On March 24, and after over three-month national search, Mayor Tim Keller announced his appointment of Interim APD Chief Cecily Barker as the new APD Chief.  Barker has been with the department since 2004. On December 31, Mayor Keller appointed her Interim Chief upon retirement of Chief Harold Medina on the same date.

Mayor Keller interviewed several candidates for the position.  A total of 19 people applied for the position but only seven were interviewed during the selection process. Mayor Keller and the City refused to disclose all 19 applicants. After the 7 interviews were completed, the search was narrowed down to three candidates:

• APD Interim Chief Cecily Barker
• Dallas Assistant Police Chief Gilberto Garza
• Former Seattle Assistant Police Chief Perry Tarrant

BIOGRAPHY OF APD CHIEF CECILY BARKER

Cecily Barker was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After attending college out of state. Interim Chief Barker has an associate degree in criminal justice and a bachelor’s degree in justice administration. She is also a graduate from the Major Cities Chiefs Association Police Executive Leadership Institute and the Police Executive Training Program.

After attending college, Cecily Barker  returned to Albuquerque and joined the Albuquerque Police Department in 2004.  She is a 21 year veteran of APD who has rose through the ranks during her career at APD. After graduating from the police academy, Barker served in the Field Services Bureau from 2004-2012. During that time, she held  collateral duties of Gang Suppression Officer, Crisis Intervention Officer and Field Training Officer.

Baker was promoted to Sergeant in 2012 where she served in the Field Services Bureau and later in the Violent Crimes Division and the Missing Person and Cold Case Sergeant. Baker was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017. As a Lieutenant, Cecily Barker served in the Juvenile/Property Crime Division and the Criminalistics Division. Cecily Barker was promoted to Commander in 2020 and served as the Northwest Area Commander and later as the Chief of Staff.

In 2021, Cecily Barker was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Investigative Bureau by then Chief Harold Medina where she lead the Criminal Investigations Division, Investigative Services Division and the Scientific Evidence Division. In October of 2023, Deputy Chief Barker took over the Field Services Bureau where she oversaw the departments 6 Area Commands.

APD is the largest  law enforcement agency in the state. As APD Chief  Barker will oversee a police department that employs 1,880 full time employees which includes more than 950 sworn police officers and that has an annual approved budget of $271.5 million dollars. APD employs upwards of 20% of all city hall employees and has the largest budget of all the 27 departments.

CHIEF BARKER REACTS TO APPOINTMENT

Former APD Chief Harold Medina in the past expressed support that Barker would be his successor. He was her sergeant when Barker joined the department. Chief Barker said she plans to take a different approach to managing her staff than did Chief Harold Medina. Barker said this:

“[Chief Medina] did great things, but I will tell you that my leadership style is different than his. … I think he had really big shoes to fill, but I have my own shoes… I’m not Harold and I’m here to do what’s right for this police department at this time.” 

Barker said one of her goals as chief will be to move APD forward using the standards created through a yearslong settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice after the DOJ found in 2014 that officers had displayed a pattern and practice of excessive force.

Barker said while she was honored to be the first female police chief, she doesn’t want to only be remembered for the historical accomplishment. Barker said this:

“I want people to recognize that females can be chiefs. I don’t want to be the last. … We all want a safer Albuquerque. Moving forward, we are building on that shared goal. We will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards, strengthen trust with the community and stay focused on results.”

Mayor Keller said this of his appointment of Barker:

“Cecily Barker is the right fit she brings a fundamental understanding of the community, department, and strategies that have helped us turn the corner on crime, while also bringing fresh ideas about where we are going. … As Deputy Chief, she led efforts to revamp investigations and most recently led all uniformed officer field operations. Paired with the new Executive Director of Public Safety, Chief Barker can sharpen her focus on crime fighting and the safety of our neighborhoods and businesses.”

BACKGROUND ON CHIEF SELECTION PROCESS

It was on  December 31, APD Chief Harold Medina retired after three decades in law enforcement and on the same day, Mayor Keller announced his appointment of APD Deputy Chief Cecily Barker as Interim APD Chief. Cecily Barker has been with  APD 21 years and has come up through the ranks.

On January 8, Mayor Tim Keller announced that he had begun a national search process of selecting a new APD Chief. Community input sessions were  scheduled so residents, advocates, organizations and businesses could “identify the leadership qualities, experience and priorities desired in the next chief of police.”

Residents were able to take a community survey to “ensure broad and meaningful input.”  Mayor Tim Keller said he was looking for someone who can meet today’s challenges, including fentanyl and long-standing cracks in the criminal justice system.

The Keller Administration hired the outside firm Public Sector Search & Consulting Inc., to assist in the search and  selection process for a new APD Chief. According to the city of Albuquerque’s public records website, the firm’s contract began January  2 and had a maximum limit of $100,000 but only $55,000 was spent on the search. The firm specializes in police executive searches and has aided dozens of large law enforcement agencies, including those in Chicago and Dallas. The city has used the firm in the past, including for the search and selection of a Deputy APD Chief.

KELLER APPOINTS PUBLIC SAFETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

In a surprise move, Mayor Tim Keller also announced the appointment former FBI Special Agent Raul Bujanda to the role of the newly created position of “Public Safety Executive Director.” Mayor Keller  said he had been considering creating the position of “Public Safety Executive Director” since the beginning of his first term but was never able to find the right person for the role until now. He said he believed the role needed to be filled by someone who had law enforcement experience but was not from APD.

Bujanda was the Special Agent in Charge at the Albuquerque FBI Office. Bujanda’s position will oversee Albuquerque Police, Albuquerque Fire Rescue, and the Albuquerque Community Safety Department. The Division Director of each department, including Chief Barker, will report to Bujanda. According to APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos, the position  was created primarily to bridge the gap between the three departments. Bujanda will not begin as Public Safety Executive Director until April 4.  A news release states he will report to Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel.

As head of the FBI in New Mexico, Bujanda led the agency during federal investigations into the corruption scandal where two criminal  defense attorneys and officers with APD and other local law enforcement conspired to illegally dismiss DWI charges in exchange for bribes. The bribery scheme was reported to had gone on for 30 years and no one detected it. Bujanda said the DWI scandal allowed the department to remove the few officers causing “a negative” impact, adding that the vast majority of the force is “doing the right thing every single day.”

Bujanda said this of his appointment:

“I’m bringing energy, urgency and a collaborative mindset to this role because a single department can’t do this alone. My promise to you is simple: I will listen, I will be present and I will work every day to earn your trust.”

BIOGRAPHY OF RAUL BUJANDA

Public Safety Executive Director Raul Bujanda has more than 27 years of law enforcement experience. On April 8, 2021, then FBI Director Christopher Wray named Raul Bujanda as the Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Field Office in New Mexico and he served in that position for 4 years and retired in May, 2025. Before that, Mr. Bujanda served as a section chief in the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Mr. Bujanda joined the FBI as an FBI  special agent in 2002. He was first appointed to the Portland Field Office in Oregon, where he investigated violent crime, gang, and Mexican-based drug trafficking organizations. In 2008, he transferred to the El Paso Field Office in Texas to work on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force strike force. In 2010, Mr. Bujanda was promoted to supervisory special agent of the El Paso strike force, which also included members from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies.

In 2015, Mr. Bujanda served as an assistant inspector and team leader in the Inspection Division at Headquarters. He was promoted in 2016 to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the National Security Branch in the Oklahoma City Field Office. He later served as the assistant special agent in charge of Oklahoma City’s Criminal Branch, where he was responsible for criminal violations, administrative matters, and the FBI offices in the western region of the state. In 2019, Mr. Bujanda was named Section chief of the Criminal Investigative Division’s National Covert Operations Section managed and oversaw all criminal and national security undercover operations for the FBI.

https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/raul-bujanda-named-special-agent-in-charge-of-the-albuquerque-field-office

One of the highest profile cases that the FBI Field Office in New Mexico handled while Raul Bujanda was the Special Agent In Charge is the DWI  bribery and dismissal  corruption scandal involving corruption within the APD, the New Mexico State Police and the Bernalillo County Sherriff officers. A total of nineteen (19) law enforcement officers have resigned, retired, been terminated or federally charged or indicted or plead guilty to charges. 16 APD officers have been  implicated, charged or plead guilty to federal charges. Nine APD officers, including a Lieutenant, and one Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Deputy have plead guilty to federal charges of taking bribes. No one has been sentenced for the crimes they have plead guilty to, including two attorneys. It is understood the FBI investigation is continuing.

Raul Bujanda became very high profile while the DWI bribery and corruption scandal was being investigated. Ostensibly, Bujanda has a detailed understanding of the case and the APD Officers charged and who plead guilty.

On March 25, 2024, then FBI Special Agent In Charge Raul Bujanda went public and asked for the public’s help as the FBI continue to investigate the cases of public corruption and the DWI scandal. While Bujanda would not talk about the ongoing investigation into APD’s DWI Unit, he said any time the FBI investigates a case of corruption, they want to exhaust any and all leads. Bujanda asked the public to come forward with any information they may have when it comes to corruption.

Barunda said this:

“When it comes to public corruption, that is the top tier of criminal threats to the FBI. When we think public corruption, people tend to think of elected officials, which is part of it. But the other part is anyone that has a job working for the government, state, local, or federal. They could fall into that definition of what public corruption is, it’s a misuse of that position”

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/fbi-seeks-publics-help-in-cracking-down-on-public-corruption/

Links to other quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-police-announce-cecily-barker-as-the-next-police-chief/

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-public-safety-appointments/70837701

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/cecily-barker-announced-as-new-albuquerque-police-chief/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/cecily-barker-named-next-apd-chief/3008141

https://abqraw.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Barker-Announcement.jpg

COMMENTARY AND ANALYISIS

Both APD Chief Cecily Barker and Public Safety Executive Director Raul Bujanda will have to go through an official confirmation process with the 9 member Albuquerque City Council. Their salaries have not been finalized and are still under negotiation.

APD CHIEF CECILY BARKER

As predicted, Mayor Tim Keller appointed  Interim Chief Cecily Barker as the new APD Chief replacing former APD Chief Harold Medina. Speculation was rampant amongst City Hall and APD observers that despite Mayor Keller’s public announcement that he would do a national search for a new Chief, he had already made up his mind and would appoint and make Interim Chief Barker permanent.

The major reason people felt Keller would make Barker permanent is that he followed the identical pattern he has followed with his appointments in the past: appoint an interim chief, announce a national search, spend $100,000 on a firm to gather resumes and then go through the motions of accepting applications, having extensive public input, and doing interviews only to appoint his interim permanent.

Although APD Chief Barker said that her management style is totally different than that of former Chief Harold Medina, her management team remains the same as former APD Chief Medina’s.  It is extremely disappointing that she reappointed virtually all of former APD Chief Harold Medina’s Deputy Chief’s and retained the same command staff with the reorganization having very little substance in scope over a department of 950 sworn police.  Simply put, APD is top heavy with mid management.

It was on January 9, 2026 that then Interim APD Chief Barker announced the following changes as part of her new executive team:

• Major Luke Languit was named Interim Deputy Chief of Field
• Medina’s former Chief of Staff Miker Hernandez was named  Interim Deputy Chief of Support Services.
• Commander Aaron Jones was named Interim Chief of Staff.
• Deputy  Chief George Vega continues as Deputy Chief of the Investigations Bureau.
• Deputy Chief Josh Brown continues as Deputy Chief of the Special Operations  Bureau.

Barker’s reorganization included the elimination of 12 command staff positions out of  a department that employs 1,880 full time employees which includes 913 sworn police officers  with many of those positions vacant. Examination and analysis of the APD Organization Chart and the Summary of APD’s personnel reflects a law enforcement agency that is clearly top heavy and bloated with management in need of a major reorganization, deletion of positions, reassignment of personnel and the recruitment of a new generation of police officers.

An article on the reorganization can be found in the postscript below.

Congratulations Chief Barker and best wishes for her success.

PUBLIC SAFETY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RAUL BUJANDA

One potential problem with the appointment of Raul Bujanda as Public Safety Executive Director is whether it presents ethical conflicts or the appearance of impropriety to appoint and individual who investigated APD for government corruption and bribery for dismissal of DWI cases to now be in charge of overseeing APD. With the APD corruption case still pending, it’s more likely than not Raul Bujanda has knowledge of other potential targets that may still be working for APD as sworn police. Bujanda could disgorge any and all information he may have to APD Chief Cecily Barker on other corrupt APD Officers, but that likely is prohibited. Another problematic area is if Bujanda will be asked to run interference for the city with the FBI on the APD corruption scandal or any other cases of government corruption. Its unknown if the United States Department of Justice, which the FBI is a part of, was conferred with by the city regarding the Bujunda appointment and if the appointment presents any conflicts or jeopardizes the continuing FBI investigations of other officers involved in the DWI scandal.

The blunt reality is that Raul Bujanda is just as qualified to be Chief as Cecily Barker, and some would say perhaps even more qualified. The question raised is did Mayor Keller recruit Raul Bujanda to be Public Safety Executive Director or did Raul Bujanda apply to be  APD Chief only to be offered the position of Public Safety Executive Director to enable Keller to appoint Barker Chief?  Another question that should be answered is why was the position of  Public Safety Executive Director not advertised and applications accepted and a national search done as was the case for APD Chief?  In the interest of transparency, Keller should make a disclosure how his appointment of Raul Bujanda came about.

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

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

It’s likely Raul Bujanda, given his extensive FBI law enforcement career, is fully committed to the full prosecution of any and all APD Officers that were involved with the DWI bribery and conspiracy scandal. It is hoped that he still has the same disdain for  public corruption as he did when he was the FBI Special Agent in charge and that he will not tolerate corrupt APD cops and will not hesitate to root them out. Perhaps he is the right person to help restore APD reputation but the better part of discretion dictates that the appointment be explored further for any potential conflicts.

Congratulations to Public Safety Executive Director Chief and best wishes for success.

POSTSCRIPT

APD Interim Chief Barker Announces Appointment Of New Deputy Chiefs, Staffing Cuts And Re-Organization; Commentary and Analysis: Barker APD Re-Organization Pathetically Inadequate; APD Top Heavy With Management; Keller Needs To Replace Entire APD Upper Command, Recruit More Sworn Officers To Deal With City’s Crime

The Albuquerque Journal Editorial Opinion pages feature 5 types of opinion columns submitted for publication: those by the paper’s Editorial Board, those by the paper’s Community Council, those by Syndicated Columnists, those by Local Columnists and those by Local Voices.

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

Loretta Naranjo Lopez is a life-long resident of Albuquerque and 6th generation Martinez from Martineztown in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has a Master of Community and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Mexico. Ms. Naranjo Lopez was employed with the City of Albuquerque for 25 years of which 15 years was in the City Planning Department. She retired as a City Planner and worked as a staff planner. She serves as the President of the Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood Association (SBMTNA).

On March 1, the  Albuquerque Journal published on its editorial opinion page C2  the below “Local Columnist” opinion column by Loretta Naranjo Lopez.

JOURNAL HEADLINE: “Zoned out: How decades of discriminatory planning still haunt Martineztown”

BY: Loretta Naranjo Lopez, Local Columnist

Martineztown is facing gentrification because for decades there has been no effort to preserve and protect the historic single-family residential neighborhood. The city of Albuquerque Housing Neighborhood Development and Economic Fund (HNDEF) 2022 Report states residents of Martineztown Santa Barbara Neighborhood are known to have higher unemployment rates, lower median household incomes and higher poverty rates than the regional average. The rents are increasing in the neighborhood, making it more difficult for residential owners to afford their homes.

Future planning and redevelopment efforts such the Rail Trail, Rail Yards redevelopment and other new amenities will increase rent pressures as property values are likely to increase. The city of Albuquerque so far is unconcerned that Martineztown will face inhospitable economic conditions that produce the displacement of residents and small business and overall gentrification.

The purpose of the Federal Zoning Enabling Act of 1922 was to keep incompatible uses separate from residential areas. In 1959, Albuquerque and all other cities, towns and communities were enabled to develop their local zoning regulations. At this time the city allowed incompatible uses next to residential single-family dwellings in Martineztown. The resident’s health, safety and welfare were ignored. Today a line of 5-ton toxic diesel trucks warm up in the morning right next to single-family dwellings.

In 2018, the city of Albuquerque enacted the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) which allowed mixed-use zoning. The mixed zoning was already established in Martineztown. The city of Albuquerque allows a property owner to construct a multifamily building next to a single-family dwelling and the single-family property owner has no say. For this reason, the current mixed zoning in Martineztown has allowed developers to compete against the families for older homes, further gentrifying the neighborhood.

Since the 1970s, the residents have protested the city of Albuquerque from expanding Downtown into the Martineztown Santa Barbara neighborhood. These discriminatory and racist practices continue. To date, the city of Albuquerque arrogantly included a portion of Martineztown into the Downtown Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, taking away economic funding for the Martineztown Neighborhood. The city also recently moved two parcels of Martineztown into Downtown, again in spite of community opposition.

When Martineztown becomes so dense and the water and sewer lines have to service more people, the city will have to upgrade the entire water and sewer systems. As housing becomes more expensive, the current residents of Martineztown and the other historic neighborhoods will continue to be squeezed out.  According to the city’s 2022 HNDEF Report and community recommendations, the way to stop gentrification is to control rents not only to protect tenants but also to quell the appetite of investors for Albuquerque’s land.

Martineztown Santa Barbara Neighborhood needs the city of Albuquerque to start working with the neighborhood to stop the gentrification. We need to build and preserve affordable housing units for low-middle income residents. The community needs support and city funding to rehabilitate buildings and improve facades for housing. Existing small businesses need support. And, good quality jobs that pay a living wage with benefits are important for Martineztown and other old historical neighborhoods. This is how the city can maintain our traditional neighborhoods and protect them against gentrification.

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/opinion-zoned-out-how-decades-of-discriminatory-planning-still-haunt-martineztown/2987419

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) is essentially all of the city zoning laws on how properties are zoned for residential, commercial or industrial use. The Integrated Development Ordinance includes zoning and subdivision regulations to govern land use and all development within the City of Albuquerque. It establishes the City’s system of planning citywide. The IDO allows the Albuquerque City Council to amend it every two years. This amendment process has resulted in upwards of 140 amendments the last two years resulting in mass confusion to the public.

The Loretta Naranjo Lopez guest column captures the real danger gentrification poses to the city’s historical neighborhoods when developers are given unfettered development in all areas of the city. Gentrification is the process where a neighborhood experiences an influx of wealthier residents and businesses that drives rising property values, increases in rent, and changes the area’s demographic and cultural character.

With the re-election of Mayor Tim Keller and a new Albuquerque City Council, a major controversy emerged within the city and on the Albuquerque City Council involving Mayor Tim Keller, his Planning Department and a few members of the Albuquerque City Council who wanted  to enact a  wave of blanket amendments to the Integrated Development Ordinance that will essentially make gentrification a matter of city policy. Mayor Tim Keller and the City Planning Department wanted  to double or triple housing density in established neighborhoods as a way to address what they claim is the City’s affordable housing shortage.

 Mayor Tim Keller, the  City Planning  and City Councilors who want to allow apartment development or retail business development (i.e small convenience stores or “bodegas”) on all corner residential lots in all established neighborhoods to benefit developers and to deprive adjacent property owners the right to object and appeal. Such development would have no doubt resulted in magnets for crime and heavy traffic patterns destroying the tranquility, livability and character of established neighborhoods.

On Feb. 18, the Albuquerque City Council voted 5 to 4 to reject a series of amendments Mayor Tim Keller sought to the city’s zoning laws, mandating upzoning in all established residential areas of the city. The debate highlighted and exposed the public’s tensions between those wanting to increase density to boost housing supply and those concerned about preserving neighborhood character.

Voting to reject were counselors Klarissa Peña, Dan Lewis, Renée Grout, Dan Champine and Brook Bassan. Voting in favor were councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers, Joaquín Baca and Stephanie Telles. Activists continue with aggressive efforts demanding citywide upzoning by disparaging city councilors who voted to reject upzoning and actively opposing their reelection.

Loretta Naranjo Lopez was a major opponent of all the amendments and aggressively spoke out against the changes. The proposed changes would have allowed townhomes and duplexes to be built in single-family neighborhoods, as well as small retailers and grocery stores. Also among the failed proposals was a push to loosen regulations for Safe Outdoor Spaces, which are sanctioned homeless encampments on private property owned by churches, businesses or residents.

Construction costs are consistent when it comes to building a new house or adding a free-standing casita or converting a residence to a duplex or town home. There is no differentiation between the basic construction costs to construct “affordable housing” and other types of housing. According to the Homebuilders Digest, construction costs covering everything from materials to the actual construction average between $175 to $225 per square foot. To remodel or add 750 square feet would therefore carry a cost of $131,000 to $168,750, amounts only developers and investors can afford.

Under the property tax code, taxable value of a property is 33.3% of the assessed value and may not rise more than 3% per year unless the property changes ownership, is improved or is rezoned. Upzoning would result in the Bernalillo County assessor increasing property values and increasing property taxes.

Keller,  the Planning Department and a minority of 4 Democrat Progressive City Councils of Tammy Feibelkorn, Nichole Rogers, Joaquin Baca and Stephanie Telles erroneously believe that increased density will increase affordable housing as they simply ignore the market forces and the profit motive. They argue in essence that “flooding the market” with more housing than what is needed will result in lower cost of housing and make available more housing for sale and rent. It’s a false and very misleading narrative.  Only developers have the financial ability to make major investments in historical neighborhoods.

Upzoning efforts are nothing more than giving investment speculators and developers carte blanche to buy up residential properties to destroy existing neighborhoods by increasing density leading to gentrification. Keller and the City Council need to keep their hands off neighborhoods. They need to seek better and more informed ways to create affordable housing.

The Albuquerque Journal Editorial Opinion pages feature 5 types of opinion columns submitted for publication: those by the paper’s Editorial Board, those by the paper’s Community Council, those by Syndicated Columnists, those by Local Columnists and those by Local Voices.

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

On March 22, the Albuquerque Journal published on its Sunday editorial opinion page C3 the below “Local Columnist” opinion column by Pete Dinelli:

JOURNAL HEADLINE:  Council Was Correct To Reject Forced Upzoning Council Was Correct To Reject Forced Upzoning

BY PETE DINELLI, LOCAL COLUMNIST

On Feb. 18, the Albuquerque City Council voted 5 to 4 to reject a series of amendments Mayor Tim Keller sought to the city’s zoning laws, mandating upzoning in all established residential areas of the city. The debate highlighted and exposed the public’s tensions between those wanting to increase density to boost housing supply and those concerned about preserving neighborhood character.

Voting to reject were counselors Klarissa Peña, Dan Lewis, Renée Grout, Dan Champine and Brook Bassan. Voting in favor were councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers, Joaquín Baca and Stephanie Telles. Activists continue with aggressive efforts demanding citywide upzoning by disparaging city councilors who voted to reject upzoning and actively opposing their reelection.

A study by Root Policy Research found that Albuquerque is 13,000 to 28,000 housing units short of meeting the existing housing demand for low-income residents. City Planning claims existing zoning restrictions contribute to exclusionary patterns limiting housing options for lower-income households. The goal is to double or triple the city’s housing inventory of 120,000 homes to increase affordable housing.

The proposed amendments mandated upzoning of all existing residential properties to increase density to allow casita, duplex development, townhouse and apartment development in established neighborhoods. The upzoning would allow existing homes to be converted into retail establishments known as “bodegas,” ignoring the risk that they  would be magnets for crime. Parking requirements would be reduced to enable denser occupancy. All existing rights of adjoining property owners or neighborhood associations to prevent upzoning would have been abolished.

The term affordable housing is a false narrative. When the term “affordable housing” is used by elected officials, investors and developers, what they mean is “subsidized government housing.” It is a term often used by politicians, elected officials and developers to promote their own political agendas to secure government funding and support for their development projects.

The proposed amendments by Keller and the four city councilors mandating upzoning were a pathetic attempt to address the city’s “housing crisis.” They argue that “flooding the market” with more housing will result in making more affordable housing available for sale or rent. They argue existing property owners want and can afford to build on their own properties whether they own their home outright or if there is a mortgage. Their arguments are false and misleading. They simply ignore market forces motivated by profits that will only benefit investment developers and that will lead to neighborhood gentrification.

Construction costs are consistent when it comes to building a new house or adding a free-standing casita or converting a residence to a duplex or town home. There is no differentiation between the basic construction costs to construct “affordable housing” and other types of housing. According to the Homebuilders Digest, construction costs covering everything from materials to the actual construction average between $175 to $225 per square foot. To remodel or add 750 square feet would therefore carry a cost of $131,000 to $168,750, amounts only developers and investors can afford.

Under the property tax code, taxable value of a property is 33.3% of the assessed value and may not rise more than 3% per year unless the property changes ownership, is improved or is rezoned. Upzoning would result in the Bernalillo County assessor increasing property values and increasing property taxes.

Upzoning efforts are nothing more than giving investment speculators and developers carte blanche to buy up residential properties to destroy existing neighborhoods by increasing density leading to gentrification. Keller and the City Council need to keep their hands off neighborhoods. They need to seek better and more informed ways to create affordable housing.

Pete Dinelli is a former Albuquerque city councilor, former chief public safety officer and former chief deputy district attorney. You can read his daily news and commentary blog at www.PeteDinelli.com.

The link to read the Albuquerque Journal Dinelli column with photo is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/opinion-council-was-correct-to-reject-forced-upzoning/3003029

POSTSCRIPT 

All submissions to the Albuquerque Journal by Local Columnist have a word limit submission of 600 words and no more and the rule is strictly enforced. For that reason below is further commentary on City  Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers, Joaquín Baca voting in favor of the forced upzoning amendments as well as the conduct of affordable housing advocates.

CITY COUNCILOR TAMMY FIEBELKORN PLAYS RACE CARD; LOBBIES TO STRIP CITY OF ZONING AUTHORITY

Progressive Democrat Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn was the sponsor of the up zoning amendments at the request of Mayor Tim Keller. During the February 18 council debate, Fiebelkorn played the “race card” when she said that the existing zoning codes, when applied incorrectly, segregated people of color and the poor from more affluent residents. Fiebelkorn said this:

“One commenter earlier today made the statement that [single-family residential zoning] was created for a purpose. … And I want to say, ‘Yeah, it really was.’ It was created for the purpose of keeping ‘those people’ out of your neighborhood. There is no other reason to think that you would not want a duplex next door to you.”

It is downright reprehensible that Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Feibelkorn played the race card in her effort to get the city council to enact her amendments. She did so during the Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee which she was chaired at one time but was removed by the new City Council President Klariss Pena.

Feibelkorn has insulted multi-generational Hispanic New Mexicans implying that they are racist for wanting to protect their homes and their communities by opposing up zoning that would destroy the historical nature of their neighborhoods by developers. Vocal opponents of up zoning include Bianca Encinias, a neighborhood activist with the Historic Neighborhood Alliance and Loretta Naranjo Lopez, who is a representative from Envision Albuquerque and who is also a multi-generational resident from Martineztown. Ms. Loretta Naranjo Lopez is the longtime President of the Martineztown-Santa Barbara  Neighborhood Association. She is also a retired from the City of Albuquerque having worked in the Planning Department dealing with city zoning laws and code enforcement.

During the 2026 New Mexico legislature, and attempt was made to eliminate the possibility to reassess property values for tax increases  when a property is rezoned. The legislation failed in committee. The 2026 legislature also considered legislation sponsored by Albuquerque area State Senators  Moe Maestas and Heather Berghmans that would have removed all zoning authority from city and county governments. That legislation also died in committee. City Councilor Tammy Feiblkkorn actively lobbied for the legislation that would have stripped the city of Albuquerque of all its zoning authority in the interest of creating more “affordable housing”.

COUNCIORS BACA AND ROGERS VOTE YES TO DETRIMENT OF CONSTITUENCY

The two City Council Districts that would have been the most affected by the mandatory up zoning changes would have been District 2 and District 6. District 2 is the city-center district encompassing downtown, old town, and includes the most historical areas of the city, part of the west mesa, and the entire valley east of the river and is represented by City Councilor Joaquin Baca.  District  6 includes Albuquerque’s Southeast Heights encompassing the University of New Mexico, and the International District and is represented by City Councilor Nichole Rogers.

Both Districts 2 and 6 have the highest concentration of minorities and lower income residents. It is these two districts that would have been  the likely biggest targets by investors, speculators and developers to buy up properties from generational family’s for redevelop leading to gentrification. Both City Councilors voted for the up zoning changes believing the change in law would lead to “affordable housing” when in fact it would have resulted in the displacement of many of their constituents as investors sought to buy up residential properties for high end developments and not affordable or low income housing.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOATES

Affordable housing activists are continuing with their aggressive efforts demanding city wide up zoning by disparaging on social media the city councilors who voted to reject the up zoing amendments and now targeting those city councilors up for re election in 2027. Affordable housing activists have gone so far as to target City Council President Klarissa Pena  on social media with unfounded and vicious attacks on her vote, her integrity and reputation and her 12 years of service as a city councilor. They simply do not like the fact she is a voice or reason as she seeks a viable and reasonable compromise. The affordable housing activists attitude is that it is their way or suffer the risk of being voted out of office.

On Monday March 16, the Albuquerque City Council voted 5 to 4 along party lines to enact what is entitled “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance.”  The enacted city ordinance reinstates immigration protections that were implemented  during President Joe Biden’s term. The protections were eliminated by President Donald Trump by Executive Order soon after he assumed office in 2025 as he began his crackdown and deportation of non-citizens.

The Safer Community Spaces Ordinance  declares that hospitals, schools, construction zones, courthouses, religious places of worship and the use of city resources are off limits to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents without warrants. The 5 to 4 vote was on a strict party line vote. In November, 2025 the Bernalillo County Commission approved a nearly identical policy that applies within county limits, including within the city limits  of  Albuquerque.

Voting “YES” were Democrat City Council President Klarissa Pena and Progressive Democrat City Councilors Joaquín Baca, Nichole Rogers, Tammy Feibelkorn, Stephanie Telles. Voting “NO” were MAGA Republican City Council Vice President Dan Champine and MAGA Republican City Councilors Brook Bassan, Renée Grout and Dan Lewis.

During City Council debate, counselors clashed over the ordinance.

Progressive Democrat Councilor Joaquín Baca said this of ICE agents:

“They’re literally killing people on the streets and not just minorities — white people. Five years ago this would have been unimaginable. … We’re way past just immigrant policy. … Entire cities are being invaded by our own troops.” 

MAGA Republican City Councilor Dan Lewis said this:

“I feel like there’s a public safety benefit to cooperation.  The challenge with this bill is that it’s not just a not cooperating with federal law enforcement. … It goes further to obstruct law enforcement from doing their job, which I think many people in this community find disturbing.”

 A “RIDICULOUS” AMENDMENT OFFERED

Before the final vote was taken, MAGA Republican City Councilor Dan  Lewis offered a floor amendment to the ordinance asking that city  councilors be held liable for any death or injury caused by the law’s passage. The amendment would have made the city liable for injuries caused by individuals named in federal warrants and required officials to waive legal immunity.  Lewis said the amendment was aimed at protecting  crime victims, but opponents called it “legally baseless.” The Lewis  amendment was sharply rebuked, even by his fellow three Republican allies, on a vote of 1 to 8 vote.

City Councilor  Joaquín Baca said this of the amendment:

“[This amendment is]ridiculous!  As public officials, it is our job to protect our communities … If someone’s breaking the law, they should be treated with breaking the law. But that is not the same as staging and going out after people who have literally done nothing.”

Jessica Martinez, an attorney at the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, told the on line news agency “The Paper” that the amendment would have violated state law, noting there are only eight waivers of immunity. She said the original “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance” is legally sound, adding that the city worked with groups like the ACLU of New Mexico, her organization and other attorneys “to ensure this is a strong position.”

SAFER SPACES IDENTIFIED

The Safer Community Spaces Ordinance reestablishes a Biden-era policy that banned Immigration and Customs Enforcement  from making arrests at sensitive locations such as  hospitals, schools, construction zones, courthouses and houses of worship. Within days of assuming office on January 1, 2025,  President Donald Trump revoked the Biden  policy with officials in the Trump Department of Homeland Security stating that criminals were taking advantage of it.

The city’s policy does not impede federal law enforcement from entering the locations if they have a Judicial Warrant or if there is an “imminent threat to bodily harm.” A “Judicial Warrant” is a critical distinction requiring a federal judge to issue a warrant based on “probable cause”  as opposed to and Administrative Warrant issued by agents of ICE without sufficient probable cause.

 The city’s “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance”  requires businesses to inform staff if their employment paperwork, such as I-9 forms, is audited. Business owners must also warn employees if they are notified that an immigration enforcement agent will be present on-site. Businesses applying for a license in Albuquerque will now be required to clearly mark the public and private areas of their businesses with signage to discourage ICE agents from entering break rooms or employee areas without warrants. The new  ordinance also forbids ICE from using city property, including parking lots and parks, as staging areas for operations.

The new ordinance  reinforces  a 2018 council resolution that declared Albuquerque an “immigrant-friendly city” and several previous executive orders by Mayor Tim Keller.

SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS

During the March 16 discussion of the new ordinance, a majority of public speakers supported the ordinance, saying that ICE actions across the country, particularly in cities like Minneapolis, had caused widespread chaos and fear. Supporters included clergy, civil rights lawyers, members of the immigrant community and their children and teachers.

Longtime educator and vice president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation Sonya Romero-Autrey urged councilors to support the ordinance.  She said that students are feeling the impacts of Trump’s immigration crackdown. Some children are struggling to learn, she said, while others have stopped coming to school entirely due to fear of being separated from their families by ICE.  Romero-Autry told the city councilors this:

“When a child walks into a classroom, they carry their whole world with them — their curiosity, their dreams, their worries and, yes, their fears. … As educators, our very first responsibility is to ensure that our students feel safe, to create spaces where children feel secure enough to learn, to grow and to imagine their futures.”

The “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance”  received support from Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne. In a dramatic moment,  Councilor Stephanie Telles read out a  letter of support from Payne that evoked scenes of chaos as ICE agents flooded the streets of Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge in December. Payne in his letter to the city council  named Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens shot and killed by federal agents during the operation. Payne wrote that as dire as the situation was, it could have been even worse if  Minneapolis  did not have its own safer spaces ordinance in place.

City Councilor Stephanie Tellez read Payne’s letter aloud to the City Council quoting the letter as follows:

“What this ordinance does is affirm clearly and on the record that our local officers, our local budget and our local institutions exist to serve this community. … It ensures that local government will not be conscripted as an arm of federal civil immigration enforcement. It tells every resident of this city, documented or not, that our schools are safe, our hospitals are safe and our police are here for them.”

There were speakers who  opposed the ordinance, saying it undermined law and order. Geraldo Cionelo, a naturalized citizen, said some immigrants are cheating the legal system. Cionelo told the city council this:

“I’m all for a safer community and immigration, as long as it’s done constitutionally, like I did from the Philippines.”

Links  to the quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/albuquerque-city-council-approves-ordinance-to-limit-federal-immigration-enforcement/3003365

https://abq.news/2026/03/council-oks-ordinance-to-thwart-ice-arrests-in-albuquerque/

https://www.krqe.com/video/albuquerque-city-council-expected-to-vote-on-immigrant-friendly-ordinance/11610256/

https://www.cabq.gov/council/find-your-councilor/district-3/news/albuquerque-city-council-passes-safety-and-privacy-in-community-spaces-ordinance

ALBUQUERQUE DECLARED SANCTUARY CITY

It was on April 28, 2025 President Trump signed an Executive Order to enforce federal law with respect to sanctuary jurisdictions to protect their citizens from what he calls “dangerous illegal aliens.”  The Executive Order 14287 is entitled “ Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens.” The Executive Order states in part that “some State and local officials . . . continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws” and “[i]t is imperative that the Federal Government restore the enforcement of United States law.”

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-protects-american-communities-from-criminal-aliens/

On August 5 , 2025 the United States Justice Department published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws. Albuquerque is the only New Mexico municipality on the list but the State of New Mexico is not.

According to the Department of Justice a “sanctuary jurisdiction” generally refers to a state or local government that limits its cooperation with federal immigration authorities, particularly regarding the enforcement of federal immigration laws. There is no a strict legal definition, but these jurisdictions often restrict information sharing about immigration status or refuse to detain individuals based solely on federal immigration detainers.

All the states, counties and cities identified as sanctuary jurisdictions  are considered strong Democratic and did not vote for Trump in the last election.  Following are the states, cities, and counties designated as Sanctuary Jurisdictions:

STATES:

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington

COUNTIES:

Baltimore County, MD, Cook County, IL, San Diego County, CA, San Francisco County, CA

CITIES:

Albuquerque, NM, Berkeley, CA, Boston, MA. Chicago, IL., Denver, CO, East Lansing, MI, Hoboken, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Los Angeles, CA, New Orleans, LA,New York City, NY, Newark, NJ, Paterson, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, Rochester, NY,  Seattle, WA, San Francisco City, CA.

According to the Justice Department the designations were made after a review of documented laws, ordinances, and executive directives by the listed jurisdictions. President Donald Trump has said in speeches that he would approve the arrest of government officials who would prevent federal law enforcement from doing immigration enforcement

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

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/albuquerque-among-18-us-cities-listed-as-sanctuary-jurisdictions-for-immigration/

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/feds-pressure-abq-to-end-immigrant-friendly-policies-mayor-keller-says-he-wont-cave/

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-publishes-list-sanctuary-jurisdictions

CITY OFFICIALS REACT

Albuquerque city officials had mixed reactions to the city being named the only city in the state to make the list of sanctuary jurisdictions.

Progressive Democrat Mayor Tim Keller said this:

“I’m not going to be intimidated by any of this rhetoric coming from the White House, and I think they know that because they tried to do this in their first term and didn’t work. And so, for us it’s a tired show and we’re not going to cave. … Albuquerque is a welcoming city, and where crime is now actually going down in every category this year. … So we are proving that we are safer and stronger when residents trust law enforcement enough to report crimes, send their kids to school, and seek services without fear. [My]  recent executive order supports both our immigrant community, while ensuring APD can focus on public safety, not federal immigration enforcement.”

MAGA Republican City Councilors had a different reaction to the news that the city was identified as a sanctuary jurisdiction.

Republican City Councilor Renee Grout, who represents the far Southeast Heights and foothills, said that while she is pleased the city of Albuquerque welcomes people from around the world, the city should not be “be a sanctuary for criminals.” Grout said this:

“It’s unfortunate that the mayor is willing to forfeit federal funding for housing and social services to engage in this political game. … Public safety should come first, and it should involve every tool at our disposal, including welcoming help from federal law enforcement.”

Republican City Councilors Dan Lewis and Dan Champine joined Grout in releasing a joint statement that pledged to “eliminate criminal sanctuary provisions.” The joint statement makes a specific threat and states:

“If a resolution comes before the Council to codify orders that interfere with federal law enforcement’s pursuit of criminals, we will introduce an amendment requiring that federal authorities be given access to the Prisoner Booking Center — the location all criminals are taken when arrested.”

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

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_c5d034eb-8230-4b51-b134-09cf3531ef8d.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

ALBUQUERQUE NOT “SANCTUARY CITY” BUT “IMMIGRANT FRIENDLY CITY”

Albuquerque is not nor has it ever been a “sanctuary city.” For the last 24 years, and by city council enacted ordinance, the city is an “immigrant friendly” city.  A  “Sanctuary City” requires local government to essentially shield the undocumented from federal authorities and from federal detention and arrests. “Immigrant friendly” cities enact policies that allow the undocumented city services like all other citizens and does not allow its local law enforcement to investigate federal immigration law violations nor detain nor arrest  for violations of federal immigration laws. Immigrant friendly cities allow local law enforcement to make arrests of the undocumented only for violations of local ordinances and state laws.

JULY 7, 2025  ICE ENFORCMENT ACTION

On July 7, 2025 an altercation occurred between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining and tasing a man inside the Albuquerque Walmart located at 2550 Coors Blvd. NW. The video taken of the incident reveals three ICE agents, two of whom are masked, subdue the man with a Taser. The man can be heard screaming on the video. At one point the man falls backwards to the ground and hits his head.

While the federal agents stand over the man, a Walmart official enters the video frame shouting at one person to “get back to work” and approaches the female filming. He orders her to leave the store, telling her she is on “private property.”  The 20-second video ends as private security officers begin to escort the woman who filmed the incident out of the store.

The female customer who filmed the July 7 incident posted the video the same day on FACEBOOK. The video of the incident went  viral, drew  national attention and amassed huge numbers of online views, along with comments expressing shock at the violent nature of an unarmed man’s arrest. The arrest sparked a protest in Albuquerque.

On July 11, 2025 an ICE spokesperson identified the man taken into custody by ICE as Deivi Jose Molina-Peña and said he was in the United State illegally. ICE claimed the man fled from agents on July 7, running into the Walmart at Coors and I-40, leading to them to tase him. The ICE spokesperson said the Venezuelan man had recently been arrested by the APD for DWI, resisting arrest, evading police and obstructing an officer.

The family and friends of Deivi Jose Molina-Pena said he arrived in the United States legally under Temporary Protected Status two years ago from Venezuela and he was employed as a Spanish speaking “deliverista” for Spark Driver, a delivery service for Walmart. It was a feud between American-born delivery drivers for Walmart’s grocery service and Spanish-speaking “deliveristas” that may have led to the  federal immigration arrest at the  Walmart on July 7.

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-ice-uses-taser-detain-182811140.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5396461-watch-ice-agents-taser-albuquerque-walmart/

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/man-in-viral-ice-walmart-tasing-video-identified/

https://sourcenm.com/2025/07/11/resentment-against-albuquerque-deliveristas-may-have-sparked-viral-walmart-ice-arrest/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_5e224ef7-390a-4417-9ca8-10df141c112c.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

MAYOR TIM KELLER ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER

 In response to the July 7, 2025 ICE enforcement arrest of  Deivi Jose Molina-Peña,  Mayor Tim Keller issued an Executive Order reaffirming Albuquerque’s longstanding commitment as an immigrant-friendly city and outlined specific actions to safeguard the rights and safety of immigrant and refugee communities. Mayor Keller’s Executive Order was issued  in response to  federal legislation and enforcement practices that threaten due process, destabilize families, and undermine trust in local government. Keller said this when he signed his Exective Order:

 “From day one, I made it clear that we will not be intimidated by harmful federal policies—and we’ve never wavered from our commitment to civil rights and public safety. …This Executive Order makes it clear that we will not stand by silently as our neighbors and friends are living in fear, and we will protect due process for all people living in our City. Albuquerque is a community rooted in diversity and strength, and we will not use our resources to support raids, detentions, or information-sharing that we are not legally required to do.”

Quoting in part an Albuquerque Journal article:

“The directives contained in Keller’s Executive Order conform with the City Council 2001 resolution and the 2018 amendments that declares the city to be an “Immigrant-Friendly City”. The Executive Order forbids city personnel from working with ICE except when required by a court order. City personnel have been forbidden to share information about immigration status, except when presented with a court order, since the 2018 resolution.

Other directives expand on the “Immigrant-Friendly City” resolution. The order requires the city attorney to routinely file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about ICE activities within the city. It mandates the city’s child wellbeing officer, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion develop “trauma-informed” training for all city departments that work with children impacted by immigration enforcement, including those who have been separated from their parents. The order additionally warns that anyone caught impersonating an ICE agent will be prosecuted “to the highest degree allowable.”

A few items contained in Keller’s Executive Order conflict with one another, especially where ICE and the Albuquerque Police Department overlap. While the executive order states that ICE agents “must not disrupt the wellbeing of City public spaces through violent or harmful detainment actions,” it also states that “the Albuquerque Police Department cannot legally interfere with ICE activity.”

One of the provisions in the executive order is that it aims to prosecute people impersonating law enforcement. It also reiterates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement must clearly identify its officers and avoid harmful or disruptive tactics in public spaces. However, when asked to clarify this part of the directive, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson said that the executive order does not address masks, which are a policy for ICE to determine.

The order does instruct APD to verify the identity of suspected ICE agents if asked to by a member of the public.

Links to relied upon or quoted news sources are here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_d698f3d9-2c89-4aae-9007-f97417c1443d.html#tncms-source=home-featured-7-block

https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/mayor-keller-issues-executive-order-to-protect-immigrant-rights-in-albuquerque-city-councilors-plan-legislation-to-further-codify-immigrant-protections

https://sourcenm.com/2025/07/22/new-mexicos-largest-city-affirms-immigrant-friendly-status/

DA BREGMAN ISSUES WARNING TO ICE

On January 21, 2026,  and after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota , in December, 2025, Bernalillo County  District Attorney Sam Bregman sent a letter to ICE  Assistant Field Office Director Bill Shaw and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placing the federal agency on notice that he will prosecute ICE agents who detain, confine or restrains any  person in Bernalillo county without a warrant. DA Bregman emphasized that ICE agents could be prosecuted under New Mexico law for the felony of “false imprisonment”.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

What happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the killings of  Renee Good and Alex Pretti  by ICE agents could very easily happen here.  There is absolutely no doubt that ICE is already present in Albuquerque and taking very aggressive actions by taking people into custody. At least two eyewitnesses have reported seeing in Albuquerque ICE vehicles being transported into the city.

Albuquerque  and New Mexico are already on Trump’s radar to retaliate against. The Trump Administration has already falsely declared Albuquerque a Sanctuary City and is withholding federal funding to the city. Recently, Trump declared New Mexico elections to be corrupt and rigged.

Albuquerque’s immigrant communities are deeply woven into the fabric of the  city, contributing significantly to our economy, culture, and civic life. Immigrants support local industries, launch small businesses, enrich neighborhoods, and power key sectors of our economy from construction to health care. Policies that target these communities not only violate our values, they also undermine our city’s growth and resilience.

Immigrants are vital to both our city and state economies, generating $12 billion annually for New Mexico, accounting for roughly 17% of the state’s total economic activity. Immigrants contributed more than $1.5 billion in taxes and spent more than $5.6 billion in consumer goods in 2023. More than 15,000 immigrants contribute to the entrepreneurial landscape and future economic vitality of Albuquerque and the state, and 16% of Albuquerque small businesses are immigrant-owned. Their entrepreneurial spirit creates jobs, strengthens neighborhoods, and fuels small business development across Albuquerque.

The “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance” enacted by the City Council taken in conjunction with Mayor Keller’s  Executive Order as well as District Attorney Sam Bregmans warning to ICE affirms the City of Albuquerque’s legal, moral, and operational duty to uphold civil rights, promote transparent governance, and serve all residents with dignity and regardless of immigration status. It builds upon the City’s 2018 Immigrant-Friendly Resolution (R-18-7) and expands citywide protocols to counteract the harmful impacts of federal immigration actions.

The enactment of the “Safer Community Spaces Ordinance” was necessary and proper in order to protect the public from out of control and heavy handed  actions by ICE.

The city council vote should have been unanimous. City Councilor Dan Lewis in particular should be embarrassed by offering his amendment the was rejected on a 1 to 8 votes. It’s extremely disappointing that the 4 MAGA City Council  Republicans of  Dan Champine,  Brook Bassan, Renée Grout and Dan Lewis put allegiance first to the Republican Party and have bought into the vilification by  President Donald Trump of minorities, especially as they live in a minority-majority city with a diverse culture such as Albuquerque.

Links to related article are here:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2025/08/06/trump-administration-designates-albuquerque-sanctuary-jurisdiction-a-second-time-loss-of-millions-in-federal-funding-likely-city-is-immigrant-friendly-city-not-sanctuary-city-city-should-initiate/

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Arrest Of Venezuelan Man In Country Legally Leads To Mayor Keller Signing Executive Order To Protect Immigrant Rights; Keller Engages In Political Plagiarism Of Opponent Alexander M.M. Uballez Advocacy To Protect Immigrant Rights; ICE Should Take The Damn Masks Off, Identify Self And Secure Warrants

On Friday, March 13, Mayor Tim Keller announced the names of three final candidates who are being considered for appointment as the next Chief of Police of the Albuquerque Police Department.  After interviews of seven finalists, the search was narrowed down to the following three:

1. APD Interim Chief Cecily Barker
2. Dallas Assistant Police Chief Gilberto Garza
3. Former Seattle Assistant Police Chief Perry Tarrant

Mayor Keller said he is confident that he and his administration will be ready to announce a new police chief by the end of the month.

NOT ALL 19 APPLICANTS IDENTIFIED

A total of 19 people applied for the position but only seven applicants were interviewed. The original 19  people who  applied to be the new APD Chief  included  Interim Chief Cicily Baker. Among the applicants, all but two have ties to New Mexico. Three were women. Interim Police Chief Cecily Barker and Cmdr. Andrew Rodriguez were the internal candidates and there were 3 existing police chiefs, with  2 having ties to New Mexico.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-metro/apd-sees-first-female-interim-chief-amid-leadership-search/

https://www.koat.com/article/submitted-applications-albuquerque-police-chief-job/70282016

Keller’s press aide, Dan Mayfield, sent out a news release stating that Mayor Keller was interviewing the seven candidates. However, the mayor’s office did not release the names of the 7 candidates despite multiple requests made by  KOAT-TV. Mayor Tim Keller declined to give the names of the 7 finalists saying that releasing the names would be disrespectful to the candidates’ current employers.

Paul Guessing, with the Rio Grande Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization, suggested to KOAT TV  that Interim Police Chief Cecily Barker already may have the job. Guessing said this:

“I fully expect the current interim chief has the inside track, maybe more than the inside track. … I just think we need to be honest with ourselves.”

When asked about the community’s belief that Interim Chief Barker already has the job, Mayor Keller responded to KOAT TV by dismissfully  saying “It’s not true.”

PROCESSED UTILIZED

On December 31, APD Chief Harold Medina retired after three decades in law enforcement and on the same day, Mayor Keller  announced his appointment of APD Deputy Chief Cecily Barker as Interim APD Chief. Cecily Barker has been with  APD over 20 years and has come up through the ranks.

On January 8, Mayor Tim Keller announced that he had begun a national search process of selecting a new APD Chief.  Community input sessions were  scheduled so residents, advocates, organizations and businesses could “identify the leadership qualities, experience and priorities desired in the next chief of police.”  

Residents were  able to take a community survey to “ensure broad and meaningful input.”  Mayor Tim Keller said he was looking for someone who can meet today’s challenges, including fentanyl and long-standing cracks in the criminal justice system.

The Keller Administration hired the outside firm Public Sector Search & Consulting Inc., to assist in the search and  selection process for a new APD Chief. According to the city of Albuquerque’s public records website, the firm’s contract began January  2 and has a maximum limit of $100,000. The firm specializes in police executive searches and has aided dozens of large law enforcement agencies, including those in Chicago and Dallas. The city has used the firm in the past, including for the search and selection of a Deputy APD Chief.

The City of Albuquerque said more than1,000 people provided their input on what they want to see in the city’s next police chief. The city had an online survey to gather community feedback in the search for a new police chief. In addition to the survey, the city said it held focus groups and public forums to get feedback.

Based on the feedback, city residents  said they were looking at the following characteristics and priorities in a new APD Chief:

1. Visible, Ethical, and Accountable Leadership

The city said community members consistently emphasized the need for a Police Chief who is highly visible, engaged, and accessible. They are looking for someone who leads from the front, is present in neighborhoods, and communicates openly with the public. Integrity, transparency, and accountability were cited as essential traits, along with a commitment to restoring and maintaining public trust.

2. Strong Community-Centered Policing and Trust-Building

The city said residents called for a Chief who prioritizes service-oriented policing rooted in partnership, mutual respect, and collaboration. This includes proactive engagement with neighborhoods, advocacy groups, and community leaders, as well as a balanced, humane approach to enforcement. This was particularly in regards to interacting with youth, vulnerable populations, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

3. Improved Responsiveness, Safety, and Operational Effectiveness

The city said residents want improved police responses to calls for service, more visible patrols in high-need areas, and effective deployment of resources. Key concerns included Downtown and transit-area safety, follow-up on serious complaints, fair and consistent treatment across communities, and the use of data-driven strategies.

INTERIM CHIEF CECILY BARKER’S  ANNOUNCED DEPUTY CHIEF APPOINTMENTS  AND  REORGANIZATION

On January 9, APD Interim Chief Cecily Barker announced a reorganization of the APD. The reorganization includes new executive appointments and the elimination of 12 command staff positions, many of which were vacant positions.  The  12 command staff positions that are being eliminated are a combination of sworn personnel, such as  Deputy Commanders for both Internal Affairs division, and professional employees, such as the Director of Analytics.

Interim Chief Barker announced the following changes as part of her new executive team:

• Major Luke Languit was named Interim Deputy Chief of Field
• Medina’s former Chief of Staff Mike Hernandez was named  Interim Deputy Chief of Support Services.
• Commander Aaron Jones was named Interim Chief of Staff.
• Deputy  Chief George Vega will continue as Deputy Chief of the Investigations Bureau.
• Deputy Chief Josh Brown will continue as Deputy Chief of the Special Operations  Bureau.

Chief Barker said this in part  about her announced appointments and the  reorganization:

“We have an experienced team in  place to lead the department forward , while we transition into a new era of public safety in Albuquerque.  We are  experiencing new  challenges in law enforcement , especially in response to the national political climate. We want our community to be assured that APD is prepared.”

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

https://citydesk.org/2026/01/09/apd-interim-chief-reorganizes-department-eliminates-12-command-positions/

The link to review the most current APD organization chart that was updated on January 9, 2026 consisting of 9 pages is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/police/documents/apd-division-org-chart-1-7-26-draft-pdf.pdf

The link to review the one page “Department Summary: Sworn Personnel”  which was replaced and updated as recently as January 23, 2026  is here:

https://www.cabq.gov/police/documents/apd-staffing-numbers-2026.pdf

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Mayor Tim Keller was re-elected in November 2025 to serve a historic third straight 4 year term as Mayor. Keller has the very unique opportunity to completely reshape and reorganize the Albquerquerqu Police Department (APD) for a third time with a new generation of leaders and a new generation of police officers to address the city’s crime efforts.

For the last 16 years, APD recruitment has been stagnant, and the department has not been able to keep up with retirements. As it stands, there are only 351sworn police officers, out of a total of 913 sworn police officers, assigned to the six area commands broken down into 3 shifts and patrolling the streets and responding to hundreds of thousands of calls for service a year. APD cannot deal with the city’s crime rates and the volume of calls for service  because of the low number of sworn personnel patrolling the streets. APD is still reeling from 10 years of a DOJ consent decree followed by a  DWI bribery dismissal scandal where 20 cops from 3 agencies have been implicated and 9 APD Officers have plead guilty and are still awaiting sentencing.

It is extremely  disappointing that  Interim Chief Cecily Barker reappointed virtually all of former APD Chief Harold Medina’s Deputy Chief’s and retained the same command staff with the reorganization having very little substance in scope over a department of 950 sworn police.  Simply put, APD is top heavy with mid management. Examination and analysis of the APD Organization Chart and the Summary of APD’s personnel reflects a law enforcement agency that is clearly top heavy and bloated with management in need of a major reorganization, deletion of positions, reassignment of personnel and the recruitment of a new generation of police officers.

APD needs far more than one new Chief. It needs a whole new top command staff of Chief and Deputy Chiefs that need to be recruited. It needs a complete reorganization and realignment of staffing to get more sworn police onto the street to patrol.

Speculation runs rampant amongst City Hall and APD observers that despite Mayor Keller’s  public announcement that he has done a national search for a new Chief, he has already made up his mind and will appoint and make Interim Chief Barker permanent. The major reason people feel Keller will make Barker permanent is that he is following the identical pattern he has followed with his appointments in the past: appoint an interim chief, announce a national search, going through the motions of accepting applications, having extensive public input, and doing interviews only to appoint his interim permanent saying the most qualified person for the job “was right in front of our eyes all along  who has been interim chief”.

After 8 years being Mayor and after appointing two prior  APD Chief’s, Keller  no doubt knows what he is looking for in an APD Chief. One nagging rumor is Keller is “champing at the bit” to appoint the first female chief of police thereby making Barker his favored choice.

It’s clear that based upon her background, resume and over 20 years with APD, Interim Chief Cecily Barker is qualified to be APD Chief. The blunt reality is Barker was former Chief Medina’s biggest supporter and “Medina  Enabler”  defending his management and personnel  decisions. Barker represents nothing more than a continuation of Medina’s disastrous policies and his heavy handed personnel and management style.

Mayor Keller needs to decide sooner rather than later who to appoint Chief.  If in fact Interim Chief Barker is who he really wants, he should avoid wasting the other applicants and the publics time and avoid the continuing political drama of guessing who he is going to appoint. Mayor Keller  needs to just go ahead and appoint Interim Chief Cecily Barker immediately.

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.koat.com/article/apd-selects-three-finalists-in-police-chief-search/70740144

https://www.koat.com/article/mayor-keller-answers-questions-about-the-police-chief-search/70728233

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/search-for-next-albuquerque-police-chief-narrowed-down-to-3-finalists/

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/search-for-next-albuquerque-police-chief-narrowed-down-to-3-finalists

https://abqraw.com/post/king-keller-narrows-search-for-apd-police-chief-down-to-three/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mayor-narrows-down-finalists-albuquerque-041433679.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

City of Albuquerque sees more than 1,000 people weigh in on police chief search – KOB.com

https://www.koat.com/article/submitted-applications-albuquerque-police-chief-job/70282016

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/city-of-albuquerque-begins-search-for-new-albuquerque-police-chief/

The link to a related blog article is here:

APD Interim Chief Barker Announces Appointment Of New Deputy Chiefs, Staffing Cuts And Re-Organization; Commentary and Analysis: Barker APD Re-Organization Pathetically Inadequate; APD Top Heavy With Management; Keller Needs To Replace Entire APD Upper Command, Recruit More Sworn Officers To Deal With City’s Crime

NEWS UPDATE 

On March 16, the Albuquerque City Council voted down the  proposal to raise gross receipts taxes by 0.4875%  going from 7.62% to 8.1%.  The tax  was voted down by a 1-8 vote with the tax sponsors Councilors Brook Bassan and Joaquín Baca voting NO and saying amendments “killed the spirit” of the bill. Mid heights Progressive Democrat Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn was the only councilor to vote for YES . The tax would have raised $113 million a year to invest in infrastructure projects, reduce city-imposed fees and give raises to the lowest-paid city employees. Click on the below link for full story:

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/albuquerque-city-council-votes-down-proposed-gross-receipts-tax-increase/

City Council “Odd Couple” Of Progressive Democrat Joaquín Baca and Conservative Republican Brook Bassan Sponsor Gross Receipts Tax Increase; No Major Need For GRT Tax Increase; Tell City Council To Vote No!

Progressive Democrat City Councilor Joaquín Baca and Conservative Republican  Brook Bassan are co-sponsoring City  Ordinance (O-26-16),  known as the Community Enhancement Municipal Gross Receipts Tax, to raise the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) in the city. The GRT rate currently stands at 7.625. The city imposes and taxpayers must pay a  gross receipts tax on every single purchase of goods and services purchased, except for food.  If approved by the 9 member City Council, the GRT would jump from  7.625% to 8.113% and place Albuquerque among the top-tier of cities by total tax rate and above nearby Santa Fe (8.1875%) and Rio Rancho (7.4375%).

The ordinance is currently scheduled be heard at the March 16 council meeting.

According to the ordinance, the revenue would pay for buildings, infrastructure and equipment, cover debt payments and fund the day-to-day work of city facilities. It would also help address employee pay gaps identified in a city compensation study and pay for raises for city staff and give the city flexibility to reduce fees for pools, golf courses and recreation programs.

The tax increase  could raise an estimated $119 million for all  the purposes listed by the sponsors. According to a tax analysis contained  in the City’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, “the City has imposed 1.4375% of the total 2.05% [local tax] cap not requiring voter approval, leaving 0.6125% of remaining municipal gross receipts tax capacity that does not require voter approval. The remaining municipal GRT increment not requiring a referendum would generate approximately $149.55 million.”

Paul Gessing, of the Rio Grande Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization which historically opposes all tax increases, said this:

“This is a very significant increase. It’s the biggest attempted increase I’ve seen in a very long time, if ever, at the local government level. … While New Mexico’s politicians tout ‘affordability,’ the reality is that politicians in the state simply cannot get enough of our tax money. … In 2017, the city spent $926,388,000 [in its general fund budget]. That number jumped to $1.5 billion by 2026. Yet, once again, there are plans afoot for another tax increase at City Hall.”

RATIONAL FOR TAX INCREASE NOW

The Community Enhancement Municipal Gross Receipts Tax ordinance is modeled after the  Quality‑of‑Life Enhancement Fund City Councilor Baca sponsored  last year that was rejected by the City Council on an 1 yes to 8 no vote.  The Quality‑of‑Life Enhancement Fund ordinance  would have created a ballot measure asking voters if they wanted to raise gross receipts taxes by 0.375%, which would have generated an estimated $80 million to $86 million for the city of Albuquerque. The new Community Enhancement Municipal Gross Receipts Tax adds funding for city operations and the potential to lower certain municipal fees, including at golf courses and museums.

City Councilor Baca  said a recent state law change created a deadline for introducing this type of GRT  tax increase. Baca said if the tax increase  is not introduced by the end of March the city would have to wait another full  year to act, delaying funding for projects and operations by two years. The city will still use bonds for some projects, but the ordinance is needed to meet the legal deadline.

Baca said this:

“The current bill is almost like a placeholder, to be honest. … We’re going to flesh it out over the next couple of weeks, to really add something to it.”

SPONSORS ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY TAX

Progressive Democrat Joaquín Baca said this about the tax increase:

“This is an opportunity to invest in ourselves, bring Albuquerque up on par with all the surrounding cities. And part of that is because if you want to attract health care professionals, if you want to attract industry, all that is always in competition with other cities.”

The tax money generated would also help pay for city staff.  Baca said this:

“If you work for the city, you typically make less than someone outside of the city, typically, with the same type of job. So, this is bringing our folks within the city up on par with their colleagues.”

Republican City Councilor Brook Bassan said this about the tax increase:

“We’re proposing to raise a tax very small, and that equals less than half a penny for every dollar spent. …  I know that the reason that I am really seeking to increase this [tax] and get funds is because I’ve been working for six years to build the North Domingo Baca Aquatic Center.”

Councilors Bassan and Baca said they don’t expect the higher sales tax to hurt resident much financially. Bassan said this:

“It’s such a small amount of money that I don’t even think most people will notice the increase in taxes, but they definitely are going to notice the improvement in the city of Albuquerque.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

City Councilors  Progressive Democrat Joaquín Baca and Conservative Republican  Brook Bassan have officially become the City Council “odd couple” with their co-sponsorship of a tax increase.  Politically, they both represent very opposite philosophies.

It was very naïve for City Councilor Brook Bassan to say “We’re proposing to raise a tax very small, and that equals less than half a penny for every dollar spent.” The tax is in no way small when it is  tact on an already high gross receipts tax resulting in and 8.113%  total tax and placing  Albuquerque among the top-tier of cities by total tax rate and above nearby Santa Fe (8.1875%) and Rio Rancho (7.4375%).

Councilor Baca is equally naïve as Bassan if he thinks increasing the gross receipts tax will not affect the city ability to attract new industry and it will have a direct impact on the construction and manufacturing industries.

On the national level, affordability has become a major issue as prices soar in all categories and the issue could literally affect the mid terms. Gas prices are already soaring because of Trump’s Iran war as  the cost of a barrel of oil has gone from $60 to over $100 in a matter of two weeks and still climbing.

“Effects of the Iran war are rippling into the spending habits of American consumers, who are seeing price surges for gasoline and other items.  Energy prices have increased since the near-total shutdown in early March of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that carries 20% of the world’s oil shipments and about 20% of the world’s seaborne liquified natural gas. Most of the oil is from Saudi Arabia and Iraq.  Oil prices began rising March 3. In the United States, average gasoline prices hit $3.59 a gallon on March 11.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2026/03/11/iran-war-gas-oil-prices-impact/89098700007/

The gross receipts tax is the single most regressive tax there is disproportionately impacting low and moderate income residents and spiking prices on all goods and services, except for food purchases where the gross receipts tax in not imposed.

Gross receipts tax revenues are the biggest source of revenue for the city to pay for essential services, such as police  and fire protection, and any increase needs to be justified in no uncertain terms. As it stands, the city is not facing a critical deficit and still has more than ample bonding capacity to ask the voters to fund major city infrastructure projects.

The proposed tax increase needs to be rejected in no uncertain terms by the city council.

CONTACT YOUR CITY COUNCILLOR

Please contact your city councilor and urge them vote NO on City  Ordinance (O-26-16),  known as the Community Enhancement Municipal Gross Receipts Tax. The emails to contact all 9 City Councilors followed by their Policy Analyst to voice your opinions are:

• stelles@cabq.gov
• stephenchavez@cabq.gov
• joaquinbaca@cabq.gov
• bacajoaquin9@gmail.com
• namolina@cabq.gov
• kpena@cabq.gov
• cquezada@cabq.gov
• bbassan@cabq.gov
• dawnmarie@cabq.gov
• danlewis@cabq.gov
• galvarez@cabq.gov
• nrogers@cabq.gov
• district6@cabq.gov
• tfiebelkorn@cabq.gov
• seanforan@cabq.gov
• dchampine@cabq.gov
• eromero@cabq.gov
• rgrout@cabq.gov
• rrmiller@cabq.gov

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources for this article are here:

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/albuquerque-city-council-to-consider-gross-receipts-tax-increase/

https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-city-council-to-discuss-sales-tax-increase-and-immigrant-protection-ordinance/70754990

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-city-council-considers-raising-gross-receipts-tax/

https://citydesk.org/2026/03/03/albuquerque-councilors-propose-tax-hike-to-raise-over-100-million-for-new-projects-staff-pay/?lh_aid=55634&lh_cid=pn2xd3024g&utm_source=newsletter&di=e0ffc180caad34c2e324ea890e90496a

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gross-receipts-tax-ai-records-142759347.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/albuquerque-city-council-to-consider-gross-receipts-tax-increase/vi-AA1XDuYB

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/quality-of-life-tax-hike-dies-after-albuquerque-city-council-dust-up/363453