.

Amongst Anglo/Whites polled, 45% said they would vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 48% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 6% said they were Undecided.

EDUCATION  

The Journal poll found notable difference among surveyed voters by education level, as voters with a college or graduate degree were far more likely to express support for Haaland than for Hull.

Amongst those with a  high school, trade  or less education, 39% said they will vote for  Democrat Deb Haaland,  49%  said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and  12% said they were Undecided.

Amongst those with some college or associates degree education, 46% said they will vote for  Democrat Deb Haaland,  44%  said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 11% said they were Undecided.

Amongst college graduates,  51% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 43% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 6% said they were Undecided.

Amongst those with a graduate degree, 61% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 34% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 5% said they were Undecided.

NEW MEXICO REGIONS

Looking at the race state wide by region, Democrat Deb Haaland has  a significant advantage over Republican Gregg Hull in the Albuquerque metro area and in north central New Mexico, a traditional Democratic stronghold. However, Republican Gregg Hull has a lead in other, less populated parts of the state, including in northwest and southern New Mexico, along with the state’s usually conservative east side.

Voters polled within the Albuquerque Metro area, 56% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 39% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 6% said they were Undecided.

Voters polled within the Northwest area of the State, 40% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 51% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 10% said they were Undecided.

Voters polled within the  North Central area of the State, 62% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 27%  said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 11% said they were Undecided.

Voters polled within the Las Cruces/Southwest  area of the State, 37% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland, 54% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 9% said they were Undecided.

Voters polled on the Eastside  area of the State, 34% said they will vote for Democrat Deb Haaland,  54% said they would vote for Republican Gregg Hull and 11% said they were Undecided.

POLL METHODOLOGY

“The Journal Poll was conducted from August 21 through August 28. It is based on a statewide random sample of 516 voters who cast ballots in the 2022 and/or 2024 general elections, and a sample of adults who registered to vote since January 2025 and who said they are likely to vote in the upcoming election.

The total sample of 516 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples. The sample was stratified by race/ethnicity and county and weighted by party affiliation, gender and education level based on traditional voting patterns in New Mexico general elections, to ensure a more representative sample.

All interviews were conducted by live, professional interviewers based in Albuquerque, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone. Both cellphone numbers (96%) and landlines (4%) of likely general election voters were used.”

The link to the quoted, unedited Albuquerque Journal article with photos and graphs and written by Albuquerque Journal reporter Dan Boyd is  here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/journal-poll-haaland-leads-hull-by-closer-than-expected-margin-in-new-mexicos-race-for-governor/3111874

PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS RECALLED

On Tuesday, June 2, 2026,  the New Mexico primary election took place. It was the first semi-open primary in New Mexico history where independent voters could choose either the Democratic or Republican primary to vote in without having to register with that party. Overall voter turn out was the largest primary turnout in the last twelve years helped by the inclusion of independent voters who for the first time were allowed to vote in major party primaries. Independents voted Democratic with 28,000 and voted Republican with 10,000.

New Mexico history was made in the Democratic Primary for Governor when former Biden Cabinet Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman to be nominated for Governor of New Mexico. Deb Haaland garnered 72.3% (156,861 votes)  of the votes to Bernalillo County District Attorney  Sam Bregman’s 27.7% (60,189) cast around New Mexico. Haaland  won every single county in the state by varying percentages. In Santa Fe County she won with 80% of the Democratic vote. In Bernalillo County Haaland won with 69%. In Dona Ana County, she won with 79%. In conservative Chavez County, thought to lean moderate Bregman, she won with 73%.

On the Republican side for Governor, former three-term mayor of Rio Rancho Greg Hull  prevailed to win the Republican nomination claiming  victory over business owner Doug Turner and cannabis entrepreneur Duke Rodriguez in a three-way race for the GOP nomination. Gregg Hull secured 47% of the vote (56,412), Doug W. Turner secured 36.9% of the vote (44,319) and Duke Rodriguez secured 16.1% of the vote (19,288).

The 2026 New Mexico primary for Governor was the most expensive primary in the state’s history. According to finance reports filed with the Secretary of State, Democrats Deb Haaland raised over $12 Million while Sam Bregman raised upwards of $4 Million. Republican fundraising efforts were dwarfed by comparison. Gregg Hull raised $544,920, Doug Turner raised $703,189 and Duke Rodriquez self-financed to the tune of $1.5 Million.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Ever since Deb Haaland’s overwhelming 72.3% (156,861 votes) landslide victory over Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman’s 27.7% (60,189), politcal analysts have been predicting that Haaland would coast to an easy victory over Republican Gregg Hull who won his Republican primary 47% of the vote (56,412 vote). There is little doubt that the Albuquerque Journal poll has taken  everyone by surprise given that it found a mere 6% points difference between the two candidates. The poll results will give Gregg Hull a major boost in his fundraising efforts that will make the race even more competitive with Republicans no doubt feeling the Haaland is now considered vulnerable and the election winnable.

Notwithstanding, Republican Hull is facing an uphill battle in a Democratic leaning state. Democrat Deb Haaland is still well-positioned to win the November election even though the election will likely be closer than expected. Haaland is the former U.S. Interior secretary under President Joe Biden and a former congresswoman. Simply put, Haaland is a national figure with respect to her fundraising ability and the historical nature of her candidacy and the possibility of  being  the first native American who would  be elected a governor. Haaland also has tremendous  support among women, highly educated voters and Independent voters and all taken together they  will likely decide the election. Then there is the matter of the national political mood that clearly favors Democrats thanks in large part to President Trump’s disastrous presidency, the wars he has started and his disastrous handling of the economy. You  can expect Haaland to zero in on all things Democrat and the Independents to win the election.

The issues will also have an impact. Haaland is making Trump an issue in the race and has touted affordability as among her campaign priorities, while vowing to build more affordable housing for New Mexicans and expand tax breaks for low-income families. Hull for his part is taking the traditional Republican approach saying he would seek to make New Mexico more economically attractive, reduce tax rates, among other proposals. Gregg Hull thus far has avoided being labeled as MAGA Republican ideologue and has portrayed himself as a bipartisan pragmatist. Hull goes out of his way to  to avoid Trump and his  policies that are having an impact on New Mexico, such as Trumps Immigration and Customs policies.

Notwithstanding, with a full two months left before the November 3 election, anything can happen that could change the trajectory of the election, with the Albuquerque Journal poll being a prime  example.