Cecily Barker named APD chief

After spending $55,000 on a national search and months of taking input from the community and public officials, the Albuquerque Police Department announced its next chief.

Mayor Tim Keller said Cecily Barker, a former deputy chief with over 20 years of law enforcement experience, will be the first woman chosen to lead the department on a permanent basis. Barker has served as the APD’s interim chief since Harold Medina’s retirement in late December.

“We all want a safer Albuquerque,” Barker said during a news conference Tuesday. “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.”

Barker will oversee a department of more than 950 sworn officers — New Mexico’s largest law enforcement agency. 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. 

“I want people to recognize that females can be chiefs,” she said. “I don’t want to be the last.”

Born and raised in Albuquerque, Barker said she cares deeply about the Duke City.

Keller said he wanted the next APD chief to be accessible, accountable and to have “New Mexico experience” during an early March forum. Over 1,000 Albuquerque residents reached out through various platforms to voice their top priorities for the chief, which included ethical leadership, community-centered policing and improved responsiveness to calls for service.

The city of Albuquerque in January hired an outside firm, Public Sector Search & Consulting Inc., to assist in the selection process. The maximum contract was for $100,000, but only $55,000 was spent, according to city spokesperson Dan Mayfield.

Keller also announced Raul Bujanda — who recently retired as the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque office — would be appointed as public safety executive director.

The role hadn’t existed previously, although Darren White — a longtime figure in local law enforcement — held a similarly titled position in 2009 under Mayor Richard Berry.

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

Bujanda will be in charge of overseeing APD, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and the Albuquerque Community Safety department. The head of each department, including Barker, will report to Bujanda.

The role was created primarily to bridge the gap between the three departments, according to APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos. 

“The public safety position is important, especially given the success and the importance of the Albuquerque Community Safety department,” Gallegos said. “We’ve turned the corner on crime, but the mayor heard from people during the election that we have more work to do. People want to feel safe in the community, so obviously, the mayor is keeping public safety as the top priority.”

As head of the FBI in New Mexico, Bujanda led the agency during federal investigations into a corruption scandal, in which defense attorneys and officers with APD and other local law enforcement conspired to illegally dismiss DWI charges in exchange for bribes.

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."

Barker said one of her goals as chief is 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.

“We’re really trying to balance providing resources and working with ACS and our other city departments to make sure that people know what’s available to them but also the safety of the city,” she said. “When we see open-air drug use, for example, that’s what we’re really focusing on as far as crime.”

Both Barker and Bujanda will have to go through an official confirmation process with the City Council. Their salaries have not been finalized and are still under negotiation.

Barker has officially begun her role as police chief, but Bujanda will not begin as public safety executive director until April 4, according to Gallegos. A Tuesday news release states he will report to Albuquerque Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel.

Keller said he had been considering creating the public safety executive director position 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.

As for the new APD chief, Medina in the past expressed hope that Barker would be his successor. He was her sergeant when Barker joined the department, though she said she plans to take a different approach to managing her staff.

“He did great things, but I will tell you that my leadership style is different than his,” Barker said. “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.” 

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.