Cecily Barker named next 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 on Tuesday announced the appointment of Cecily Barker, a former deputy chief with over 20 years of law enforcement experience. She has served as the APD’s interim chief since Harold Medina’s retirement in late December.

Barker will formally oversee a department of more than 950 sworn officers for New Mexico’s largest law enforcement agency. She is the first woman to be named interim and permanent police chief. 

Medina in the past expressed hope that Barker, who has recently represented the department at news conferences, crime scenes and public events, would be his successor.

In early March, the search was narrowed to three finalists: Barker; Dallas Assistant Police Chief Gilberto Garza; and former Seattle Assistant Police Chief Perry Tarrant. Nineteen people applied for the position and seven were interviewed during the selection process, according to a March 13 news release from city spokesperson Dan Mayfield. 

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 public records. 

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