Former firefighter Eddie Varela hopes to tackle crime and homelessness in mayoral run

Brand new Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks as a police hiring bonus, tearing out the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system and imposing a nightly curfew for youths — those are some of former firefighter and Albuquerque resident Eddie Varela’s proposed policies if elected mayor.

And, in one of the more bold proposals, Varela has said his administration would remedy rush-hour traffic crossing the river by digging a tunnel “straight to Rio Rancho.”

Varela told the Journal in a recent interview that some people will see his policies as “harsh” or “crazy,” but said he’s confident his plans are better than any of the other candidates.

“I have no fear of becoming the mayor because that’s what I did for a living — put out fires and take care of things,” Varela said.

Varela worked for Albuquerque Fire Rescue for 22 years, primarily as a paramedic and then served as the fire chief in Barstow, California, for eight years. Before his career as a firefighter, Varela grew up in Barelas and attended Rio Grande High School.

He has nine children and describes himself as a devout Christian. In 2014, Varela ran as a Democrat for Catron County sheriff and lost to Republican Ian Fletcher.

Two years later, Varela was convicted of misdemeanor harassment in a case out of Catron County Magistrate Court. Varela had pleaded not guilty to the charge and his attorney, Jonathan Peake, said Varela was charged after sending “a text message that used unbecoming language” to his ex-wife.

Peake said he is in the process of expunging the charge, which would clear it from Varela’s criminal record.

Varela’s campaign is privately financed and has received $38,119 in campaign contributions, ranking him as the lowest-earning campaign among the six qualified and actively campaigning candidates. In the latest Journal poll, Varela drew support from 2% of likely voters, however, 37% of those polled said they were undecided in late September.

If elected, Varela would focus on what he views as Albuquerque’s biggest problems — crime and homelessness.

Under Varela’s leadership, he said he’d recruit more officers to the Albuquerque Police Department by offering brand-new personal vehicles as a hiring bonus.

“It’s a one-time commitment for the city, a one-time expense, and it’s going to work,” Varela said.

To target juvenile crime specifically, Varela said he’d enact a nightly curfew for minors to get them off the streets and keep them out of trouble.

Although a city ordinance grants the mayor the ability to impose a curfew on citizens in the case of a “civil emergency” it does not allow the mayor to target specific groups of people, like juveniles, with a curfew order.

Varela said he would also lobby politicians at the Roundhouse to reinstate qualified immunity, a legal doctrine allowing the defense of qualified immunity in state court. The doctrine was eliminated by the state Legislature in April 2021 in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis with the passage of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act.

Qualified immunity was used as a defense in wrongful death suits. Advocates said the doctrine cost the state millions each year and shielded police officers from being held accountable for using excessive force.

Varela said the elimination of qualified immunity is what makes it hard to recruit police officers and lower crime in the city. Moreover, Varela said he believes that crime and homelessness are connected.

With APD lacking officers, Varela said he would hire private security companies to patrol the city and identify those sleeping or loitering on the streets. Once identified, Varela said he’d direct the police chief to serve warrants and issue more citations for unlawful camping or drug use.

Then he’ll have officers ask: “Do you want to go to jail or do you want to go home?”

Paying for bus tickets out of town, Varela said, would be cheaper than operating social services or an overnight shelter like the Gateway Center.

When asked what he would do with the numerous properties owned by the city under Gateway, a system of social services and overnight shelters for homeless people, Varela said he wouldn’t “initially” shut it down. However, he said, he would not renew contracts with service providers there.

Homelessness isn’t the only problem on Central Avenue, Varela said, the ART bus comes as a close second. Varela credits the bus lane and stations’ construction with closing businesses along Central, increasing pedestrian fatalities and facilitating the trafficking of fentanyl across the city.

His solution? Tear out the ART bus stops along Central.

“We’re not going to impede business, period, at all anymore,” Varela said.

When asked if a long period of demolition could cause economic damage, Varela said it wasn’t a concern because all demolition would be done at night. As for the rest of the city’s buses, Varela said he would restrict free bus fare to students and seniors.

Lacking a political background is a strength, Varela said. He learned what he needed to know on the job.

“I’m a fire administrator who worked under six mayors, who understands the system and understands the problem,” Varela said. “I was born and raised in this town. I love my town, and it disgusts me to see what has happened to our town and I think I can make a difference.”