Justice New Mexico

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port / After a six month national search for a new police chief, Mayor Tim Keller has named two leadership positions at the Albuquerque Police Department with Harold Medina being selected as Chief of Police and Sylvester Stanley as Superintendent of Police Reform. “Each of these leaders will focus… Continue reading Mayor Keller names two to leadership positions at APD

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port  New crime totals for 2020 released by the Albuquerque Police Department found that while violent crime has risen, property crimes have gone down.  “We have more work to do, but this trend is encouraging because we continue to cut property crime,” Interim APD Chief Harold Medina said in… Continue reading APD reports drop in property crime, increase in violent crime

By Ludella Awad/ NM News Port Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) highlighted the success of the Anti-Crime Operation, a crime-fighting initiative introduced last year that combines officers and detectives in multiple bureaus in an attempt to recover guns and make arrests.  The Anti-Crime Operation combines the Field Services Bureau, Special Operations… Continue reading Mayor Keller, APD tout proactive approach to crime fighting

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is expanding its monitoring of social media to track illegal drug transactions as part of an initiative to prevent violent crime.  “We have social media being used as a means for dealing drugs,” said Interim Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina.  In a press… Continue reading APD expands use of social media to track illegal drug activity 

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port The city of Albuquerque has narrowed its national search for a new police chief to three candidates after three months gathering community input.  Consultant Herb Crosby along with city leaders have conducted over 40 community input sessions and collected nearly 2,300 responses to an online survey. Since December,… Continue reading City narrows selection to three candidates for Albuquerque’s top cop 

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port An independent monitor overseeing the Albuquerque Police Department’s reform process concluded that police reform efforts have failed and aren’t likely to improve until APD “shoulders its burden” to take responsibility for violations of policy and training. In the Monitor’s Twelfth Report released by court-appointed monitor James Ginger, the… Continue reading APD report reveals systemic failures in police reform

By Gordon Payne / NM News Port As 2020 comes to a close, the mayor of New Mexico’s largest city will have to hope for better times next year if one of his key public safety initiatives is going to be realized. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller hoped to build on his “fighting crime from all… Continue reading Albuquerque Community Safety Department ambitious in purpose, limited in funding

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port The Albuquerque Police Department is engaged in some self-assessment and image-polishing as Mayor Tim Keller conducts a national search for a new police chief. It’s been a month since former Albuquerque Police Chief Mike Geier announced his sudden retirement at a press conference. Geier has since told New… Continue reading Tension rises at APD as Keller looks for a new police chief

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port After three years as police chief of the Albuquerque Police Department, Mike Geier is retiring, effective Sept. 11, 2020. Geier made the announcement on Sept. 9.  “It has been an honor to lead the Albuquerque Police Department,” Geier said in a statement. “After 47 years in law enforcement,… Continue reading Albuquerque Police Chief Mike Geier announces sudden retirement

By Ludella Awad / NM News Port Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has introduced new leadership of the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), an initiative announced last year that combines law enforcement with social workers in an attempt to prevent gun violence. “This is a very unique model,” Keller said, indicating it comes from a public health… Continue reading Keller introduces new leadership of Violence Intervention Program

By Celia Raney / New Mexico In Depth / Going against federal guidance during the era of COVID-19, Albuquerque city personnel periodically roust homeless encampments. Waking inhabitants before sunrise, police deliver orders over a megaphone for men, women, sometimes families to move along in as quickly as 30 minutes. In the frenzy of gathering themselves… Continue reading Albuquerque rousts people from makeshift camps, risking virus spread