Mayor Keller, Partners Announce Strategic Efforts with Local, State, Federal Leaders to Fight Violent Crime

May 10, 2019

Mayor Tim Keller convened local, state, and federal leaders today to announce several major initiatives to fight violent crime in the Albuquerque area. Since taking office, the administration has made tackling crime from all sides its top priority. Today, that work continued with APD strategically coordinating on crime-fighting efforts with UNM, State of New Mexico agencies, and the District Attorney.

“We made crime our number one priority knowing it would be a long road,” stated Mayor Tim Keller. “This year alone, we have experienced tragic crimes against children, public servants, and college kids; we know our city has major challenges.  But we’re determined to win this fight and we won’t stand down. We’ve been working to right the ship after a decade of rising crime by hiring more officers and strategically fighting crime. Today, we’re continuing those efforts with new, unprecedented partnerships to target the worst kinds of violent crime across our city. This group of leaders is committed to more than one time band-aids. We’re aiming for lasting results for public safety.”

At the press conference, Mayor Tim Keller also announced that APD identified the suspect who is accused of fatally shooting Jackson Weller and has issued an arrest warrant for him on an open count of murder. Mayor Keller said, “This suspect was recently released from jail on his own recognizance for a felony firearms case in February. During a press conference on gun violence almost about a month ago, we referenced the same individuals’ activities, in which he was openly firing out of a moving vehicle at police vehicles and our police officers. Unfortunately, this individual was back on the streets, and I want to say unequivocally that no one who shoots at police officers should ever be out on our streets.”

City of Albuquerque/APD Efforts

• Expanded hours for area patrols based at the Triangle Community Substation, located just east of the UNM campus, to ensure it is open when nearby bars close on Fridays and Saturdays. The substation will be open 6 days a week, and remain open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Three Bike Teams will work in the Nob Hill area, including the Problem Response Team that uses bikes. Two to four bike officers will patrol additional hours on Fridays and Saturdays, including overnight hours when the bars close down.
• APD is helping to lead the new Violent Crime Task Force with New Mexico State Police, made up of state and local law enforcement agencies.
• Opening up the police department to embedded assistant district attorneys for better prosecutions.
• Recruiting and retaining police officers to increase police presence. Hiring 100 new officers over the last year, with 30 just recently hitting the streets.
• Continuing to implement APD's gun violence initiative and integrating it with other state agencies' efforts to track guns used in crimes throughout the state.
• Working with the Fire Marshal, Environmental Health and Code Enforcement to crack down on issues that contribute to late night violence.

APD-UNM Partnership

Mayor Keller and UNM President Garnett Stokes announced a partnership that will station UNM police officers with APD officers at the Triangle Community Substation. UNM Police will have access to the substation and help create an increased police presence and increase patrols in the area. UNM officers will be able to participate in coordinated patrols and enforcement efforts in neighborhoods surrounding UNM.

“A distinct part of the UNM mission is to advance the public interest, which includes working alongside out neighbors and partners. Communities thrive when they share a common goal and vision – encouraging mutual understanding, respect, and empathy,” University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes said. “To that end, our UNM police officers will be conducting joint patrols with the Albuquerque Police Department officers in areas adjacent to campus.”

City-State Partnership

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration announced commitments from state law enforcement and other agencies to work with APD on several crime initiatives, including:

• Assigning 50 State Police officers to work with APD on tactical plans targeting violent crime in Albuquerque.
• Raising awareness that the State's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) program to track and investigate gun violence is available to all local police departments across New Mexico. 
• The Probation & Parole Division of the State Corrections Department will work with APD on tactical operations related to parolees.
• The State’s Regulation & Licensing Department will ramp up enforcement of liquor laws.
• The Governor and Mayor will ask the federal Congressional Delegation to request that recently decreased FBI, DEA and ATF staffing levels be restored in New Mexico.

“My administration always stands at the ready to assist local partners in keeping New Mexicans safe,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Violent crime in Albuquerque is a scourge, and we will attack the roots of that scourge with targeted deployments of manpower and resources. New Mexico residents must be free to have every expectation of safety in their homes and communities. It’s our duty as a state to take every action we possibly can to realize that freedom, and I’m proud to stand with our partners in Albuquerque in providing immediate, directed assistance.”

“We have made progress in many areas but we can’t let up,” APD Chief Mike Geier said, noting the hiring of 100 new officers, including 30 officers who recently hit the streets of Albuquerque. “The tragic murder of Jackson Weller is another reminder that we are in this for the long haul. I appreciate the partnerships that are being announced today. This is a force multiplier for us, as we continue to hire more officers and rebuild our specialty units.”

District Attorney-APD Partnership

District Attorney Raúl Torrez announced he will assign assistant a district attorney to be embedded with APD detectives for key criminal investigations to ensure effective prosecutions of major crimes. Also, the District Attorney will pursue policy changes in preventive detention to keep known violent offenders off the streets.

“It’s time for us to face the fact that the preventive detention system that we have been trying to work through in the last couple of years simply is not working and this individual should not have been on the streets of Albuquerque. Next week, I intend to introduce a proposed package for legislative action that I will be asking the Governor and the leadership in Santa Fe to take action on in the next session,” said District Attorney Raúl Torrez.