On December 9, Albuquerque voters will be going to the polls to vote between two term  Progressive Democrat  incumbent Mayor Tim Keller and MAGA Republican and former two term Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White. Based on the politcal attack ads being run by both candidates against each other, the runoff is proving to be the most divisive and negative runoff election in the city’s history.

THE TWO CANDIDATE RECORDS

The outcome of the December 9 runoff election between Tim Keller and Darren White is not certain and voter turnout will be critical. It is very sad to say, but the blunt reality is the runoff election between Tim Keller and Darren White is between two disliked candidates for Mayor running against each other. First place finisher in the November 4 election Tim Keller secured 36% of the vote to get into the run off meaning that 64% of the voters voted for another candidate. Second place finisher in the November 4 election Darren White secured 31% of the vote to get into the runoff meaning that 69% voted for another candidate. Tim Keller is the progressive Democrat Mayor with a low approval rating of 42%.

This article is an in depth report on the records of both candidates and concluding with an endorsement of Mayor Tim Keller for reelection.

TIM KELLER

Tim Keller was born and raised in Albuquerque, he is a graduate of St. Pius High School and has an undergraduate degree from Norte Dame in Art History and Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He is married and he and his wife Liz have two young children. Keller is a former New Mexico State Senator who represented the SE Heights and the International District. He is a former New Mexico State Auditor. In 2017 he was elected to his first term as Mayor of Albuquerque having prevailed over 7 other candidates.

Tim Keller’s record as Mayor is well known by the public after serving the past eight years as Mayor. Keller argues that he needs 4 more years to complete the work he has started.

During his first term, Mayor Keller completed the $125 million dollar ART bus project down central initiated by his predecessor instead of abandoning it. In the last seven years, Keller has been saddled with a Department of Justice (DOJ) consent degree over APD negotiated by his predecessor that mandated 276 reforms. After almost 10 years of the consent decree overseen by a federal court appointed auditor and  a federal judge with millions spent to implement the reforms, Keller was successful in implementing the Department of Justice (DOJ) Reforms. APD instituted constitutional policing practices within APD to prevent excessive use of force and deadly force and having the DOJ consent decree dismissed.

Since becoming Mayor in 2017, dealing with the homeless crisis and getting the homeless off the streets  and getting them services has been a major priority of Mayor Keller. During Keller’s tenure as Mayor, the number of homeless has more than doubled despite his efforts as he allows the homeless proliferate the city. In the last 3 years, Keller has spent upwards of $350 million on 5 shelters with 125 service contracts and service programs for the homeless. Keller has advocated to allow upwards of 100 Safe Outdoor Spaces to accommodate 1,000  homeless to camp and scattered through out the city. The biggest obstacle for Keller is that 75% of the homeless refuse city shelter and services. Keller created the Albuquerque Community Safety Division and staffed it 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.

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 to 1,200.  After 10 full years, historically high crime rates have finally begun 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 historical highs and people simply do not feel safe in their homes as the fentanyl crisis surges. The Albuquerque Police Department is still dangerously understaffed at 925 cops with only 350 sworn police assigned to the area commands in 3 shifts to handle calls for service. APD is seriously understaffed despite eight years of increased budgets, salary increases and lucrative bonus pay by Mayor Keller.

Mayor 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. 

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. Both Keller and APD Chief Harold Medina have refused to take any responsibility for what happened under their watch as they deflect and blame others. They both have blamed the Court’s, the DAs Office and the Public Defenders for the DWI dismissals.

Mayor Keller is aggressively advocating for major changes to all city zoning laws with his “Housing Forward Plan” proclaiming a housing crisis exists and that his plan will increase affordable housing. It will not. 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 “Housing Forward Plan” makes gentrification an official city policy that caters to developers at the expense of neighborhoods and property rights.

Keller points to as major successes during his 8 years in office economic development and the completion of major projects such as libraries and numerous park renovations as well as the initiating the multimillion dollar Rail Yards project and downtown redevelopment and attracting new high-tech industry to Albuquerque.

DARREN WHITE

Republican Darren White is a former elected two term Bernalillo County Sherriff.  He has held high profile appointed positions in state and city government. White left public service over 14 years ago in controversy. After so many years, the public no doubt has forgotten the chaos and controversy that surrounded Darren White when he was in public service. Voters need to be reminded of Darren White’s record of failure and controversy with a review of his divisive campaign for Mayor.

DARREN WHITE’S RECORD OF FAILURE AND DIVISIVE CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR

In 1987, White moved to New Mexico and joined the Albuquerque Police Department Academy.  White holds a B.A. in Management from the University of Phoenix and has one son, Darren II.  After his graduation from the APD Academy, White was assigned and served in the department’s Field Services Bureau, Motorcycle Patrol Unit and Crimes Against Children Unit. He reached the rank of Sergeant. While with APD, White joined the department band “The Force” as the lead singer with the band  performing in their APD uniforms to school children warning them about the dangers of abusing drugs and bellowing out in rock style lyrics “Just Say No To Drugs!”

DAREN WHITE THE CABINET SECRETARY

In 1995, Republican Governor Gary Johnson appointed White to head the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. At 31, White was the youngest state public safety director in the country. White also chaired Johnson’s cabinet council on crime and corrections.

While serving as secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, members of the New Mexico State Police Officers Association voted 243 – 31 “No Confidence” against White. The state police officers accused White of improperly supplying equipment and cars to its officers, which they felt was an officer safety issue.

https://www.police1.com/police-administration/articles/nm-police-have-no-confidence-in-safety-director-nQZQa5iQFpN4EEU3/

White had a very sudden and dramatic  parting of the ways with Governor Gary Johnson over Johnson announcing his support for the legalization of all drugs. White resigned in a “puff” as cabinet secretary saying he could never support the legalization of drugs.

WHITE WAS AGAINST POT BEFORE HE MADE MONEY OFF POT

White’s previous public statements and actions against marijuana reform have been extensive. In 2007, when medical marijuana became legal in New Mexico, White was vehemently opposed to it. White said this:

“I’ve never supported medical marijuana. … I’m very sympathetic to the patients – I watched my father die of cancer, and it’s the most difficult thing in the world – but I don’t think you have to smoke marijuana to gain the comfort and relief that’s provided by the THC.”

In 2002, as executive director of Protect New Mexico, Darren White lobbied against both a medical marijuana bill and Johnson’s effort to decriminalize marijuana. White told the Albuquerque Journal at the time that the issue needed more research. When the New Mexico  Legislature rejected Johnson’s decriminalization bill, White said it was “a victory to our children and our neighborhoods.”

In 2007, the medical use  of marijuana was legalized with enactment of a bill by the New Mexico legislature which was signed by Democrat Governor Bill Richardson. When Republican Governor Susana Martinez became governor, Darren White changed his tune from “Just Say No To Drugs”  to “Lets Make Money Off  Drugs” on the legalization of  marijuana  and benefited from a state license he was awarded by the Martinez Administration to sell medical marijuana.

White showed what a hypocrite he is when following his career in law enforcement he started his own cannabis dispensary company call PurLife.  He served on the Board of Directors and CEO of Purlife, a medical marijuana distribution company. Despite lobbying against state medical cannabis legalization efforts, White changed his stance on the substance and ran his  medical cannabis company, which sold just before New Mexico legalized recreational use.

https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2015/09/02/green-and-white-former-sheriff-wants-in-on-medical-marijuana/

SEE  Pure Life Management Group.,  LLC,  Business ID number 5545730  at

https://enterprise.sos.nm.gov/search/business

WHITE THE “NEWSHOUND”

After resigning his cabinet position with Republican Gary Johnson, White joined the news staff at KRQE-TV, Albuquerque’s CBS affiliate. White was a crime reporter at the station for two years. He left the station in 2002 to run for Bernalillo County Sherriff.

https://www.gaar.com/images/uploads/ld-darren_white_bio.pdf

WHITE THE BERNALILLO COUNTY SHERIFF

White was elected Bernalillo County Sheriff in 2002 and reelected in 2006.  As Bernalillo County Sheriff, Darren White helped TruTouch Technologies secure a sole-source contract in the amount of $379,995 to “supply alcohol screening and testing prototype equipment.” White notified the County Commission that “the Sheriff’s Department fully supports the Sole Source contract award to TruTouch Technologies of Albuquerque.” White was also running for US Congress at the time against Martin Heinrich, and received campaign contributions from TruTouch officers during a prohibited time.

https://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/darren-white/

WHITE THE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE

In 2008, White was the Republican nominee for US Congress in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district facing then Albuquerque City Councilman Martin Heinrich. Heinrich defeated White in a landslide with Heinrich elected with 55.5% to Whites 44.5%. White has said in the past that he was a Republican Conservative long before Donald Trump ever was. White has the signature of Ronald Reagan tattood on his ankle that he is very proud of and is known to show off to others.

WHITE THE ABQ CHEIF PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER

Simply put, Republican Darren White blew it big time when he was Chief Public Safety Officer and Director of the Safe City Strike Force appointed by Republican Mayor Richard Berry. Together they did irreparable damage to the city’s public safety and the Albuquerque Police Department.

WHITE AS DIRECTOR OF SAFE CITY STRIKE FORCE

In December 2009, White was appointed Albuquerque’s Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing APD and the Fire Department and appointed Director of the Safe City Strike Force by Republican Mayor Richard J. Berry.

The Safe City Strike Force was responsible for taking aggressive action against nuisance property’s and took code enforcement action against both commercial and residential properties that were determined to be magnets for crime. The Safe City Strike Force was recognized nationally as a best practice program. For seven years the Safe City Strike Force took enforcement actions against 6,500+ properties through out the city. The Strike Force cleaned up Central with the city taking hundreds of enforcement actions against substandard properties including  dozens of run down motels along Central and tearing down 8 motels and closing violent bars deemed a nuisance.

The Blue Spruce Bar, the most violent bar in the city at the time, was torn down and  Rusty’ Cork and Bottle was permanently closed. Club 7 on downtown Central was shut down by the Strike Force after an underage child died of an over dose of drugs during a RAVE. The Strike Forced closed down two flea markets on the West side that had become magnets for crime and for fencing of stolen property.

The Safe City Strike Force was ordered to be dismantled by Mayor Richard Berry and it was Darren White who went out of his way to dismantle the Strike Force because of demands by the business community sector and slum lords who did not like aggressive code enforcement that held them accountable. Court cases and condemnations stopped and Darren White did nothing when it came to code enforcement against nuisance properties.

DARREN WHITE’S DISTRUCTION OF APD

When Mayor Richard Berry and Chief Public Safety Officer Darren White first took over APD, it was the best trained, best paid and best equipped in the department’s history.  In December 2009, APD had a total of 1,100 full time sworn police officers, the largest number in its history. Crime rates were down significantly and APD had upwards of 750 sworn police patrolling the streets of Albuquerque with the Department engaged in true Community Policing practices.

Darren White had no problem with the political  appointment by Mayor Richard Berry of  Republican Gordon Eden as APD Chief. Eden had no experience working within APD an no experience managing a large law enforcement department. Morale within the department plummeted.

Under Berry and White’s leadership, APD sworn personnel plummeted, and it hit low of 850 because the city could not keep up with retirements. As the City’s Chief Public Safety Officer, White slashed police pay by 8% across the board which lead  to a lawsuit costing the city over $5 million. White severely cut officer ranks and slowed hiring and triggered a staffing crisis that APD has yet to recover from. To this very day, APD has never recovered from the mass exodus of sworn police and APD currently has 925 sworn police, 175 less than in 2019 when White took over.

It was during White’s tenure as Chief Public Safety Officer that the Department of Justice undertook the investigation of the Albuquerque Police Department for excessive use of force and deadly force. White failed to resist any of the demands made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) contained in the Consent Decree that impacted APD for close to 10 years and that mandated the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars to implement constitutional policing practices to prevent excessive use of force and deadly force by APD.

WHITE TAKES OFF THE GLOVES DEALING WITH CITY HOMELESS

When White was Chief Public Safety Officer, it was he that said it was time to “take the gloves off when dealing with the homeless”  to remove the homeless from downtown Albuquerque. Three of those arrested later sued the city, which settled the cases for $98,000.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/what-works-albuquerque-homeless-solution-housing-policy-214527

WHITE’S “NO CONFIDENCE VOTE” BY APD

Darren White was given a vote of no confidence from the APD union because he took away the take home vehicle’s for cops and he stopped the pay increases negotiated with the union contract. APD moral plummeted under White’s leadership and he was given a  “No-Confidence” vote by a large majority of the members of the police union. White also imposed  severe pay cuts as a cost saving measure he implemented at the direction of Mayor Berry in violation of the police union contract negotiated in good faith by the police union.

https://www.koat.com/article/police-union-to-vote-no-confidence-in-darren-white/5035368

WHITE INSERTS HIMSELF INTO THE MARY HAN DEATH CASE

One of the most disgraceful things Darren White did when he was Chief Public Safety Officer involved APD’s investigation of the 2010 death of prominent Civil Rights and Defense attorney Mary Han who was often at odds with both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, including when White was Sherriff.

When the call was made to APD reporting that Mary Han was found dead in the seat of her car in her garage, then-city Public Safety Director Darren White and his spokesman, T.J. Wilham, the former Albuquerque Journal Reporter who is now with Target 7 KOAT TV,  dispatched themselves to the scene along with then APD Deputy Chiefs Beth Paiz, Paul Feist,  Allen Banks, then Valley Area Commander Rae Mason, then-City Attorney Rob Perry, and then police crime lab director Marc Adams and four sergeants, including a designated APD spokeswoman.

They all dispatched themselves to the scene ostensibly to “investigate” and to view Han’s body. They all were given free access to the scene thereby interfering  with the investigation. An  Attorney General investigation later conducted an investigation of how APD mishandled the investigation and reached several “principal findings,” including:

1. The large number of APD personnel given access to Han’s home “materially interfered with the investigation process”.
2. “Significant”  items were either removed from Han’s death scene, including her lap top,  or were “otherwise missing,”further complicating the case by thwarting scientific analysis and evidence collection.
3. A high-ranking APD official made a “precipitous decision”to label Han’s death a suicide before any investigation had been conducted.

Initially, the Office of the Medical Investigator ruled the Mary Han death a suicide, but her family never bought it. The Han family sued the office of medical investigator and succeeded in having Mary Han’s death certificate cause of death change from suicide to undetermined.

WHITE’S FORCED RETIREMENT FROM CITY

On July 15, 2011, Darren White announced his “retirement” from the city a little more than a week after he showed up to the scene of a car crash involving his wife where he took her from the scene and then drove her to the hospital. First responders never gave Kathy White a blood test even though a police report indicates she showed signs of impairment. Darren White released his wife’s urinalysis results that showed a drug screen came back negative. Documents show the test was roughly five hours after the accident which called into question the accuracy the test. Police say that a blood draw is much more comprehensive than a urine test.

White’s “retirement” came shortly after a City Council meeting in which a five-person committee voted to start compiling a list of outside investigators who could be called on to review White’s actions during his wife’s car accident. White maintained that he did nothing wrong and violated no policies but none the less he retired. The Police Oversight Commission exonerated White of any wrongdoing in the incident later that year.

https://www.koat.com/article/darren-white-retires-from-city-post/5036906

WHITE THE “RACINO MANAGER”

In July 2012, Darren White was appointed as the  New Downs General Manager. According to the Response to RFP submitted by the Downs on August 25, 2011, the General Manager position “has been created in anticipation of the new facility”. In other words, White was given a job that did not previously exist. The Downs General Manager is “responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Downs, including implementing and monitoring policies, establishing and managing the budget, hiring and training the management team, ensuring managers are actively monitoring compliance with all regulatory requirements and providing overall operational support.” 

The problem was Darren White had no gaming management experience when he was named manager. The new Casino had not yet been built so there was nothing to manage. White’s only involvement with the racino before was as a “security consultant” helping the Downs at Albuquerque prepare its response to the RFP. White then briefly worked as the Project Manager at the Downs for the construction of the updated racino.

Darren White was likely  given the job because of his close personal friendship and association to Jay McCleskey. Jay McCleskey is a well-known Republican political consultant and was the campaign manager for Governor Suzana Martinez’s two successful campaigns for Governor as well as the two successful campaigns for Republican Mayor Richard Berry. After Martinez was elected Governor, Jay McCleskey was given an office in the Governor’s offices, despite not being a government employee, and he involved himself in the award of the racino’s lease by the state. Jay McClesky is now managing Darren White’s  campaign for Mayor. It’s very likely Jay McClesky will play a key role in a Mayor Darren White Administration and be involved with the appointment or Republicans to high paying positions with city hall.

During her first year in office, Republican Governor Susana Martinez was alleged to have been involved with a “pay to play” controversy involving the award of a $1 Billion-dollar, 25-year, Albuquerque Downs Racetrack contract, dubbed by politicos as “the Dirty Downs Deal”.

https://www.abqjournal.com/335335/buster-screwed-us.html

https://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/darren-white

WHITE THE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST

In recent  years Darren White  has hosted  a radio talk show on KKOB and  became an outspoken critic of Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department.

THE “WHITE  LIE” THAT ALBUQUERQUE IS A SANCTUARY CITY

In his March 6  announcement for Mayor, Darren White said this:

“One of Keller’s first acts as Mayor was to make Albuquerque  a Sanctuary City for illegal immigrants who commit crimes. Now we have case after case of violent crimes being committed by illegal immigrants, many of who have been arrested multiple times but turned back onto the streets by this Mayor’s backward policies. As Mayor, I will end the Sanctuary City law immediately.”

The Mayor of Albuquerque does not have the legal authority to declare the city a Sanctuary City and that is the exclusive authority of the Albuquerque City Council.  Albuquerque is not  and has never been a “Sanctuary City” but is an “Immigrant Friendly City” as declared by City Council Ordinance enacted over 24 years ago.

It was in 2001, long before Keller became Mayor, that the city council declared the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City” by City  Council ordinance originally sponsored by former Republican City Councilor Hess Yntema who represented the South East Heights area, including the International District that has the largest immigrant population in the city. The ordinance declares the City of Albuquerque to be an Immigrant-Friendly City. It establishes City Of Albuquerque policies regarding immigrants and their families, regardless of immigration status and establishes a city  immigrant resource program.

A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local law enforcement from a enforcing immigration laws leaving that work exclusively to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  A “Sanctuary City” requires  the local government to protect the undocumented from federal authorities.

An “Immigrant Friendly” city on the other hand enacts policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow services and its local law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws. 

Albuquerque’s Immigrant Friendly ordinance prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required. City employees, including law enforcement, and all city  departments are not allowed to ask for a person’s immigrant status, and no department is allowed to maintain statistics on immigrants.

During the November 11 KOB 4 debate, White condemned Keller for the policies he has initiated dealing with the undocumented as being “too dangerous”.  During the debate, Keller remained in support of the city’s “immigrant-friendly” policies enacted by the city council, which forbids any city employee, including police, to collect information about immigration status or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Keller said the city’s current immigrant-friendly policy protects public safety arguing it keeps people from fearing to call 911. Keller said this:

“We don’t ask your status when the fire department comes to help you or when the police come to keep you safe.” 

White said if elected he would let APD share arrest information with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and said he would permit APD to cooperate with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). White said this:

“They are preying on our communities and the mayor is shielding them with his policy, which says ‘we are not going to provide any information to immigration’.’”

Mayor Keller accused Darren White of using fearmonger tactics and said this:

“Make no mistake, this is him trying to resurrect his own failed public safety career. … And what you heard today is why it’s never worked — because it’s based on fear, it’s based on slogans and some sort of savior complex that’s not about substance, that’s not about governing.”

Albuquerque is a “minority-majority” city with a Hispanic population of 49.2%, a Native American population of 4.81%, an African American population of  3.16% and an Anglo population of 37%. Because of its racial makeup, Federal ICE authorities no doubt view the city as fertile ground for Trump’s immigration raids. There is little doubt that White as Mayor will order APD to cooperate with and welcome masked Federal ICE agents into the city to terrorize and arrest residents without due process of law or probable cause and any one they racial profile and suspect as being undocumented immigrants.

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

https://www.abqjournal.com/election/article_6ae409bf-03a9-43b7-baff-2a447fe926a0.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

WHITE’S “DAY ONE TAKE DOWN” OF HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS

Darren White has made the homeless crisis a cornerstone to his campaign for Mayor. White has said the homeless crisis has grown untenable under Mayor Keller’s leadership with the homeless numbers tripling under his watch and that Keller’s policies are not working. White has boldly proclaimed:

“When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one.”

In the November 11 debate, Keller called White’s approach “Trump-style roundups and chaos and violence”  with White saying  “take the gloves off”  to deal with the homeless when he was the city’s Public Safety Director. Keller was ostensibly referring to when White said it was “time to take the gloves off” to remove the homeless from downtown which resulted in the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  initiating a lawsuit on behalf of 3 homeless. The lawsuit resulted in the city settling the case for $98,000.

During the November 11 debate, White said “You bet I said take the gloves off ” and said had Keller done the same the city would not be dealing with the homeless crisis today. White’s inflammatory rhetoric “When I’m elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one” makes a great Trump like sound bite to win votes, but it is a very simplistic and dangerous approach to the homeless crisis. The remark shows a complete ignorance of the law and the courts. It’s likely White will get slapped senseless with a court injunction if he tried to carry out his threat that “tent cities will come down on day one.”

The city is in litigation initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union over Mayor Keller’s closure of Coronado Park and the removal and displacement of up to 150 homeless from the park. White has promised to remove all homeless encampments across the city on “day one,” but the legality of such an operation is unclear. Whether White’s proposed approach to homeless people is legal depends on the outcome of the lawsuit leveled against the city.

The city has been sued by eight  homeless people removed from Coronado Park  in a lawsuit that alleges that the city’s encampment sweep violated their Eighth Amendment right and constituted a “cruel and unusual punishment.” The lawsuit argues that city policy does not allow homeless people to exist in public spaces and that the city failed to offer a suitable alternative.

In its defense, the city is relying on a 2025 United States Supreme Court landmark case that empowers city’s and state’s to enforce its vagrancy, trespass and illegal camping laws. The case has already gone before the New Mexico Supreme court once and the trial on the merits is scheduled for October 2026. The case will no doubt be a landmark decision on what government can do when it comes to the homeless and enforcing city and state law on vagrancy, trespassing and illegal camping.

WHITE’S FLORIDA PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION

On Sunday, June 29, 2025 it was reported that Darren White took a $50,000 Florida property tax exemption on a  beachside home he owns in a small Florida town that resulted in him saving payment  in property taxes. Government documents show White purchased the property in 2019. The house is a single-family home located in Port St. Joe, a town in the Florida panhandle with a population of approximately 3,775 residents. According to a Zillow search, homes in St. Joe sell for upwards of $500,000.

The property tax break requires the property owner to be a Florida resident.  Emails available to the public, voting records and property show that White has claimed a house in Port St. Joe, Florida, as his primary residence since 2022. The Florida Gulf County Appraiser’s Office, which oversees property assessment duties for Port St. Joe, confirmed that White has received the homestead exemption since 2022. White has also paid  taxes on the house since buying it in 2019. An email from 2022 between White and the Appraiser’s Office shows that White confirmed he wanted the property tax exemption.

White confirmed that he owns the house in Florida but stated it is not his permanent residence and that he would contact the appropriate appraiser to have the $50,000 exemption removed. White  further argued that the situation amounted to nothing more than a “simple oversight” when asked if he felt like he should reimburse Florida State Gulf County.”

White offered the following explanation:

“I briefly lived in Florida but moved back in 2022 and changed my voter registration accordingly. I still have a home in Florida that is now a rental property. The property tax designation was inadvertent. It has been corrected, and all my taxes are up to date and paid in full. … We are confident voters care more about crime in Albuquerque than property tax technicalities in Florida.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_e21410a0-00dc-4b77-99a2-5c721ff19922.html

WHITE’S  “NONE” ENDORSEMENTS

It’s noteworthy that Republican Darren White has been endorsed by MAGA Republican City Councilors Dan Lewis, Renee Grout and Dan Champine who sharply oppose Mayor Tim Keller. White has not been endorsed by major Republican former elected officials who have actually worked with him and know him such as Republican former Mayor Richard Berry,  former Republican Governors Suzana Martinez and Gary Johnson and former Republican Lt. Governor John Sanchez and you must ask why? The answer is that Darren White’s campaign for Mayor can only be described as one of hate, contempt and divisiveness including within the Republican Party.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Simply put, Darren White is unfit to be Mayor of Albuquerque based on his past record of failed public service, controversies and chaos. Darren White has proven to be reckless with his actions in public service. White has failed to offer a viable option for change relying on the vilification of the homeless and undocumented citizens and outright fear mongering akin to Donald Trump.

Mayor Keller is considered levelheaded and a reasonable person. In the final analysis,  Mayor Tim  Keller is the only candidate of the two who understands and can do the job of Mayor. Despite his short comings and failures, hope springs eternal that Mayor Tim Keller can be reasoned with after he is elected, that he has learned something as Mayor and he will change his approach and change many of his policies with a chance  of improving his job performance as Mayor.

On December 9, please vote to reelect Tim Keller Mayor.

 

On December 1, two term Democrat Mayor Tim Keller and Republican former two term Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White entered the “political arena” and debated live on KRQE News 13  for a full hour. It was the third and final televised  debate between the two.  Acting as the debate moderators were longtime news anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate.

The candidates were given one minute for opening and closing statements and asked 12 questions by the moderators and given one minute and a half to answer. They candidates were asked to identify one characteristic of their opponent they admired.

DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS

As has been the case in the past two televised debates, crime, the homeless and the city being a “sanctuary city versus an immigrant friendly city”  to deal with undocumented committing crime were the three major topics the candidates were asked about and how they would deal with those problems.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Both incumbent Mayor Tim Keller and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White focused heavily on crime and what they would do. Both attacked each other on the subject.

Darren White repeated  the accusation he has made in past debates that crime is out of control and said the fundamental  role of government is to keep the public safe.  He said he would hire a new APD  Chief of Police, one that people would be proud of and who would have the confidence of APD sworn. He asserted that APD is top heavy with command staff of upwards of 50 people and said he  would reduce the size of mid management  and reassign them to patrol work. He said that there is a need for proactive policing practices and prosecution and that he would institute a Juvenile Unit to address the increase in juvenile crime. White said there is a real need to return to “proactive policing” measures including traffic law enforcement and that there is too much emphasis on technology such as the traffic speed cameras.

Mayor Keller for his part asserted that crime is down in all major categories for the first time in 10 years and said his efforts and programs to reduce crime are now paying off. He said there is a need to continue with what APD is doing to bring down crime because it’s  working.  He said APD must have confidence in its leadership and that APD  would not have confidence in Darren White given White’s past vote of “No Confidence” of him by APD. Keller said “There is no confidence in the future leadership of Darren White [by APD sworn]” and said that is why the APD union has endorsed his re-election to a third term.

White responded by saying  “Mayor, your hypocrisy knows no limits”  and pointed  out a survey taken by the APD Union years ago of its membership during the Department of Justice reform efforts that found that APD rank and file did not feel they were supported by Mayor Keller and his administration, essentially saying APD rank and file have no confidence in Keller. White noted the survey was taken of the hundreds of  union sworn police. White noted Keller’s recent union endorsement was voted upon by  only the 4 union elected officers .   White repeated his accusation that crime is out of control, that crime is not going down and said that there have been 767 murders during Keller 8 years as mayor and that during  his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry’s two terms there were only 377.

Both Keller and White were asked about APD staffing. White asserted that APD is at the very same staffing level as it was 30 years ago when he was an APD cop  and is the same as it was when Keller was elected. He said APD’s  low staffing numbers is a national problem and said he would implement aggressive recruiting practices.

Keller for his part said APD is in fact increasing staffing levels and recruitment is up and that APD’s reliance on technology, such as the speed cameras,  has in fact free up APD to address crime and pointed out APD has increased its clearance rate. Keller said that the Albuquerque Police Department is already doing proactive policing and that crime rates across the board are going down.

White disagreed, saying that during Keller’s eight years in office, there were twice as many murders as in the previous eight years.

Darren White said this about the City’s crime rates:

“It’s the same reason why the Governor deployed the National Guard, saying that our city was in a crime crisis and the city was not equipped to handle it, again Mayor, another failure on your part.”

Keller didn’t dispute the crime problem, but said it is improving and said this:

“That means it’s been going up for ten years, even before I became mayor. So I acknowledge that, but when it does go down for the first time in 10 years, that is also true”.

THE HOMELESS CRISIS

The moderators noted that according to the recent Point in Time Survey of the homeless  that city has upwards of 3,000 homeless.  The two candidates were asked how they would deal with the crisis. As has been the case in the past two debates, the two clashed over how to handle the homeless crisis in the city.

Mayor Keller said homelessness is a very complicate issue and that there  is a need to take an all the above approach to solve it. Keller said the issue includes  the need to increase availability of affordable  housing,  address drug addiction and mental illness and shelter.  Keller said he  stood behind his five Gateway Center  shelter system that he created as Mayor and  said this:

“Every night we take care of a thousand people off our street, but we have a long way to go, and I understand that the difference is we have built a system that can then be expanded and we know that actually works in the long run.”

White for his part said that the homeless crisis under Mayor Keller has only gotten worse and that the number of  homeless in the city has more than doubled during Keller’s tenure as mayor.  White said he supported the use of making available services and resources  to the homeless  but said wants a far more aggressive approach by arresting people opting to stay on the street. White said the homeless should not be left alone, that its illegal for the homeless  to camp anywhere they want and that city should be proactive dealing with the homeless like “a rat on a cheeto.”  White said this:

“If they refuse that offer, we will make it very clear that the laws will be strictly enforced. It’s reprehensible, it’s not compassionate that we let homeless people use drugs and die on our streets every single day.”

Mayor Keller acted offended, saying White was referring to the homeless as “rats” and  for his part strongly disagreed with White’s approach of simply doing sweeps, arresting and jailing the homeless as a solution to deal with the crisis.  White snapped back and said he was not referring to the homeless as “rats” but how the  city should deal with the crisis.

Keller labeled White’s approach of more arrests and jailing  as “cruel and illegal”.. Keller said the city cannot “arrest itself” out of the crisis and that more beds and shelters are needed and that is what the city is doing with the Gateway system. Keller also said that the Albuquerque Community Safety Division (ACS)  was created primarily to deal with the unhoused and daily the ACS is providing the necessary intervention to get the unhoused off the streets.

Whit responded asserting  that Keller is saying “we have a homeless problem we cannot solve, so get over it” and accept it.  White also disputed Keller’s assertion that White’s policies of displacement will result in a “mass casualty event” and White said the homeless are already dying on the streets from drug overdoses.

“I ♥ Tim Keller” YELLOW SWEATSHIRTS GIVEN TO HOMELSS

On Sunday, November 30,  Mayor Tim Keller’s campaign accused Darren White’s supporters of being behind the distribution to the homeless on Central of bright yellow sweatshirts that feature the phrase “I ♥ Tim Keller” emblazoned on the front.  In a social media post, Keller’s campaign said using unhoused people as political props is  and called on White to condemn the incident. On December 1, White’s campaign manager denied the campaign’s involvement in the incident

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_e8a97515-6200-482c-8f87-601340c9c899.html

During the debate both candidates were asked if they or their campaigns were responsible for yellow sweatshirts.  Both candidates denied that they or their campaigns were involved or responsible and said they did not know who was responsible for the sweatshirts.

SANCTUARY CITY VERSUS IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY POLICIES

Mayor Keller and Darren White  sharply disagreed  over the city’s  “immigrant friendly” status versus “sanctuary city” status.

EDITORS NOTE:  Albuquerque is not  and has never been a “Sanctuary City” but is an “Immigrant Friendly City” as declared by City Council Ordinance enacted over 20 years ago.  A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local  law enforcement  from enforcing immigration laws leaving that work exclusively  to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow services and its local  law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws.  Albuquerque’s Immigrant Friendly ordinance prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required.  City employees, including law enforcement, and all city  departments are not allowed to ask for a person’s immigrant status, and no department is allowed to maintain statistics on immigrants.

White said he’d focus on those illegally in the country who  commit crimes.  White said this

“If somebody is in our country illegally and they get arrested, we will allow immigration to be in the booking center so they can check everyone that comes in the door.”

Mayor Keller argued that moving away from the city’s current “immigrant friendly policy” would be a major  mistake.  Keller said this:

“If you end that policy, you will have an ICE-friendly policy, and you will get what you see in other cities you have the fear, and you have literally people pulling people out of cars in masks going into restaurants, that is already happening in Albuquerque in masks without warrants.”

ALBUQUERQUE’S  ECONOMY  

The candidates were asked how they would grow and improve the city’s economy.

Mayor Keller said the city in fact has a strong economy and he emphasized on the major investments by major tech companies thar are bringing jobs to the city including Netfle.

Darren White for his part emphasized the need to tackle crime and the homeless saying both are destroying small businesses. White also said the city must do better when dealing with business and went so far as to say there is a need to “out source” planning department services.

PLAYING NICE WITH EACH OTHER

The candidates were asked to identify a positive attribute in each other.

Darren White said he recalled running into the Mayor Keller with his children during the state fair and he witnessed Keller interacting with his children and White said this:about MayorKeller:

“I can tell that he’s a good papa, and his kids love him very, very much, and I admire it because that’s important to me as well”.

Mayor Keller said this about his interaction Darren White at the state fair:

 “He taught me about the races and like how to bet, which I didn’t really understand.”

Darren White joking responded “Come on, Mayor, there’s gotta be something better than I taught you how to run the ponies”  to which Keller responded that White has a real sense of humor which he has shown in past private exchanges. Keller also complimented White on his experience in dealing with the media.

The link to a relied upon and quoted news source is here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/albuquerque-mayoral-candidates-spar-over-crime-and-homelessness-during-krqe-debate/

LINE OF QUESTIONING WITH VIDEO ANSWERS

The questions asked during the debate were:

Q: What would you do to bring down violent crime and property crime in Albuquerque?

Q: Should officers conduct more traffic stops?

Q: How will you retain experienced law enforcement and increase officer numbers without compromising hiring standards?

Q: What changes will you advocate to prevent offenders from cycling through the system?

Q: What is your vision for solving Albuquerque’s homeless problem?

Q: How do you deal with the majority of people experiencing homelessness who refuse to accept help?

Q: What is your message to business owners who feel under siege by the unhoused population?

Q: Who gave the ‘I love Tim Keller Hoodies’ to the homeless?

Q: What is your position on people in Albuquerque illegally?

Q: How will you grow Albuquerque’s economy?

Q: What is your response to criticisms regarding the United Stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park?

Q: What will it take to make people feel safe on city buses?

Posted on the KRQE News 13 web site are each of the questions asked with the candidates answers. The links to the line of questioning and the candidates answers are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/watch-albuquerque-mayor-candidates-face-off-in-final-televised-debate/

VIDEO: Albuquerque mayor candidates face off in final televised debate

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The KRQE New 13 one hour debate was a healthy discussion of the major many  issues  facing the city. Both candidates maintained their composure throughout, there were no major mistakes not gaffs  and there was no drama. In the final analysis, both Keller and White did well and it can be viewed as a draw.

Early voting is from December 1 to December 6. The runoff election day is December 9 and as usual voter turnout will be critical. Please vote!

Links to related articles on past two debates are here:

KOAT TV 7 Debate Between Tim Keller And Darren White Was Healthy Discussion Of Serious Issues Facing City; Both Clash On Crime, Homeless Crisis Accusing Each Other Being Failures; Please Vote December 9!

KOB 4 TV Debate Between Tim  Keller And Darren White Degenerates Into Political Mud Slinging Match; Voters Real Losers Of Debate; Please Vote December 9

On Sunday November 29, the Albuquerque Journal published on its editorial opinion page the below “Local Columnist” opinion column by Progressive Democrat and former United States Attorney for New Mexico Alexander Uballez who was one of 6 candidates who ran for Mayor against Tim Keller and came in third garnering 18.79% of the vote on November 4. Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a runoff for Mayor is now scheduled for December 9 between the two top vote getters Mayor Tim Keller, who secured 35.69% of the vote and Republican Sherriff Darren White who secured 30.65%

Journal Editor’s Headline: “Keller Is The Right Choice”

Local Column By Alexander Uballez

“Our campaign was about delivering results for working families, protecting the most vulnerable, respecting our tribal neighbors and building a city that works for us all.

I ran because people are frustrated that Albuquerque feels stuck. That is why most of us voted for change on Nov. 4. The anger and apathy are real; and this is exactly what candidates like Darren White count on. White knows that when people grow disillusioned, cruelty can masquerade as change. It is a trap, one that turns our frustration into a weapon and moves us backward.

So while we deserve better, we cannot lose sight of the fact that worse is possible.

White’s record makes that clear. Under his watch, the Albuquerque Police Department was defined by a culture of aggression and excessive deadly force, a crisis that cost lives, shattered public trust and forced the city into a decade of federal oversight, let alone tens of millions of dollars in reform costs.

He is alleged to have interfered in law enforcement matters, from removing his former wife from a DWI investigation to compromising the death scene of civil rights attorney Mary Han. He earned a rare rebuke of his own rank-and-file through a vote of no-confidence from the State Police Officers Association. And after resigning in protest over marijuana legalization, he went on to make millions in the marijuana industry. This is a career defined by a disregard for the law, for the officers that served under him, and for the public he was sworn to protect.

As mayor, White would return Albuquerque to the worst mistakes of its past: cutting core public services, criminalizing homelessness and mental illness, turning our immigrant neighbors over to the Trump administration, and inviting new scandals that put his interests above the city’s needs.

That is not the change we voted for.

That’s why, on election night, I made it clear: Our work now is to keep White out of City Hall. That night, between our campaign and Mayor Tim Keller’s, a majority of voters chose a forward-looking vision — one rooted in real solutions like Albuquerque Community Safety, investment in prevention and intervention, services and treatment for the unhoused and zoning that allows smart people-centered growth.

While we may have disagreed about how to best achieve these goals, we cannot be complacent about the goals themselves.

Our true challenge in this runoff is not that voters will choose White, but that they will choose to stay home. Our work now is to inspire those who are angry and apathetic — not just to vote against regression but to vote for a future grounded in dignity, shared success and protecting our neighbors. Keller is now the only candidate whose plan keeps us on a path toward that future.

This election will shape the conditions in which we work together to build our city over the next four years. Our charge is clear: Keep Darren White out of City Hall. Then keep organizing after Election Day so that Keller delivers for the people of Albuquerque.

We vote to create the conditions to demand a government that protects immigrant neighbors, strengthens public safety, treats the unhoused with dignity, honors tribal consultation and sacred sites, provides rental assistance and tenant protections and adopts community-benefit agreements so working-class residents have a voice in our city’s growth.

This campaign has shown me something I have always believed: Albuquerque’s greatest strength is not our politicians, it is our people. It is because of you — our neighbors, our friends, our communities — that we can take on the hard work ahead.

I believe better is possible. On Dec. 9, vote accordingly.”

The link to read the Uballez column is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_47de6224-c105-44f6-a6fd-daf0b4dbc3e0.html

ELECTION RESULTS RECALLED

The results of the November 4, 2025  election for Mayor of Albuquerque were reported by the New Mexico secretary of State as follows:

• Timothy Keller             47,911                (36%)
• Darren White               41,137                (31%)
• Alexander Uballez      25,213                 (19%)
• Louie Sanchez             8,647                   (6%)
• Mayling Armijo              7,673                  (6%)
• Eddie Varela                2,280                   (2%)
• Daniel Chavez             1,366                   (1%)

TOTAL VOTES                 134,227                 (100%)

The links to news sources are here:

https://electionresults.sos.nm.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=MUX&map=CTY

https://www.kob.com/politics-news/decision-2025-metro-area-election-results/?cb=1763357730135

Since none of the seven candidates received 50% of the vote, a runoff will now be held on December 9 between Tim Keller and Darren White.

ELECTION NIGHT CONCESSION

Alexander Uballez mounted the fiercest challenge of the other four candidates receiving 25,213 or 19% of the vote. Uballez positioned himself as a more  progressive alternative to Keller saying that Keller was not doing enough to deal with protecting undocumented immigrants and that Keller has been a failure dealing with the homeless in a compassionate manner.

On election night, Alexander Uballez in his concession speech said this of his third-place finish:

“While we wanted to be in the runoff, our campaign is not stopping here. 20% is the bloc that will decide the runoff. … We cannot allow the keys to Albuquerque to be handed over to Darren White who would roll-over for Donald Trump.”

With his remarks on election night, Progressive Democrat Uballez urged his supporters not to support Darren White but stopped short of formally endorsing Mayor Keller outright.

KELLER AND UBALLEZ MEET TWICE

On November 18, the Albuquerque Journal reported that Mayor Tim Keller and Alex Uballez  met twice after November 4 election day to discuss the possibility of Uballez formally endorsing Mayor Keller for a third 4 year term. Representatives from four nonprofit organizations that backed Uballez’s campaign attended one  meeting with Uballez to met with Keller. The 4 organizations were Organized Power in Numbers, New Mexico Native Vote, New Mexico Working Families and Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ).  All 4 organizations are considered highly progressive and assisted the Uballez campaign either with donations, volunteers or phone banking.

Among the demands Uballez made of Keller for a formal endorsement was to ask Mayor Keller to commit to eliminating homeless encampment sweeps, expand city rental assistance programs  and work with tribal groups to protect Albuquerque’s petroglyphs. Uballez did  not ask for anything for himself but did ask for concessions on policy matters that could be used to convince his supporters to vote for Keller’s reelection. Keller declined to make any commitment on the issues discussed.

The four progressive organizations who attended the Uballez-Keller meeting issued a joint statement on Monday, November 11 that described the meeting as productive but not definitive. The statement said this:

“The majority of the people of Albuquerque reject Darren White’s outdated and ineffective approach; but to turn them out to vote again in a runoff, they need to be catalyzed by a bold and comprehensive vision from the mayor that does more than defending what has been and points to the better that would be possible if they come out to cast a ballot again.”

In a statement issued on Monday, November 17, Mayor Keller said that he was not inclined to agree to Uballez’s  demands just to get his endorsement and backing.  Keller said this of his meeting with Uballez and the progressive organizations:

“We had productive meetings and identified a great deal of common ground, but we made it clear that we will not engage in quid pro quo endorsements for his support or anyone else’s.”

The link to the relied upon and quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/election/article_bda264ac-5eca-4f0d-9509-285aeae53b9e.html

On November 20, the New Mexico Working Families Party (NM-WFP) announced its endorsement of Mayor Tim Keller.  According to a press release issued by NM-WFP, the organization is focused on a platform of “affordability, jobs, homelessness and right relation to indigenous land in the city.”

The link to the relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2025/11/keller-earns-key-endorsement-as-runoff-fast-approaches

The progressive organization Indivisible ABQ  has also endorsed Mayor Keller by simply saying this on its web page:

Indivisible Albuquerque Endorses Mayor Tim Keller

We asked our members to vote on this endorsement and the response was overwhelming. We support Tim Keller and urge you to vote for him. His opponent in this run off Dec 9 will be disastrous.  

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The outcome of the December 9 runoff election between Tim Keller and Darren White is not certain and voter turnout will be critical. Based on the politcal attack ads being run by both candidates against each other, the runoff is proving to be the most divisive and negative runoff election in the city’s history. It is very sad to say, but the blunt reality is the runoff election between Tim Keller and Darren White is between the two most disliked candidates for Mayor running against each other.

TWO DISLIKED CANDIDATES

First place finisher in the November 4 election Tim Keller secured 36% of the vote to get into the run off meaning that 64% of the voters voted for another candidate. Second place finisher in the November 4 election Darren White secured 31% of the vote to get into the runoff meaning that 69% voted for another candidate.

Tim Keller is the progressive Democratic Mayor with a low approval rating of 42% who has failed to get the homeless off the streets despite spending upwards of $350 million on five shelters over 3 years with 125 service contracts and programs for the homeless. Keller for 8 years has presided over a city with high historical crime rates despite promising to bring them down and presided over a DWI scandal riddled APD that has 900 sworn with only 350 patrolling the streets after he broke his promise to have 1,100 sworn APD officers when he first ran in 2017.

Republican White is the  former elected official with decade’s of disgraceful conduct and discredited public service. White seeks to divide voters by vilifying the homeless and undocumented immigrants from day one of campaigning with fear mongering thrown in for good measure akin to Donald Trump. White has left high level political appointments in state and city government in controversy or chaos. As the City’s Chief Public Safety Officer appointed by Republican Mayor Richard Berry, White slashed police pay by 8% across the board which lead to a lawsuit costing the city over $5 million. White severely cut officer ranks and slowed hiring and triggered a staffing crisis that APD has yet to recover from it.

DEMOCRATS EXCORIATE UBALLEZ

Since election night November 4, Progressive Democrat Alexander Uballez has been severely excoriated politically by many of Mayor Keller’s progressive supporters and his enablers as well as Bernalillo County Democratic Party members and activists for his failure to formally endorse Mayor Keller for a third term. Many Keller supporters have not been satisfied with Alexander Uballez’s telling his supporters do not vote for Darren White but to vote for Mayor Tim Keller. The criticism reached an “apex of nastiness”  when the argument was made by many Democratic party activists and one politcal gossip columnist in particular that if Progressive Democrat Mayor Keller loses to MAGA Republican Darren White, Uballez will be blamed for Keller’s loss and that Uballez has no future within the Democratic Party for elective office.

The underlying presumption made by Democratic party activist who demanded that Alexander Uballez formally endorse Tim Keller is that Uballez voters are too stupid to decide between the two runoff candidates of Keller and White and that Democratic voters will merely follow the instructions of their failed candidate Uballez. The presumption is laughable! Democrats never walk “goose step” like MAGA Trump supporters. Simply put, New Mexico Democrats engage in spirited debates, sometimes downright hostile, over their candidates and issues, but in the end always seem to get behind their candidates after primaries. The 2016 Democratic Primary between Hillary Clinton and Independent Bernie Sanders comes to mind. 

ELECTION OUTCOME DEPENDANT ON UBALLEZ SUPPORTERS

The outcome of the December 9 runoff election between Progressive Democrat  Mayor Tim  Keller and MAGA Republican Darren White will likely hinge on the 19% of the votes cast for Democrat Alexander Uballez if and only if they get out and vote on December 9. It will NOT hinge on a Uballez endorsement nor anyone else’s endorsement.

Brian Sanderoff, the president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc. that did the Albuquerque Journal poll, told the Albuquerque Journal a Uballez endorsement of Mayor Keller could be politically significant noting that Uballez received as much as 60% of the votes cast in one University of New Mexico voting precinct considered progressive Democrat. Sanderoff said it is not likely that Uballez supporters would back White, but it is not a certainty that they will support Keller in the runoff election or just stay home. Sanderoff said this: “The question is, will they vote?”

The November 16 Albuquerque Journal guest opinion column by Alexander Uballez should be considered a formal endorsement of Mayor Keller even though the word “endorsement” is not used. Democratic Party activists  will no doubt say otherwise and they should be ignored and do us all a favor and just shut up.  Uballez obviously feels he has done enough to help Keller by encouraging his voters NOT to vote for Darren White but vote for Tim Keller.

The Democratic Party activists should recognize that Uballez represents a strong voice demanding accountability that is very much needed within the Democratic party, especially for future elections. Uballez likely has many of his own private reasons for not endorsing Keller sooner nor using the word “endorsement”.  Those reasons likely  include how he was treated by Mayor Tim Keller or the Keller campaign. Despite the treatment, Uballez endorsed Keller. 

ENDORSEMENTS DO NOT WIN ELECTIONS

In the final analysis, endorsements do not win elections. Uballez with his guest column  published by the Albuquerque Journal has now essentially endorsed Tim Keller. Keller should be gracious enough to thank Uballez for his support and ask Uballez supporter’s  to now vote for him in the runoff. Uballez has told his supporters once again not to vote for Darren White and that should be enough of an endorsement, even for Democratic Party activists seeking unity and they should respect him for it and knock off their vilification of Uballez.

It’s now up to Democratic voters to decide to show up election day and vote for Keller no matter their reservations. It is also up to Mayor Tim Keller to make his own case that he is truly deserving of their vote and being elected to a third four-year term over extremist MAGA Republican Darren White.

Early voting for Albuquerque’s runoff election begins December 1 and run through December 6. Election day is December 9.  Please vote!

On November 24, two term Democrat Mayor Tim Keller and Republican former two term Bernalillo County Sherriff Darren White entered the “political arena” and debated live on KOAT-TV Channel 7 for a full hour. It was the second and final televised debate between the two.  Acting as the debate moderator was KOAT  Action 7 news  co-anchor  Doug Fernandez.  Asking the candidates questions were KOAT Action 7 news co-anchor Shelly Ribando, Albuquerque Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd and  KKOB Morning Show Host Bob Clark.

The candidates were asked a series of 16  questions by the panel and they asked each other one question. The questions included  ones about the city’s high crime rates, the national guard’s deployment to by the Governor to assist APD, replacing APD Chief Harold Medina, sanctuary city and immigrant friendly city policies, the homeless crisis, the housing crisis, the city’s economy, increasing the minimum wage, moving the state fair, updating the children’s code  to deal with violent juvenile crime,  economic development, completing the multimillion dollar Rail Trail project, city wide bus service,  violence on rapid ride bus system and President Donald Trump.

Keller gave familiar stock answers to each question relying on his record and what his administration has accomplished over 8 years. White repeatedly returned to the themes of record high crime under Keller and the homeless crisis as being at the root of all the city’s ills.

Posted on the KOAT web site are each  of  the questions asked with their  recorded answers. The  link to the line of questioning and the candidates answers is here:

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-debate-runoff-2025/69532600

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEBATE

Keller emphasized what he has accomplished over the last 8 years including the Gateway system of 5 shelters to deal with the homeless crisis for the first time by the city, starting construction on the $90 million dollar Rail Trail Project and the pedestrian loop around Downtown and Barelas and the creation of the Albuquerque Community Safety Department.  Keller spoke little on his vision for the future of the city beyond expanding existing policies and completing projects he has started.

White throughout the debate criticized Keller about the city’s high violent crime rates and emphasized how the number of  homelessness has doubled under Keller and said  Keller has been a failure to address the homelessness despite all the millions spent and programs offered. White noted that the recent “Point In Time Survey” of the homeless revealed 50% of the homeless are not even from New Mexico and the vast majority of the homeless do not want city shelter or services preferring to live on the street.

Both repeatedly insulted each other about how their respective careers have been failures discussing at one point  how many times each have each run for office. Keller noted how White was forced to leave office and his two votes of no confidence, one by APD and one by the State Police. White said Keller is so desperate to cling to power that he will say and do anything to disparage him including lying about his record.

APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA

The candidates were asked if they intend to keep Chief Harold Medina who has walked back plans to retire at the end of December.

White has been very critical on his radio talk show over the years of APD Chief Harold  Medina and noted the car crash Medina had fleeing the scene and almost killing another. White called for the termination of Medina and said this:

“The question here shouldn’t be whether we would keep the chief of police.  The question should be why hasn’t he already been fired?”

Keller for his part said his intent is to search for a new police chief expecting Medina to retire soon but stopped short of saying he would fire Medina.

CRIME STATISTICS

In early November, APD released the city’s crime statistics for the year comparing them to last year. The crime statistics released show that for the first time in 10 years crime is down in every major category, including homicide and aggravated assault, compared to last year. White has repeatedly questioned such statistics and has said  before “Mayor Keller, no one believes you when you say crime is down”.

Keller and White clashed over the city’s crime statistics. Mayor Keller said that crime is down for the first time in 10 years in all categories while White argued  that violent crime is “out of control” as is the homeless crisis and people are fed up and do not feel safe. White said this:

“The public is fed up. They don’t want to live in a city where we lock up shampoo and disposable razors but we don’t lock up criminals.”

Keller for his part said this:

“I understand people don’t feel safer. … I get that, I feel the same way, but I also know that crime is down statistically.”

White said Keller’s failure of “getting the job done” is what led Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in Albuquerque alongside other law enforcement initiatives like Operation Route 66, which is run by the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, New Mexico State Police, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico Corrections Department’s Probation and Parole Division. APD and the National Guard collaborate, but APD does not work with Operation Route 66, instead conducting its own law enforcement efforts along Central

Keller took issue with White saying that he is the one that asked the Governor to send in the National Guard and said that he is using his resources to combat a longstanding problem that he inherited. Keller said this:

“That’s why you need partners and that’s why you have to ask for help and then use it.”

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONSENT DECREE

The candidates were asked about the Department of Justice (DOJ) Consent decree relating to the excessive use of force and deadly force by APD and that after 10 years was dismissed. Target 7 reported recently that number of police officer shootings is virtually the same as before the consent decree which mandated constitutional policing practices.

White said the reason for the police shootings of civilians is that the streets of Albuquerque have become way too violent under Keller and ostensibly saying APD officers need to defend themselves. White was extremely critical of Keller’s commercial saying APD cops were killing innocent people and White noted that the Fraternal Order of Police denounced the ad and demanded a retraction.

Keller responded by saying that it was White when he was the city’s Chief Public Safety Officer responsible for overseeing APD that got us into the mess with the DOJ.  Keller for his part said that White’s policies cost the city $130 Million in judgements for civil rights violations and cited two APD killings of  men suffering from severe psychotic episodes who were shot and killed by APD with the two men found to be more of a  threat to themselves and not APD officers

THE HOMELESS CRISIS

Repeatedly during the debate, discussion of crime often merged with the homelessness crisis, so much so that Keller accused White of using crime and the homelessness crisis to answer all the questions.

White favors  arresting people living on the streets for illegal camping if they refused to go to a homeless shelter, while Keller called for the city to continue improving its addiction and housing services.

White said this:

“The mayor has let them do whatever the hell they want.”

White cited  the recent 2025 Point-in-Time count released a few weeks ago conducted by the Coalition to End Homelessness which found that there are nearly 3,000 people living on Albuquerque’s streets, with 50% who are not originally from the state. White said the city’s homeless count has more than doubled under Keller despite the millions spent for shelter and services

In response, Keller called White’s proposed approach of removing all homeless encampments “on day one”  in office “dangerous” and a “mass casualty event” and saying casting the homeless onto the streets during the winter is cruel and illegal. Keller said this:

“You cannot arrest your way out of this problem.”

SANCTUARY CITY, IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY DEBATE

EDITORS NOTE:  Albuquerque is not  and has never been a “Sanctuary City” but is an “Immigrant Friendly City” as declared by City Council Ordinance enacted over 20 years ago.  A Mayor does not have the authority to declare the city a sanctuary city and that is the exclusive authority of the City Council.  A “Sanctuary City” is a jurisdiction that prohibits local  law enforcement  from enforcing immigration laws leaving that work exclusively  to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Immigrant Friendly” cities on the other hand enact policies that are favorable to undocumented people to allow services and its local  law enforcement personnel do not make arrests for violations of federal immigration laws and only make arrests of undocumented people for violations of local ordinances and state laws.  Albuquerque’s Immigrant Friendly ordinance prevents city resources from being used for immigration enforcement or for sharing information about an individual’s immigration status, unless legally required.  City employees, including law enforcement, and all city  departments are not allowed to ask for a person’s immigrant status, and no department is allowed to maintain statistics on immigrants.

The candidates were asked by Bob Clark to comment on the city’s Sanctuary City or Immigrant Friendly city policies.

Keller defended the city’s “Immigrant Friendly” policies and did not say the city is a Sanctuary City as he has done incorrectly before  in the past. Keller made it clear he is in support of the city’s immigrant-friendly policies enacted by the city council, which forbids any city employee, including police, to collect information about immigration status or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Keller said the city’s current immigrant-friendly policy protects public safety arguing it keeps people from fearing to call 911. Keller  accused White of advocating a “round up and arrest” policy.

White said that Keller’s policy is dangerous and accused Keller of running a fear-mongering campaign rather than one of actionable policy when it came the issue of “sanctuary city”. White denied his policy would be a “round up and arrest” policy. White argued that his policy would be returning Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Prisoner Transport Unit, an Albuquerque Police Department substation used to detain people after arrest before they’re transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center, and that it aligns with a former President Barack Obama-era policy. Though the policy was in place during Obama’s first term, he repealed it in his second. White said that if an arrest is made information would be turned over to the federal authorities.

Keller said that White “can’t have it both ways” of arrest and then assistance and compared White’s immigration policies to that of Trump’s.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Keller touted his accomplishment of the city making major investments and  the acquisition of commercial  properties to convert them into low income or affordable housing.

White returned to the theme of the homeless and said it is the result of the city not having enough affordable housing but he offered no specifics on how to increase affordable housing.

ECONOMICS AND INCREASING MINIMUM WAGE

Keller and White did find common ground when asked about economics. Both share  similar views but continued to argue over other topics such as crime.

White said the city is losing population and that crime and the homeless are partially to blame. He noted how Rio Rancho’s economy is booming in comparison to Albuquerque.

Keller noted the increase in investments in Albuquerque by high tech firms that is resulting in high paying job creation.

Both support raising the minimum wage, though disagreed about the timeline. Santa Fe recently raised its minimum wage to $17.50 an hour from the state’s $12 minimum. Keller said he supported efforts to do the same in Albuquerque and said he’d attempted it previously.

White said he supported increasing wages, though he also said Albuquerque’s economy needed to stabilize first so a pay-jump didn’t put small mom-and-pop shops out of business.

NEW MEXICO STATE FAIR

Finding common ground, both agreed that the State Fair, which the governor announced would be moved nearly a year ago,  should stay where it is.

After the governor’s announcement, the state hired a consulting firm to develop plans for the 236-acre tract of land, with visions of replacing or diminishing the Fair’s footprint to make way for housing projects, an events stadium and businesses.

Keller said he was amenable to some redevelopment around the property’s corners, which he said are not critical to the Fair and sit empty most of the year. White did not say whether he supported some development alongside the Fair, instead focusing on crime outside of its walls. White said this:

“I agree with the former Mayor Marty Chavez when he said that the area around the State Fair is ‘a cesspool.’  ”

Keller was personally insulted by the “cess pool” reference saying it was offensive and shamed Albuquerque residents and said this:

“Many of our families, including mine, have lived in and out of the International District. … It may have crime challenges, but nowhere in our city is a cesspool.”

Keller was the State Senator for the International District and when he was elected State Auditor he moved with his family to the Albuquerque Country Club area.

CANDIDATES ASK EACH OTHER QUESTIONS

Both candidates were given the opportunity to ask each other one question.

White asked Keller a question related to the growing city budget during Keller’s time as mayor and whether he felt all the programs he has pursued as Mayor were cost effective for taxpayers. Keller simply answered “yes they have” . With his  question asked of Keller, White forfeited a golden opportunity to challenge Keller in any meaningful way on other more critical issues such as APD and the DWI scandal that has once again brought disgrace on the Albuquerque Police Department.

Keller for his question asked White “Do you support Donald Trump  policies?” White did not say which policies he disagreed with. White said he has been “very critical” of Trump and was an “independent.” White distanced himself from Trump and said this:

“You are so desperate to cling to power you will say absolutely anything including attaching labels to me that are not true. I have been very critical of Trump. Hell, its been in the newspapers. I have been fiercely independent and that’s the way I will lead. You have to resort to Donald Trump because your record is that of failure.”

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

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-debate-runoff-2025/69532600

https://www.abqjournal.com/election/article_08985869-8958-4154-bb78-8e3acee923f1.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The KOAT TV one hour debate was far superior in content and a healthy discussion of many  issues  facing the city. The KOAT TV debate was  in sharp contrast to the KOB TV debate which was only a half hour long and degenerated into a mud slinging contest between the two. Both candidates maintained their composure throughout, there were no major mistakes by either and gone were the theatrics and drama. In the final analysis, both Keller and White supporters argued that their candidate won. The real winners were the voters being able to see the sharp contrast between the two presuming voters tuned in during Monday Night football on TV. .

Early voting is from December 1 to December 6. The runoff election is December 9 and as usual voter turnout will be critical. Please vote!

The link to a related article is here:

KOB 4 TV Debate Between Tim  Keller And Darren White Degenerates Into Political Mud Slinging Match; Voters Real Losers Of Debate; Please Vote December 9

 

 

 

In October, the Albuquerque Journal published a series of reports on the results of an extensive poll on major issues. The poll was done by Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc whose President is Brian Sanderoff. The Journal report  headline read “Journal Poll: Majority of voters favor cracking down on juvenile offenders.”   The article was written by award winning and longtime Albuquerque Journal investigative and staff reporter Colleen Heild. The article reads in pertinent part as follows:

“With violent juvenile crime escalating in Albuquerque and elsewhere in New Mexico, most Albuquerque voters want tougher sentences for youth offenders a new Journal Poll found.

A total of 72% of voters surveyed said they supported increasing criminal penalties for juvenile offenders convicted of certain violent crimes, with 17% opposed. Five percent surveyed responded it “depends,” with 6% either undecided or don’t know or declined to say.

…

[In Septeber] officials with the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center, a 78-bed juvenile detention facility in Albuquerque, reported that 37% of the center’s population was charged with murder.

Moreover, the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office reported a 57% increase in cases involving juvenile criminal defendants from 2022 to 2023. But the latest effort to overhaul the state Children’s Code earlier this year ended without any legislation being passed.

Among the voting public in Albuquerque, however, there’s strong support for more punitive measures to combat especially violent juvenile crime.

The Journal Poll showed a slightly greater share of Hispanic voters than Anglo voters surveyed supported increased penalties for juveniles convicted of certain crimes … . 

Of those surveyed, 53% of those 18 to 34 years old supported increasing penalties, while among those ages 50 and up, 76% favored tougher sentencing laws for juveniles.

While a majority of voters from all educational attainment levels support tougher sentences, those with a college degree or graduate degree are much more likely to be opposed (23%) compared to those without a college degree (8%).

… .”

President of Research and Polling Brian Sanderoff summarized his firm’s poll in the article as follows:

“Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the majority of Democrats (61%), Republicans (91%) and independents (68%) support increasing penalties; however, Democrats are less supportive. … The overall political outlook of the voters is a big predictor of feelings on this topic, as 92% of conservatives supported tougher sentencing compared to 48% who identified as liberal.”

JOURNAL POLL QUESTIONS

The poll’s  line of questioning and the poll results were reported by the Journal  in the form of pie chart as follows:

 Do you support or oppose increasing criminal penalties for juvenile offenders convicted of certain crimes?

• Support:                            72%
• Oppose:                            17%
• Depends:                            5%
• Undecided/Don’t Know:      6%

Based on political party affiliation, the results of those who support or oppose increasing criminal penalties for juvenile offenders convicted of certain crimes was reported by the Journal in a pie chart as follows:

DEMOCRAT

• Support: 61%
• Oppose: 26%

REPUBLICAN

• Support: 91%
• Oppose: 2%

INDEPENDENT

• Support: 68%
• Oppose: 19%

The link to read the full Journal column with pie charts is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d6c97b39-b021-4889-b565-546d061cab81.html

REVSITING THE 2025 SIXTY DAY LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The 2025 sixty-day New Mexico legislative session began on January 21 and ended on March 22.  In October before the session and then during the session, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman aggressively advocated for major changes to the Children’s Code that deals with the charging and prosecuting juveniles who commit violent crimes.

It was House Bill HB 134 that would have expanded the definition of youthful offender, allowing prosecutors to respond to violent youth crimes and seek harsher punishments. Upon convictions, Juveniles would have faced potentially stiffer sentences and longer stints on probation.  The House Public Affairs Committee voted 4-2 along party lines to table the proposed overhaul of the state Children’s Code, with two Republicans opposing the action, thereby killing the legislation in committee.

Less than two weeks after House Bill HB 134 was voted down, an 11-year-old boy, a 16-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 13-year-old were charged with the crime of intentionally running down and killing Scott Dwight Habermehl on May 29, 2024. Habermehl, 63, was riding his bike to work at Sandia National Laboratories around 4:40 a.m. when he was struck by the car which was allegedly stolen. The boys recorded the crash from inside their  car as the driver swerved onto a dedicated bike lane to strike and kill Habermehl. According to the Albuquerque police investigation, the teens saw the flashing light on the bicycle and audio of the recording indicated they planned to hit the bicyclist

Bregman said this:

“These violent incidents are happening in every corner of New Mexico. … We are facing a juvenile crime crisis. … It’s one that continues to get worse every single day in New Mexico. There are teens or younger who are committing crimes all over the state and are getting away with it because they know they can. …  I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, that it isn’t, unfortunately, until they are charged with murder that they finally face any real consequences. And then it’s too late. … This isn’t just a statistic. People are dying. These are real victims. … Our leaders in Santa Fe, with the notable exception of the governor, have been tone-deaf to the crisis on the ground.”

District Attorney Sam Bregman said his office had linked 70 different homicides to 53 juveniles in his two and a half years as District Attorney. Bregman said the evidence of the worsening “juvenile crime crisis”  has been increasingly clear to him since taking office. He also said the state Legislature has failed to address the rising crime rates among juveniles and involving in particular violent juveniles.  Bregman expressed the identical concerns last October  2024 before the 60 day 2025 legislative session that began on January 21 and ended March 22.

DRAMATIC SPIKE IN VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED BY JUVENILES WITH GUNS

Since January 4, 2023, when Bregman was first appointed by the Governor to fill the vacancy caused by then District Attorney Raul Torrez being elected Attorney General, his office received  well over 1,400 juvenile cases, including 119 felony gun crimes up and through 2024 alone. There was a 57% increase from 2022 to 2023 in cases “involving kids with guns” according to data provided by the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.

From January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2025 the District Attorney Office received 24 murder cases, 42 armed robbery cases, 48 rape cases and 65 drive-by shooting cases all involving juveniles. 374 juvenile cases where a received where a  handgun was involved in one way or another. There are upwards of 80,000 juveniles between the ages of 10 and 18 living in Bernalillo County. The 553 felony cases cited make up less than 1% of the population.

Last year, Bregman said it was  time to make changes to the “Delinquency Act” of the Children’s Code because times have changed in the 3 decades since it was last updated. Bregman said teens have been sentenced to decades behind bars for murders after being given lenient penalties for lesser crimes.  As an example, Bregman said  one teen was given probation for a hit-and-run crash that killed someone while another teen was given probation after shooting at a county employee. Bregman said this:

“The reality of this case is, if he had better aim, perhaps someone would have been dead. … What we’re trying to do [with the changes in the law] is build in some consequences when a juvenile first gets in the criminal justice system, so they learn something about how you can’t violate certain laws and norms. You can’t continue that behavior.”

Bregman said each case can have ripple effects that devastate families on both sides. He said he hopes the proposed changes to the Children’s Code can stem some of the effect being felt by the community. Bregman said this about juvenile gun violence:

“I understand kids make bad decisions. Every kid makes a bad decision, but when you put a gun in that mix of a bad decision, people die, unfortunately. … each case can have ripple effects that devastate families on both sides. … Those victims of violence committed by juveniles and their families have had their lives destroyed”  

Bregman said in the past that  he hoped changes to the juvenile code would teach juveniles a lesson before it’s too late and the intent is not to “lock up juveniles and throw away the key”. Bregman said this:

“What we’re trying to do is build in some consequences when a juvenile first gets in the criminal justice system, so they learn something about how you can’t violate certain laws and norms. You can’t continue that behavior.”

Bregman said addressing juvenile crime goes beyond lawmakers addressing the problem and he said this:

“This takes an entire community, including parents and family members, to make a difference in these young people’s lives. We all have to come together as a community and as a state, if you will. … Let’s give them the chance to get on the right path and be productive citizens, because if we don’t give them consequences early on, we end up with juveniles who are sentenced for decades in the corrections department.”

DA BREGMAN’S PROPOSED CHANGES TO DELINQUENCY ACT

The juvenile code has not been updated in decades. District Attorney Sam Bregmasn has proposed a slate of legislative changes to the Children’s Code which embodies the juvenile justice system for the 2025 legislative session. None of Bregman’s proposed legislation passed during the 2025  sixty day Legislative session and much of the legislation didn’t even get one hearing in a 60-day session.

Under the existing Children’s Code, a “Serious Youthful Offender” is a child 15 to 18 years of age who is charged with and indicted or bound over for trial for first degree murder. A child upon conviction can be sentenced as an adult for the crime. There are no other crimes other than first degree murder that a “Serious Youthful Offender” can be charged with.

Bregman said this:

“Currently, the only crime that you can charge as an adult is first degree murder. … We want to expand that to include second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape, shooting at or from a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm or death.”

Under the existing children’ s code a  “Youthful Offender” is defined as a delinquent child subject to adult or juvenile sanctions who is 14  to 18  years of age at the time of the offense and who is adjudicated as committing at least one of several listed serious felonies. Those listed felonies are:

• Second degree murder
• Kidnapping
• Robbery
• Aggravated battery (with a weapon)
• Criminal sexual penetration (rape)
• Aggravated burglary
• Aggravated arson
• Shooting at a dwelling or occupied building
• Shooting at or from a motor vehicle.

The proposed changes to the Children’s Code District Attorney Sam Bregman offered for enactment during the 2025 legislative that were not even given a committee hearing and that failed include the following:

1. Expanding the definition of “Serious Youthful Offender” to include second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, criminal sexual penetration (rape), armed robbery with the use of a firearm, shooting at or from a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm or death, and shooting at dwelling or occupied building causing great bodily harm or death.
2. Extending the age of possible imprisonment for “Youthful Offenders” from 21 to 25 years old. As the law is currently written, once a juvenile offender turns 21, in most cases, the criminal justice system automatically loses jurisdiction. Extending jurisdiction to age 25 would provide more time to get youthful offenders to get the treatment and supervision they need, while also monitoring the progress they are making.
3. Making it a felony for unlawful possession of a firearm for people under 19 to have any guns, including rifles, and not just handguns. Right now, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to be in possession of a handgun. However, it is not illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to possess an assault rifle. The law would be updating language from “handgun”to “firearm,”which will include assault rifles. Bregman is also proposing to increase the penalty for this crime from a misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony.
4. Moving a person to an adult facility once they reach the age of 18.  Bregman believes that when a juvenile convicted of a violent crime turns 18, they should go to an adult facility because he does not want an 18-year-old in custody with a 13-year-old.
5. Remove the use of the “Risk Assessment Tool”to determine if a child is to be detained and allow prosecutors to file charges without having to first consult the juvenile probation office. Bregman said detention risk assessments also often stand in the way of holding young people who have been arrested, adding the assessments fail to give judges enough discretion and law enforcement officers enough credit as people with firsthand knowledge of a crime.   Bregman said this:  “I say that if a police officer determines that that person needs to be arrested at the time, they need to be booked into the [detention center], and within 24 hours or so, a judge needs to hear and determine whether or not that person should be detained pending adjudication of the charges”.
6. Unsealing juvenile records during certain court hearings proceedings. This would consist of removing the secrecy laws that seal juvenile records from public review for the most serious offenders. This would allow juvenile records to be used during any adult conditions of release or sentencing hearing without having to obtain a court order to unseal the records. Every judge has the right to know and consider if the person in front of them has a violent past when determining conditions of release or sentencing. This change would allow for additional information to be heard and considered and will ultimately promote public safety.
7. Requiring judges to preside over juvenile detention hearings.
8. Grant judge’s discretion on the length of probation or commitment terms based on  a juvenile’s history.

Bregman said this about his proposed changes:

“This is not about a kid going into a store and shoplifting candy or even a new set of headphones. … This is about kids who are willing to steal cars, drive down the road, videotape their friend while he’s shooting off 20 rounds of bullets that are going into houses and killing 5-year-olds.”

“Currently, the only crime you can charge a juvenile as an adult is first-degree murder We want to expand that to include: second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, criminal sexual penetration — rape, armed robbery with the use of a firearm, shooting at or from a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm or death, and shooting at dwelling or occupied building causing great bodily harm or death. … there must be consequences when juveniles first enter the criminal justice system.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_6fed2680-eca5-11ef-9e76-275f030494ce.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

“The most significant thing we can do on crime in the Legislature …  is truly amend the Children’s Code to deal with the unbelievable spike in juvenile crime that we’re seeing out there. … If they don’t pass anything when it comes to juvenile crime, it leaves a big hole in people’s guts, like what’s going on here? Because this is a big problem. … As time goes by, you start to lose the idea that you have any momentum or that it’s moving forward.”

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/da-bregman-talks-lack-of-juvenile-justice-reform-in-public-safety-package/

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The Albuquerque Journal poll is the first piece of evidence that should be presented to New Mexico legislators during the 2026  legislative session that clearly shows  the public is fed up with juveniles committing violent crime. The poll help to justify the updating of  the Children’s Code.

Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has voiced support for updating state laws to reflect the growing problem of juveniles committing crimes with firearms and it is likely she will put legislation  on the 2026 New Mexico Legislative agenda.  However,  some Democrat legislators  have pushed back, advocating alternatives to increasing penalties.

Simply put, New Mexico’s children are committing more and more violent crimes where guns are involved. The state’s Children Code and our Juvenile Criminal Justice System has not been able to keep up with changing times to deal with what now can only be considered a “juvenile violent crime crisis”. 

Part of the problem is just how complicated the children’s code really is and its application. The ultimate question that must be addressed under the current law  is what is in the “best interest of the child”. The goal of the existing law is to keep  a family together versus punishment, incarceration and making sure justice is served and the public is protected.

It is very clear that the primary emphasis and purpose of the current Children’s Code is not punishment in the form of confinement of child for crimes committed but only rehabilitation, services, counseling and social services.  

It is commendable that the  primary goal of the Children’s Code and the Juvenile Justice System is to keep the family unit intact and what is in the best interest of the child whenever you are dealing with delinquency cases involving  children of tender age.  However it  is  teenage juveniles that pose the biggest problem of what approach is in order. 

Under the children’s code there is no mandatory sentencing and confinement when delinquency is found and when it does happen it can only be up and until the child reaches 18. Things get very complicated when gun violence is involved, protecting the public from gun violence and when it comes to sentencing a child as an adult when charges are brought against the child as a “youthful offender” or “serious youthful offender.”

REASONABLE AND NECESSARY CHANGES

All the major proposals and changes to the Children’s Code as outlined and proposed by District Attorney Sam Bregman are reasonable and necessary given the violent crimes being committed by juveniles and should be adopted by the 2026 legislature. No doubt many will argue that the proposals run afoul of the purpose and intent of the Children’s Code which is to do what is in the best interest of a child.

DA Bregman’s proposals to expand the definition of “serious youthful offender” so more types of crimes could lead to children being tried as adults is reasonable and necessary given the types of violent crime that is being committed. The challenge for the legislature is to decide what types of offenses for which a juvenile over 15 can be charged as an adult. Right now, that can only happen for first-degree murder. 

What should be included are all violent crimes involving a weapon and should include the crimes of aggravated assault, aggravated battery armed robbery with a firearm, and child abuse resulting in death.  The legislature should also fix the law that currently allows a teenager to wield an assault rifle, though handguns are still illegal.

The New Mexico legislature must decide during the up coming 2026 legislative session just how many more innocent people need to be killed  or be injured by juveniles before legislature confronts the juvenile violent crime crisis.

_____________________________________

POSTSCRIPT

POLL METHODOLOGY

The Journal poll was conducted September 19 through September 26. The voter sample size of 514 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples.

“The Journal Poll is based on a random sample of 514 voters who cast ballots in the 2021 and/or 2023 local government election, and a sample of adults who registered to vote since January 2024 and who said they are likely to vote in the upcoming local government election.

To ensure a representative sample, Research & Polling Inc. sets quotas for race, gender and age, and weights by education level and party affiliation, if necessary, based on traditional voting patterns in local government elections. All interviews were conducted by live, professional interviewers, based in Albuquerque, with multiple callbacks to individuals that did not initially answer the phone. Both cellphone numbers (96%) and landlines (4%) of likely voters were used.”

The link to read the full article with  images and  pie graphs is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d6c97b39-b021-4889-b565-546d061cab81.html

 

On November 10, the  Albuquerque Police Department held a press conference to release the  city’s third-quarter crime statistics comparing the time period of January 1, 2025  to September 30, 2025 to the same time period in 2024. The released statistics revealed declines across every major category of crime compared to last year. The declines still leaves the city crime rates at unacceptable high levels

The statistics compared the number of crimes in each category from January-September 2025 to statistics from 2024 with the  exception of  homicides and shootings with injury  which are tracked individually and are year-to-date statistics.

Violent crime continues to fall, with aggravated assaults down 13%, robberies down 22%, rapes down 15%, and shootings with injury down 39%.

Homicides have dropped 32% year-to-date. There have been 18 fewer homicides so far this year compared to the same day last year.

Property crime is also down significantly. Burglary and breaking and entering declined 13%, vandalism dropped 25%, and motor vehicle theft fell by 40%.Motor vehicle theft saw the biggest decrease of 40% or 1,811 fewer thefts. Larceny and theft saw the smallest decrease with 12,114 offenses compared to 13,261 in 2024, an 8% decrease.

At the same time, APD’s enforcement activity increased. Felony arrests went up by  26%, while felony warrant arrests rose 8%, reflecting a more proactive approach by APD officers citywide.

When compared to national averages, the city’s reductions lead in nearly every category. APD Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said this in a news release:

“The data confirms that Albuquerque’s crime reduction is outpacing national trends, a testament to focused enforcement, strategic policing and strong community collaboration.”

HOMICIDES AND VIOLENT CRIME

Chief Harold Medina declared Albuquerque is a safer city and highlighted  improvements in crime clearance rates. Medina shared statistics showing a 39% reduction in shootings with injuries, a 32% decrease in homicides, a 22% drop in robberies, and a 15% reduction in rapes compared to the previous year. The data for 2025 indicates there have been 19 fewer homicides, 102 fewer rapes, 153 fewer robberies, and 456 fewer aggravated assaults than in 2024.

Chief Medina said this:

“Shootings with injuries, for example, in 2024, at this point in time, they’re 237. This year, they’re 144 for a 39% reduction. … Homicides are down 32% …  I think our clearance rates on homicides are a good indication of [the city being safer]. … Our trends are higher than national averages, which is a positive thing for us at the Albuquerque Police Department.”

DATA DOWNLOAD

Following are the raw statistics reported by APD on  for the city’s crime rates for the time period of January 1, to September 30, 2025 compared to the time period of January 1, to September 30, 2024:

PROPERTY CRIMES

OFFENSES

Auto Theft (APD Unit)        2025: 2,221    2024:  3,800     % Change -42

(Auto Theft based on APD Auto Theft number)

Auto Theft (Reported)        2025: 2,933    2024:  4,985     % Change -41

(Residential and Commercial burglaries based on Location Category which is identified by reporting officer.)

Auto Burglary                     2025:  2,854    2024: 3,450     %Change -17

Residential Burglary          2025: 1,735    2024: 1,873      % Change -7

Commercial Burglary         2025: 1,403    2024: 1,712      % Change -18

Shoplifting                          2025: 6,096     2024:  6,503     % Change -6

Total                                    2025: 17,242   2024:  22,323   % Change -23

VIOLENT CRIMES

 Agg. Assault          2025: 3,579         2024: 4,024        % Change  -11

Sex Crimes            2025:    418         2024:   461         % Change    -9

Robbery                 2025:    604         2024:   775         % Change   -22

Total                       2025:  4,601        2024: 5,260        % Change   -13

HOMICIDES

HOMICIDES:              2025:  58             2024:  87      % Change   –33%

https://www.cabq.gov/police/crime-statistics

ARRESTS

Felony arrests                        2025:    4,70       2024:  3,807    % Change  +26%

Misdemeanor arrests            2025:   10,204       2024:   8,665   % Change  +18

WARRANT ARRESTS

Felony warrants                      2025: 5,570       2024:  5,168     % Change    +8%

Misdemeanor warrants           2025: 1,987        2024: 1,208     % Change  +64%

QUALITY OF LIFE CITATIONS

APD’s third-quarter crime statistics contains “Quality of Life Citations”  for 2024 and 2025 which are ostensibly related to APD’s enforcement actions dealing with the homeless. Statics for Criminal Trespass, Erecting Structure Park, and Littering are reported and are based on arrests (citation, summons, taken into custody) and TraCS citations. Median City Code based on Field Contact Cards where “median” is used. CT Notice based on Field Contact Cards where “criminal trespass notice” or “CT notice” is used. Median Citations Include citations (TraCS and Mark43) for all 8-2-7-2 ordinances.

Criminal Trespass     2025:  2,877      2024: 1,917      % Change: +50%

CT Notices                 2025:     2           2024:    24       % Change:  -92%

Median City Code      2025:    76          2024:   130      % Change:  -42%

Median Citations       2025:   313         2024: 270       % Change:  +16%

Erecting Structure    2025:    26           2024:   20       % Change:  +30%

Littering                     2025:   118          2024:   99       % Change:  +19%

PRIORITY CALLS FOR SERVICE

It’s “Calls for Service” where the rubber meets the road when it comes to law enforcement engaging in combating crime and protecting the public. Currently, the number of APD sworn is at upwards of 900, with only approximately 350 sworn APD officers scattered amongst all area commands in three shifts that are dispatched to respond to priority calls for service.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The definitions of Priority 1,2,3,4 and 5 Calls for Service with examples can be found in the postscript below.

Following are the raw statistics for the categories of Priority 1, 2,3,4 and 5 calls for service:

Priority 1       2025:  5,334           2024:  6,187           %Change      -14%

Priority 2       2025:  207,642        2024:  203,817      %Change       +2%

Priority 3       2025:  63,237          2024:   56,917       %Change     +11%

Priority 4       2025:  37,969          2024:    37,390      %Change       +2%

Priority 5       2025:  97,885          2024: 94,493         %Change       +4%

Link to APD news source

https://www.cabq.gov/police/crime-statistics

CHIEF MEDINA AND MAYOR KELLER REACT TO REDUCE CRIME STATISTICS

Chief Medina gave credit for the reduction in crime statistics to the Albuquerque Community Safety Division (ACD) who are civilians deployed to assists those in crisis and the unhoused  and credit to  the National Guard for assisting APD and allowing more officers to be on the streets.  Chief Medina also suggested the National Guard members working in Albuquerque could be redeployed for other missions around the state “in the near future.”

Chief Harold Medina said this about the statistics:

“The vast majority of issues we’re finding ourselves in is we have a concentration of the unhoused mainly in these areas. … It’s the fear of the unhoused that is making individuals feel unsafe in this city and we will continue to address those issues.”

Medina said this about the National Guard:

“They did a great job in assisting us to clear up officers, I think somewhere near 8,000 hours. …  I suppose in the near future, they will have to go and they have other missions around the state with other cities that are suffering the same issues we see in Albuquerque.”

Mayor Tim Keller credited a mix of “smart policing, technology and community partnerships” for the improvement in the cities crime statistics, saying Albuquerque’s results demonstrate the impact of collaboration and sustained focus on public safety. Keller  highlighted the city’s increased investment in crime-fighting technology like license plate readers and speed cameras, and the civilian Albuquerque Community Safety (ACD)  aiding in assisting APD and freeing up officers and an increase in police force numbers. Keller said this:

“Our arrest numbers are higher than they have ever been because of civilians and technology, but also because our officers are working hard and they are making the real difference that is driving crime down. … What we’ve done is essentially free them up and support them so they can do that better than before.”

Mayor Tim Keller  acknowledged that while the numbers show a decrease in crime, residents’ perception of crime may not reflect those numbers. Keller said this:

“I understand that the perception may not be that crime is going down, in fact, I would agree with that perception. … But I will tell you if we continue doing this for several more years, we will absolutely feel safer because we are safer.”

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_f5d62e28-a69b-4d8e-83fb-88466c6ff905.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

https://www.cabq.gov/police/crime-statistics

https://www.koat.com/article/report-crime-declining-albuquerque-police/69380262

HISTORICAL TRENDS

The city’s recorded drop in homicides in 2023 marked Albuquerque’s largest annual decrease since 2010, when homicide totals hovered in the 30s. Following are the numbers for the past 8 years:

• 2017: 70 homicides
• 2018: 69 homicides
• 2019: 80 homicides
• 2020: 78 homicides
• 2021: 110 homicides
• 2022: 120 homicides
• 2023: 93 homicides
• 2024: 96 homicides
• 2025: 59 (As of November 14) 

Following are the Aggravated Assault numbers for the past 8 years which also reflect a decline:

• 2017: 4,213
• 2018: 5,156
• 2019: 5,337
• 2020: 5,592
• 2021: 5,669
• 2022: 5,399
• 2023: 4,961
• 2024: 4,024
• 2025: 3,579 (As of September 2025)

https://www.cabq.gov/police/crime-statistics/crime-statistics#violent-crimes-of-interest2

ABQ JOURNAL POLL RECALLED

The Albuquerque Journal poll released and reported on September 28, found that crime and homelessness are top Albuquerque voters’ minds with drug abuse and trafficking listed next. The poll found 53% of Albuquerque voters cited crime as the biggest issue facing the city. Homelessness followed behind and was cited by 47% of surveyed voters as their top concern, followed by Drug/Opiod abuse at 6% and illegal drugs at 5%.

“While crime was top-of-mind for residents during the last election cycle in 2021, with 66% of residents citing it as their primary concern, worries over homelessness have doubled over the four years since a previous Journal Poll.  Now, 47% of voters view homelessness as Albuquerque’s biggest stumbling block.”

The Journal poll correlates with the reality on Albuquerque’s streets. Today, an estimated 2,740 people are homeless in the city, which is twice as many as in 2021, according to the latest Point-In-Time Count by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness.

Meanwhile, concern over homelessness is shared equally by both Democrats and Republicans at 48%. Independents also care about the issue, with 39% listing it first.”

The link to the relied upon or quoted Albuquerque Journal article is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d99cb345-e909-4bc0-a0d3-5c38d3d7bad0.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

CITY  RANKS 19TH IN HOMICIDES AMONG 59 MAJOR U.S. CITIES

The Albuquerque Police Department during the November 10 news conference announced a notable decrease in violent crime rates, including homicides, robberies, and shootings. Notwithstanding, the city still ranks 19th in homicides among 59 major U.S. cities.

Despite the improvements in the cities crime rates, it has been reported by KOAT TV Target 7 that Albuquerque ranks worse than cities like Chicago, Denver, and Long Beach in terms of violent crime per capita overall. KOAT TV determined these numbers by analyzing Major Cities Chiefs Association data from the first three quarters of 2025.

Many cities within the Major Cities Chiefs Association have struggled to address violent crime.  KOAT TV Target 7 met with ten major city police chiefs, including APD Chief Medina, to identify possible solutions for Albuquerque.

Manny Morales, chief of police in Miami, Florida, attributes the lowering of Miami’s juvenile crime problem to robust community engagement. Morales said this:

“Last year, we did 16,000 arrests overall and only 457 were juveniles, right? And we attribute that to a robust community engagement model. … So we’re going out there and building this relationship with these kids … . And letting them know that cops are here to help. We’re not their adversaries. And we just have their best interests in mind, you gotta have people that are willing to make that investment in the youth in your community, and you’ll reap the benefits.”

Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina emphasized the challenge of addressing the perception of crime in major cities. Jennings said this:

“People don’t want to hear that you have a double-digit reduction in violent crime. If they don’t feel safe in your community, then that’s a problem. And that’s kind of what we’re dealing with,”. “There is this perception of unsafeness.”

APD Chief Harold Medina for his part said he hopes the new statistics will help change the perception of crime in Albuquerque. Medina said this:

“Our trends are higher than national averages, which is a positive thing for us at the Albuquerque Police Department. … It’s unfortunate that you’re judged from Wyoming to Louisiana. Two blocks north of Central, two blocks south of Central. Because the vast majority of issues we’re finding ourselves in is we have a concentration of the unhoused mainly in these areas, and it’s that,” Medina said.

The links to the quoted or relied upon news source is here:

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-sees-decline-in-violent-crime-but-still-ranks-high-among-major-us-cities/69431926

INTERTPRETING THE DATA ON HOMICIDES

Paul Guerin, director of the University of New Mexico’s Center for Applied Research and Analysis was asked by the Albuquerque Journal to review the APD-provided data on the city’s 2023 homicides. The same analysis  can still be applied to 2024 and 2025 data.  The statistics detailed motive (“individual disrespect,” drug-related and domestic violence took the top three categories), victims’ ages (most were between 36 and 45), suspects’ ages (most were between 18 and 25), weapons used (80% involved a gun) and victim and suspect race/ethnicity (the majority involved Hispanics, but Black people were disproportionately represented).

Guerin said the data lacked case-by-case specifics to “paint a better picture of murders in Albuquerque. ” He said such information could be used to bring the death toll down but also solve more cases. He said nationally and locally, the previous increase in homicides and violence is often blamed on what he called “the degrading of the social contract.” Guerin said this:

“There’s this general idea of this change in behavior that the pandemic kind of accelerated … [such as more] reckless driving, suicides, drug use and overdoses.  …  Homicides could just be another example.”

Guerin said that whatever the causes, the upside is that the trend reverted in many cities, including Albuquerque. Guerin said:

“Things always just revert to the norm. …The problem is, our norm is always higher than everyone else’s.”

FBI data shows that when homicides and violent crime decreased in the United States in the 1990s, Albuquerque and New Mexico never caught up. The homicide rate, save for in three distinct years, never fell as low as the national rate over three decades.

Even in comparison to violent locales like Baltimore and Chicago, which were high but steady, the homicide rate in New Mexico, driven largely by Albuquerque as the biggest city, vacillated greatly from year to year. Guerin said this:

“There’s something unique about Albuquerque. What is it about our location? … Why do we always have more murders? …  Is the nexus of Interstate 25 and Interstate 40 invited crime, or if violence is somehow ingrained in the state’s culture?”

In his 32 years conducting studies at UNM for government agencies and policymakers, Guerin said nobody has studied those particulars.

“Right now, all we can do is we can say, ‘Here’s our (homicide) count, here’s what they look like, they kind of follow trends.’ But to get down to the nuances of this, like, ‘why?’ we’ve never done it. … It’s not like math, where something equals something. We’re taking our best understanding of these things with the information that was available.”

Guerin said crime, in general, is always underreported but there’s no indication the data available doesn’t give an accurate picture.

A 2023 Gallup survey found that 77% of those polled think crime was higher than the previous year. The national poll found 63% believed “the crime situation in the U.S. is extremely or very serious.” Guerin said of the poll “That’s not true, but they perceive it to be true. …It’s always been a problem, and the problem goes both directions. People telescope either way … exaggerate either way.”

The link to the quoted news source is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/albuquerque-sees-shootings-decrease-in-2023-even-as-gun-violence-tears-families-apart/article_46cfaa60-c60a-11ee-9c68-530f06c95c43.html

On April 26, 2023, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released its Violent Crime Survey and national totals for the crimes of homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults. According to the report, Albuquerque was ranked 17th among 70 of the largest cities in the nation looking at trends in the 4 categories. The single most troubling statistic was  Albuquerque’s increase in homicides.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association report shows in 2022, there was a 5% drop in homicides nationwide. According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Albuquerque had one of the worst homicide rates in the nation and is one of 27 cities across the nation that saw an increase in homicides.

The report shows in 2021, there were 106 homicides. In 2022, there were 115, an 8% increase. Other nearby cities like Phoenix saw a 13% increase in homicides. Meanwhile, to the north, the Denver Police Department reported an 8% decrease in homicides. Just four hours south, the city of El Paso saw a 28% decrease in homicides, one of the highest drops in the report.

Click to access MCCA-Violent-Crime-Report-2022-and-2021-Midyear.pdf

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-homicide-rate-increase/43702586

Mayor Tim Keller reacting to the April 26, 2023 Major Cities Chiefs Association report had this to say:

“We have two challenges working against us. One is national trends that are all getting worse so we have to do what we can in our city, but when there’s a tidal wave of crime across America, it’s going to affect us.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

An October Journal Poll showed that 53% of Albuquerque voters cited crime as the biggest issue in the city, followed by homelessness at 47%. Police Chief Harold Medina said that many people’s perceptions of crime may be conflated with homelessness and that APD is judged by a few blocks between the streets of Wyoming and Louisiana, NE.

There has been a decrease in homicides in big cities including Los Angeles and Detroit, but also in those long besieged by gun violence, like Chicago. Baltimore, with a similar population and reputation as Albuquerque for years has been known as one of the most violent American cities.  In 2023, Baltimore recorded a 22.5% drop in homicides, its largest single-year decrease, and a 7% drop in nonfatal shootings.

Albuquerque’s trend downward in homicides reflects an identical downward trend nationally, even in the most violent cities. Across the country, the decrease has been attributed to an easing of the societal impacts of the pandemic.

KELLER’S RECORD ON CRIME FIGHTING

In 2017 when the New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller ran for Mayor, he ran on the platform of reducing the city’s high crime rates, implementing the Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree reforms, increasing the size of the Albuquerque Police Department from the then 950 to 1,200 and returning to “community-based policing”. In August, 2017, Keller went so far as to say about the city’s high crime rates:

“It’s unfortunate, but crime is absolutely out of control. It’s the mayor’s job to actually address crime in Albuquerque, and that’s what I want to do as the next mayor.”

In 2019 Mayor Tim Keller reacting to the spiking violent crime rates, announced 4 programs in 9 months to deal with and bring down the city’s high violent crime rates. All 5 initiatives involve early intervention and partnership with other agencies.  Keller also launched his “Community Safety Department” and his “Metro Crime Initiative” which he claimed will fix the “broken criminal justice” system. The five programs that Mayor Keller initiated were:

1. THE SHIELD UNIT
2. DECLARING VIOLENT CRIME A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
3. THE “VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PLAN (VIP PROGRAM)
4. THE METRO 15 OPERATION PROGRAM
5. METRO CRIME INITIATIVE

The postscript below provides a description of Keller’s  5 programs.

Fast forward again to October 4, 2021 when Keller was running for a second term and confronted by the Albuquerque Journal about the city’s spiking crime rates during his first term.  Keller said this:

 “I think we have honored the commitment to fight crime in a real way. That’s not just about talking tough or doing roundups or something like that, we’re actually trying to address crime from all sides. … And we have done that. Had we not done that our city would be in a much, much worse place. … It’s either naive or disingenuous for anyone to think that our crime and drug problems are so surface level that they can just be fixed by being tougher, or by arresting people. … I don’t think it’s fair to say that there’s something we could have done that would have prevented an increase in homicide … I think all around the country, it’s just shown that that’s just not true right now. … I think I’ve provided the right kind leadership at the right time and in a difficult time …”

Mayor Keller has now served two full terms as Mayor and is now seeking a third four year term. After a full 8 years in office, the city’s crime rates are now falling but crime is still at historical highs.

Simply put, all Mayor Keller’s programs to reduce violent crime were ineffective and did not having any real statistical impact on reducing crime. What did have an impact on reducing crime was that  APD returned to traditional and proven methods to address crime including tactical plans, increasing resources such as doubling the size of the homicide unit, making more arrests, both felony and misdemeanor and simply being pro active such as the deployment of the National Guard and not reactive.

Over the last year so far, APD increased felony arrests by 26%, misdemeanor arrests by 18%, misdemeanor warrants by 64% and felony warrants by 8%, all of which translated into more prosecutions to get criminals off the streets. APD could do more but  APD is still seriously understaffed with few officers patrolling the streets. APD is at the same sworn officer level of about 900 sworn as in 2017 when Keller was first elected after he promised 1,100 sworn police. Of the 900 full time sworn police, only about 350 are actually patrolling the area commands over three shifts  and taking hundreds of thousands of calls for service and dealing with the 5 priority calls. APD is top heavy with management including having 4 Deputy Chiefs and an entire level of some 40 Deputy Commanders.

The bottom line is that the city’s reduce crime rates are following national trends. The reduced crime rates likely have very little to do with what  the Keller Administration has done over the last 8 years when it comes to violent crime. Homicides and aggravated assaults are still at unacceptable levels. Simply put, citizens do not feel safe. “It’s unfortunate, but crime is absolutely out of control” as Keller said in 2017 when he was first elected .

_________________________

POSTSCRIPTS

KELLER’S FAILED  VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION PROGRAMS

It was in 2019 that Mayor Tim Keller reacting to the spiking violent crime rates, announced 4 programs in 9 months to deal with and bring down the city’s high violent crime rates. Keller also launched his “Community Safety Department” and his “Metro Crime Initiative” which he claimed will fix the “broken criminal justice” system.

All 5 initiatives involve early intervention and partnership with other agencies and are summarized as follows:

1. THE SHIELD UNIT

In February 2018 the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) created the “Shield Unit”. The Shield Unit assists APD Police Officers to prepare cases for trial and prosecution by the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s office.

2. DECLARING VIOLENT CRIME A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

On April 8, 2019, Mayor Keller and APD announced efforts that will deal with “violent crime” in the context of it being a “public health crisis” and dealing with crimes involving guns in an effort to bring down violent crime in Albuquerque.

3.   THE “VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PLAN (VIP PROGRAM)

On November 22, 2019 Mayor Tim Keller announced what he called a “new initiative” to target violent offenders called “Violence Intervention Plan” (VIP). Mayor Keller proclaimed the VIP is a “partnership system” that includes law enforcement, prosecutors and social service and community provides to reduce violent crime. Mayor Keller stated:

“… This is about trying to get these people not to shoot each other. …This is about understanding who they are and why they are engaged in violent crime. … And so, this actually in some ways, in that respect, this is the opposite of data. This is action. This is actually doing something with people. …”

The “Violence Intervention Plan” can be described as a “fantasy land” experiment especially when there is little that can be done to prevent the violent crime of murder by “trying to get these people not to shoot each other” and “understanding who they are and why they are engaged in violent crime.”

4. THE METRO 15 OPERATION PROGRAM

On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 Mayor Tim Keller held a press conference to announce a 4th program within 9 months to deal with the city’s violent crime and murder rates. At the time of the press conference, the city’s homicide count was at 72, matching the city’s record in 2017.

5. METRO CRIME INITIATIVE

On September 23, 2021 Mayor Keller concluded a conference he dubbed he the “Metro Crime Initiative”. Participants included APD, the DA’s Office, the Courts and many other stakeholders to address what all participants labelled the “broken criminal justice” system.

The entire “Metro Crime Initiative” started with the phony proposition declared by Mayor Keller and all the participants that our criminal justice system is broken. During the September 23 concluding press conference, local leaders admitted they have not been providing enough protection and resources to keep people safe.

A list of 40 action items were revealed by Keller with the hope that once implemented they will lower Albuquerque’s crime efficiently and quickly. All the participants patted each other on the back for doing such a good job and asserting they have found the solution.

When you examine the “check list” of the 40 different proposals that were the result of the Metro Crime Initiative, the proposals are essentially what all the participants have been working on over the past 3 years and include many programs already announced. The list contains nothing new. The items listed are ones that the participants should have been doing in the first place

________________________________________________

PRIORITY  CALL DEFINITIONS

The definitions of the five priority calls for service are as follows:

PRIORITY 1: Any immediate  life threatening situation with a great possibility of death or life threatening injury or any confrontation between people which could threaten the life or safety of any person where weapons are involved.  (Situations which are in progress or just occurred.)

EXAMPLES

• Shootings
• Stabbings
• Armed Robberies
• Sexual Assault
• Aggravated Assaults
• In progress burglary into an occupied dwelling/Home invasions
• Hostage situations
• Domestic Violence with weapon involved

PRIORITY 2: Any crime in progress which may result in a threat of injury to a person, major loss of property or immediate apprehension of a suspect.   This also includes accidents with injury.   Situations in progress or just occurred.

EXAMPLES

• Vehicle accident w/injury
• Non Injury accidents blocking major roadways
• Responses with AFR
• Missing Persons (endangered and 13 & under)
• Any Armed Robbery, Panic, Duress, ATM Tamper or Ambush alarm
• Child left in vehicle, unattended
• Domestic Violence Calls IP/JO
• Resid/Commercial
• Burgs J/O or unk when occurred and the location has not been checked.

PRIORITY 3. Minor incidents in progress or just occurred with no threat of personal injury, major loss of life or property.

EXAMPLES

• Neighbor Trouble IP/JO
• Large Loud Parties
• Animals left in vehicles
• Shoplifter causing problems
• Non injury accidents on side roads

PRIORITY 4.  Minor incidents with no threat of personal injury, loss of life or property.   Delayed reports when the caller is at a public location.

EXAMPLES

• Nuisance incidents
• Civil standby
• Delayed call where caller is at a public location
• Burglary alarms

PRIORITY 5: Crime has already occurred no suspect at or near the scene and no threat of personal injury loss of life or property.  Delayed reports where the caller is at home or at their workplace for an extended period of time.

EXAMPLES

Delayed reports where a crime has already occurred and a delay will not prevent a crime from occurring, aid in the immediate apprehension of a suspect or cause a delay in an injured person(s) receiving aid

Click here for the link to review  the  Priority Call Definitions