'There is so much work to do': Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller sworn in for record third consecutive term

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller addressed issues ranging from homelessness to crime as he began his third term in office on Sunday.

"This afternoon, we gather here, in many ways, breaking history against the odds," he said during his inauguration speech inside the Albuquerque Convention Center. "Anti-incumbent sentiment, and frustration with government is at an all-time high. And locally, I see what you see, these are tough times for so many. We have a long way to go and there is so much work to do."

Keller added, "Underneath the surface, our election was about something deeper in this city and our country. It was about fear: fear of not making ends meet, of losing a family member, of being othered or disconnected. Yet we are here today, on this unprecedented occasion, not because of fear; but (because of) trust and belief in each other, and the place we live, in Albuquerque itself."

On Dec. 9, Keller defeated challenger Darren White in a runoff, which pleased hundreds of his supporters who came to watch him be sworn in.

"He has a lot on his plate, particularly with the homelessness and there's still a lot of stuff that needs to be done with city roads (and) keeping the parks going," Albuquerque resident Jacob Matteson said. "... and I hope that he really continues to add to the homeless center on Gibson and accommodate more of the homeless."

Keller said the city "must move past the idea that there (is) a single solution for homelessness and embrace Gateway system of care — a coordinated network designed for real recovery.

"We simply have to have a variety of options for people to go besides the sidewalk, parks and abandoned buildings; that means dozens of safe outdoor spaces, pallets, casitas, Boxabls ... and everything in between," he said.

The mayor also touched on crime.

"We must keep growing (Albuquerque Community Safety) to meet people where they are, de-escalate crises, and free our officers to focus on serious crime," he said. "We have to get the impactful teen violence intervention program that are in five of our high schools, to all of them. ... (We) must expand the crime fighting technology shield that protects 20% of our city to everyone in Albuquerque."

Aside from addressing topics like homelessness and crime, Keller said he wants to work with the city council "on our biggest issues, sharing information, (giving) open access to departments and staff so we can push past Q&A(s) and debates about power and jurisdiction, and focus on polices that will directly make us safer, help people off the streets and build spaces where we can connect with each other."

After Keller finished, five city councilors were sworn in: Stephanie Telles (District 1), Klarissa Peña (District 3), Dan Lewis (District 5), Tammy Fiebelkorn (District 7) and Renee Grout (District 9).

"For many of you, today's not just an inauguration, it's an opportunity to (renew) our focus as a city with strong leadership and a clear vision," Lewis said. "I do believe we can address the challenges that (we) face out there."