Albuquerque police union endorses Keller for mayor

The Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association has endorsed Mayor Tim Keller for a third term in a mayoral race where crime is a top concern and three of the five challengers have law enforcement backgrounds.

“He’s earned it, and he deserves the endorsement,” APOA President Shaun Willoughby said on Thursday. “We felt that he has the substantive understanding of the problems Albuquerque has faced and is still facing.”

Others running for mayor in the nonpartisan election are former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, who also served several years as the city of Albuquerque’s public safety director; former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Alex Uballez; retired Albuquerque Police officer, small business owner and outgoing city councilor Louie Sanchez; former firefighter Eddie Varela; and Mayling Armijo, former deputy county manager for Sandoval County.

While endorsing Keller in 2017, when he first ran for mayor after serving as New Mexico state auditor and a state legislator, the APOA four years later opted not to endorse any candidate.

During the 2021 mayoral campaign, the APOA conducted a survey of its members and 98% of those who responded stated that they didn’t “feel supported by Mayor Tim Keller’s administration,” according to news articles.

At the time, the APD was seven years into a court-approved settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, and officer dissatisfaction with its implementation was high and morale low.

The DOJ concluded in 2014 that Albuquerque Police had an unconstitutional pattern or practice of excessive force, including deadly force. The agency determined the APD’s pattern and practice stemmed from serious systemic deficiencies in policy, training, supervision and accountability. The resulting settlement agreement, which required an overhaul of APD operating practices and policies, ended in May of this year when APD came into compliance.

Along the way, implementation of some reforms ended up hampering officers’ ability to do their jobs, Willoughby said. The current mayoral campaign may focus on crime and homelessness, but “nobody wants to put the blame on the DOJ ... which has literally destroyed the city over the last 12 years,” he said.

Willoughby said the APOA decided to issue an endorsement this time because this election is “crucial” to moving the APD onto a new post-settlement agreement path.

The board of the APOA’s executive officers interviewed all mayoral candidates and opted to support Keller because he “did what he said he was going to do; he took care of the rank and file,” including instituting pay hikes for officers several years ago.

“We’ve faced some of our city’s hardest challenges together — rebuilding APD, improving morale, and driving down crime,” Keller said in a statement Thursday. “I’m grateful to our officers for standing with us as we keep moving Albuquerque in the right direction.”

Keller’s campaign stated that his administration “secured the most competitive police wages in the region, helping recruit and retain hundreds of new officers” and “modernized policing with new technology, training, and civilian support.”

According to APD data, between 2018 and 2024, violent crime in the city decreased 14% while property crime dropped 23%.