On December 5, APD Chief Harold Medina and Mayor Tim Keller sat down with the Albuquerque Journal editorial board for a joint interview. Chief Medina disclosed he is considering not retiring as APD Chief at the end of December 2025 when Mayor Tim Keller’s second term ends. Keller has made it known he is seeking a third 4-year term in 2025 with the municipal election to be held on November 4, 2025.
Medina told the Journal this:
“There are a lot of things I want to finish accomplishing. … I want [to make] this clear — I still have a passion for this job. … I still love this job every day. … I put 30 years into this department, and if there is a strong transition for me to [retire], then yes, [I will] … I need to see where the department is. There’s so many unknowns.”
Medina said he has more work to be done with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree in bringing the department into compliance with use-of-force standards. Medina said he doesn’t want another chief to finish the work. Medina also said he wants crime rates to be trending in the right direction. Medina boasted that he’s “boosted morale” in the department despite what critics have said about him.
In 2014, a DOJ investigation found that a “culture of aggression” existed within APD and that the department had engaged in a pattern of using excessive force and deadly force, especially when dealing with the mentally ill. Since 2014, APD has been under a federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA) with the Department of Justice mandating the implementation of 271 reforms. APD has reached 99% in Operational Compliance levels and 100% in Primary And Secondary Compliance levels with the DOJ Reforms. Under the settlement, APD must sustain 95% compliance in all 3 compliance levels for two full years before the case can be dismissed. It’s more likely than not the case will be dismissed by the end of 2025.
Mayor Keller said that upon Medina’s eventual departure the city has a “great pool” of potential APD Chief successors to pull from whenever needed, no matter who the mayor is. Keller pointed out that he has been through multiple chief searches and “it’s not good governance to not think about transition.” Keller put it this way:
“I’m very prepared to walk through that and lead the department through an interim transition.”
Keller said Medina has built “a great bench” to replace him, including APD Deputy Chief Cecily Barker for whom Medina voiced support for becoming the next APD chief. APD has never had a female police chief, and confidential sources are saying Keller is champing at the bit to appointment the first female APD Chief of Police.
RECALLING HOW AND WHEN MEDINA BECAME CHIEF
Harold Medina is the second Chief of Police appointed by Mayor Keller. Former APD Chief Michael Geier was appointed Chief of Police by Mayor Keller in 2017 within one month after Keller was elected Mayor. It was Chief Geier who recruited Medina to return to APD as a Deputy Chief of Field Services. Former APD Chief Geier was forced to retire on September 10, 2020, some would say terminated, by Mayor Tim Keller and replaced him with APD Chief Harold Medina. A few days after Geier “retired” it was revealed that Geier was indeed forced out by Mayor Tim Keller. Chief Geier was summoned to a city park by Mayor Tim Keller during the Labor Day Holiday weekend where Geier was told that his services were no longer needed. It was also revealed then First Deputy Chief Harold Medina helped orchestrate Geier’s removal. He did so with the help of then CAO Sarita Nair. Medina became insubordinate to Geier and learning Geier was going to take disciplinary action against him and demote and transfer him, Medina struck back and orchestrated Geier’s removal.
CHARTER AMENDMENT
On November 5 voters approved a City Charter Amendments giving the city council power to remove a Chief of Police and the Fire Chief without cause, with a 7-2 vote. The amendment requires an employment contract. Before, the charter required no employment contracts and required cause to remove the chief of police and fire chief with a 6 vote majority. Before the amendment the positions were considered at will employees serving at the pleasure of the Mayor and requiring majority advise and consent approval of the city council.
Mayor Keller argues that the Charter amendment increases his power as mayor. However on Election Night, in a news release, Keller’s office said the charter amendments may have to be reviewed by the courts because they were not written clearly enough for voters. Keller told the Journal that his office wasn’t planning on challenging it in court because “it’s the city who actually put that on there.”
APD Chief Medina told the Journal that he likes the charter amendment because if he’s voted out by the council he gets paid. Medina put it this way:
“I think the council blundered this. … NFL coaches, college coaches, when they’re released before their contract is good, they get a nice, big paycheck.”
Even if Medina does not retire at the end of December 2025 as he has originally said some still think he will not be the police chief come 2026. Republican City Council President Dan Lewis said this:
“That’s up for a new mayor to decide, and I don’t think Keller is going to be the next mayor”. Lewis said this even though he told Keller in a text message in October “you’re probably going to get reelected”.
Conservative Trump Republican Dan Lewis ran against Progressive Democrat Tim Keller in a runoff for Mayor in 2017 and lost. Lewis has already said he will not be a candidate for Mayor in 2025, but he too may have a change of heart.
A YEAR OF APD SCANDAL AND MEDINA PERSONAL CONTROVERSY
APD Chief Medina’s announcement that he wants to stay on after December 31 comes after a year of an APD corruption scandal and Chief Medina violating standard operating procedures and being given preferential treatment by APD and Mayor Keller. APD is under an ongoing investigation by the FBI for alleged corruption related to APD officers’ dismissing DWIs for briberies. In February, Medina crashed a department truck into a vintage Mustang while fleeing gunfire near the International District and placing a man in critical condition. Medina was given letters of reprimanded by the Internal Affairs Division, which he assigns personnel, for his handling of the crash, notably for not turning on his lapel camera and violating APD policies and procedures.
CITY COUNCIL EFFORTS TO REMOVE MEDINA
In 2024, there were 3 attempts by the Albuquerque City Council calling for a “vote of no confidence” in Chief Medina and calling for his termination. The most serious attempt was on February 14 when Westside City Councilor Louie Sanchez announced the introduction of a Resolution entitled “REMOVING POLICE CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA FOR FAILURE TO LEAD THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT”. The Resolution identifies numerous and specific instances of mismanagement of APD by Chief Harold Medina.
Chief Medina severely criticized the city council over the council’s efforts to remove him telling his subordinates during mandatory briefings he called in March that he would be fine because he planned to retire soon. Medina said this:
“Am I pissed [at the city council]? Yes, I am pissed. But you know what? I’m fine. I’ll go through that [council vote] tomorrow. I have my plan. They have their plan. We will play this game until December 2025, when I decide to retire.”
On April 3, the resolution was withdrawn, and no vote was ever taken by the city council.
APD BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY SCANDAL TO DISMISS DWI CASES
It was on Friday January 19 that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants and raided the homes of 3 Albuquerque Police officers and the home and law office of prominent DWI criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear, III. All 6 are allegedly involved in a bribery and conspiracy scheme spanning a decade to dismiss DWI cases. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman ordered the dismissal of 196 DWI cases because of the scandal and due to APD officers credibility being called into question.
The DWI bribery scandal to dismiss DWI cases is the largest corruption case in APD’s history. Thus far, a total of 9 APD Police officers, including an APD Internal Affairs Commander and an APD Lieutenant have been implicated in the scandal. Seven APD officers have resigned during the Internal Affairs investigation. One is on paid leave and one has been terminated. Before becoming APD Chief, Medina was the Deputy Chief in Charge of APD field services overseeing the DWI unit and is was he who assigned police officers to the unit. At least one of the officers implicated in the scandal has accused Chief Medina of being fully aware of what was going on. The FBI investigation is ongoing, no one has been charged yet, but federal indictments are expected of the police officers and the private criminal defense attorney and his paralegal.
Mayor Keller and Chief Medina made more than a few stunning admissions throughout this sordid APD corruption scandal. They have admitted that the APD bribery and conspiracy scheme to dismiss DWI cases went on the entire 7 years they have been in charge of APD, but they never detected what was going on. Both admitted that only after they found out the FBI was investigating APD the decision was made to initiate a city APD criminal and internal affairs investigation as they proclaimed cooperation with the FBI. Medina admitted that he knew about the corruption as far back as December 2022 when APD was first given a complaint relating to the department’s DWI unit in December 2022, yet Medina waited and essentially did nothing for a full year.
Keller’s admissions come from a person who was first elected as the “white knight” state auditor who stopped “waste, fraud and abuse” and held people accountable for government corruption. Medina’s admissions come from a chief who claims he has never looked the other way at police corruption.
Keller and Medina both looked the other way on documented APD corruption involving overtime pay abuses by APD police officers. There have been seven audits in 8 years documenting the corruption, waste, fraud and abuse in police overtime. One of those audits was done by none other than then New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller.
MEDINA’S CAR CRASH
On February 17 APD Chief Harold Medina and his wife were in a city unmarked APD truck on their way to a press conference with Mayor Tim Keller. Medina decided to stop and call APD to clear a homeless encampment. Medina witnessed two people fighting, a gun was pulled and pointed at Medina’s APD issued vehicle and a shot was fired.
In response Medina fled from the scene and drove through a red light and he T-boned a gold 1966 Ford Mustang driven by Todd Perchert who sustained a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, and a collapsed lung and was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he underwent 7 hours of surgery for his injuries. Chief Medina admitted he ran a red light. Medina admitted that he intentionally did not have his lapel camera on and for that reason referred himself to the Superintendent of Police reform for and Internal Affairs Investigation. Medina and his wife were unharmed.
On February 17 during a news conference after the crash, Mayor Tim Keller reacted by heaping highly questionable claims and praises on Chief Medina and he said in part:
“This is actually [Chief Medina] … disrupting an altercation, a shooting, trying to do what’s right. [His actions were] above and beyond what you expect from a chief, and I’m grateful for Harold Medina. … [Chief Medina is] arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city.”
Keller made no mention of the injured victim of the car crash.
A full week after the crash, Mayor Keller said in an interview that the driver of the Mustang “happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time … and it was also a beautiful gold Mustang.” Again, Keller made no mention of the serious injuries inflicted on Todd Perchert.
On Tuesday, February 20, Chief Medina did a “special edition” of his Chief’s Corner to discuss the February 17 car crash with APD personnel. Medina said this in part:
“I was the victim of this traffic accident, and it’s a direct impact of what gun violence is doing to our community. And we need to continue to work at it. I did call out I did submit to a drug test, as any officer would.”
Medina said on the video he thought the oncoming gold Mustang would pass through intersection before he got there. Medina said in his video statement “I looked to my left, and the intersection was cleared. … And I thought that the car was going to pass before I got there, and it did not, and unfortunately, I struck a vehicle.”
Medina admitted he was the one responsible for the crash. He admitted he ran a red light and that he did not have the right of way, yet he said he “was the victim of this traffic accident.” Medina also admitted as before he did not have his body camera on at the time of the crash.
Chief Medina admitted that his wife has not been certified for police ride along with him. Medina asserted that the police ride along policy has been relaxed by Mayor Keller where ride along permission forms to allow relatives to ride along with patrol officers and for personal use are no longer required, yet the original written policy has never been changed.
On February 21, APD released a surveillance video. It shows Chief Harold Medina running a red light and crashing into the Ford Mustang seriously injuring the driver of the Mustang. The surveillance video reveals major falsehoods in Chief Medina’s version of events that he gave in his “Chief’s Corner” video statement. The intersection was not clear as Medina claimed.
The surveillance video shows Medina cutting in front of another car before accelerating at a fast rate of speed through the intersection. The video shows oncoming traffic with Medina first slowly inching between two vehicles traveling West on the North side lanes of Central and Medina then accelerating to cross to the South traveling lanes of Central at a high rate of speed and crashing into the Mustang that was traveling East on the South lanes of Central.
APD Chief Harold Medina could have totally avoided the entire crash by simply turning right to go West on Central as opposed to flooring his vehicle to go forward going South and attempting to turn left to go East. This would have had the immediate effect of driving the vehicle out of the line of fire with a motel building providing obstruction.
On July 18, the city announced the results of internal affairs investigation and disciplinary review of APD Chief Harold Medina for the February 17 car crash. Chief Medina was issued two “letters of reprimand” by Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia. Chief Harold Medina was found to have violated APD policy by failing to safely operate his vehicle while on duty and not turning on his lapel camera as required by state law. The letters of reprimand were placed in Medina’s personnel file and no other disciplinary action was taken. Medina was disciplined one other time in 2006 and given a written reprimand. The 2006 reprimand was also issued by then Lieutenant Eric Garcia who was Medina’s supervisor at the time.
The following actions of Chief Medina during the February 17 incident and car crash are believed to be violations of APD Standard Operating Procedures:
- Medina failed to activate his lapel camera in a timely manner as required by state law.
- Chief Medina’s wife was not authorized for police ride-alongs. He involved his wife in a patrol and enforcement action when he decided to report for removal a homeless encampment and it escalated into a felony incident with Medina’s wife being placed in harm’s way.
- Chief Medina failed to take his wife to a safe, convenient location before he attempted to take action and investigate.
- Chief Medina did not have his vehicle’s emergency warning equipment engaged when he made the initial stop to investigate, nor when he took off to flee from the scene.
- Chief Medina did not drive his vehicle with “due regard for the safety of others.” He drove with reckless disregard for the safety of others and ran a red light driving his vehicle without the vehicle’s emergency equipment on.
Chief Medina should have been investigated by another law enforcement agency, such as the Bernalillo County Sheriff or State Police, and he could have been charged with reckless driving. Medina could have been terminated “for cause” for the violations of APD’s Standard Operating procedures, something Medina himself has done with officers under his command who have failed to follow APD policy and procedures. Instead, Medina was given slap on the wrist and preferential treatment by his own department. Mayor Keller refused to hold Chief Medina accountable for his conduct as he heaped questionable praises on the Chief.
LEA-90 COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST CHIEF MEDINA TO SUSPEND OR REVOLE MEDINA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION
On August 26, 2024 it was announced that District 1 City Councilor Louie Sanchez has filed a complaint with the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) to investigate potential misconduct by Chief Medina at the scene of the Chief’s February 2024 automobile crash. The press release reads in part as follows:
“[Albuquerque City] Councilor Sanchez submitted a formal request for a state investigation of the conduct of Chief Medina at the scene of the February accident. The request, known as a LEA-90, comes in the light of Medina’s admission to APD Internal Affairs that he intentionally and purposefully did not activate his body-worn camera when involved in police action. Such action by Medina appears to violate Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2020 public safety accountability bill which requires police officers to wear the body worn cameras and record encounters with citizens.
The Law Enforcement Training Act (Section 29-7-1 through 29-7-16), grants the Law Enforcement Academy Board of Directors the power and duty to refuse, suspend, or revoke the certification of a police officer or telecommunicator for just cause as provided for under the Law Enforcement Training Act and Board Rules.
“As the chief law enforcement officer of the state’s largest police department, the chief should hold himself to a higher standard than that of his rank and file, not lower. We are at a crossroads where officer morale is at an all-time low and public trust might even be lower. … Chief Medina’s actions are the type of actions that brought the U.S. Department of Justice oversight in the first place. Here, he openly disregarded state law.”
The request for investigation has been submitted to the Department of Public Safety, Law Enforcement Academy, and the investigation will be conducted by the LEA Board of Directors. The investigation is still pending.
The link to the press release is here:
CIVIL LAWSUIT FOR PERSONAL INJURY FILED AGAINST MEDINA AND CITY
On August 26, Todd Perchert, the victim of the February 17 car crash caused APD Police Chief Harold Medina, filed in the 2nd Judicial District Court in Albuquerque a 20 page personal injury lawsuit naming as Defendants the City of Albuquerque and APD Chief Harold Medina. The lawsuit alleges negligence and that “Defendant Harold Medina battered and/or assaulted Todd Perchert by driving at a high rate of speed and violently colliding with Plaintiff’s vehicle.” The civil complaint outlines personal injury damages, alleges violations of the New Mexico Tort Claims Act, and Violations of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act and alleges “Loss of Consortium.” Perchert’s wife, Danielle, is also suing.
Plaintiff Todd Perchert is seeking damages for the following personal injuries sustained in the car crash:
- Broken collarbone and shoulder blade
- 8 broken ribs (Reconstructed with titanium plates after surgery)
- Collapsed lung
- Lacerations to left ear and head
- Multiple gashes to face
- Seven-hour surgery
- Hospitalized with an epidural painkiller and chest tube for nearly a week
- On going pain and suffering affecting quality of life
With all of the public admissions of liability and admissions against interest made by Chief Medina, it is likely that the case will result in an astonishing large judgement or settlement paid to Todd Perchert and his wife by the City because of Chief Medina’s actions.
KELLER MAKES IT KNOWN RUNNING FOR THIRD TERM
It was on August 29, in an exclusive interview with KOAT-TV, that Mayor Tim Keller made it know he is running for a third term. He did so during a wide ranging exclusive interview with Channel 7 on topics including public safety, APD staffing, crime statistics, the homeless and the ongoing controversy where APD Chief Harold caused a crash sending a man to the hospital in critical condition.
The link to the KOAT TV report is here:
On August 30, Mayor Keller issued the following statement:
“I’ve been publicly asked about once a month for the last year about my intent to run, and I always want to give a straightforward answer. I plan to ask voters for another term to finish key projects like building out the Gateways, the consent decree, downtown revitalization, solidifying our social service response department, the Rail Yards film school and a dozen or so other critical projects. As I’ve stated in the past, I would formally announce early next year.”
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
On November 21, Mayor Tim Keller said this when he talked to the Journal Editorial Board alone without Medina:
“The idea is at the end of [my] term, he wants to retire, and he’s earned it. He’s several years past his PERA [Public Employees Retirement Association requirements], but we’ll see.”
It was on December 5, a mere 14 days after Keller’s November 21 meeting with the Journal, that Keller and Medina appeared for a joint interview with the Journal Editorial Board when Medina disclosed he did not want to retire.
Chief Medina’s change of heart and wanting to continue as APD Chief after December 2025 more likely than not caught Mayor Tim Keller totally off guard and was the likely reason for the December 5 follow up joint meeting with the Journal Editorial Board. It’s believed Medina’s change of heart surprised the Journal Editorial board as well.
MEDINA IS MAJOR LIABILITY TO KELLER
Despite what Mayor Keller and Chief Medina may say and think, Chief Medina is a major liability to Keller and will be an albatross round Keller’s neck as he seeks a third term. Medina does not have the confidence of the general public, let alone the rank and file of APD.
Confidential sources within APD are saying morale is so bad within APD because of Medina and his management style and team that there will be as many as 120 retirements of sworn police in early 2025. The number of current APD sworn personnel is roughly 920 sworn police and so many retirements will be a crisis.
GREED MOTIVATES MEDINA TO STAY ON
According to the City of Albuquerque listings of the city’s 250 top wage earners, Chief Medina was listed as being paid $204,023 a year in January, 2023. With pay increases and incentive pay bonuses over the last two years Medina is making upwards of $225,000 a year. With over 30 years of employment service as a police officer, Medina can retire from the Public Employees Retirement Association earning 90% of his top 3 wage earning years and have an annual pension of approximately $200,000 or more for the rest of his life.
It’s downright disgusting and a reflection of Medina’s sure arrogance and out right greed when he said this:
“I think the council blundered [on the Charter Amendment mandating a contract for Chief’s]. … NFL coaches, college coaches, when they’re released before their contract is good, they get a nice, big paycheck.”
It’s as if Medina wants the benefit of a multiyear contract so that he can continue to offend the city council and force them to terminate him so he can collect “a nice, big paycheck.” The blunt truth is Medina does not have a written contract now and such a personnel contract would have to be approved by the City Council which is unlikely given the current hostility the Council has toward Medina.
LOW APPROVAL RATINGS PLAGUE KELLER AND STILL A LIABILITY
Voters have increasingly made it known they are not at all satisfied with the overall job performance of Mayor Tim Keller.
A year ago on November 3, 2023, the Albuquerque Journal released a poll on Mayor Keller’s job performance. The poll was conducted by its long-time polling firm Research & Polling which is considered the gold standard when it comes to political polls because of its accuracy.
The Journal poll asked the singular question “Do you approve or disapprove of the way Tim Keller is handling his job as Mayor?”
The results of the poll were dramatic:
- 40% said they DISAPPROVE
- 33% said they APPROVED
- 21% said they had mixed feelings
- 5% would not say
On October 3, 2024, New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan reported in part as follows:
“Our exclusive sources reveal that Keller’s popularity remains deep under water. They report that recent polling in ABQ legislative districts included a question on Keller and shows his approval rating ranging from the low 30’s with a high point of about 48 percent in one of the districts. Dissatisfaction with crime and homelessness in the city is widespread but how deep it goes is an open question.”
https://joemonahansnewmexico.blogspot.com/2024/10/keller-numbers-remain-under-water-as-he.html
CITIZEN SATISFACTION SURVEY REFLECTS VOTER DISATISFACTION
On April 16, 2024 the results of the annual City of Albuquerque Citizen Satisfaction Survey were released and they are a poor reflection of Mayor Keller’s and Chief Medina’s leadership. Following are highlights of the survey:
A majority of city residents were found to be concerned about the direction of Albuquerque. When asked how they feel about the direction Albuquerque is going in 2024, 31% of surveyed say they are hopeful about the direction of Albuquerque, while 63% report feeling concerned.
The Survey found that city residents are very critical of the job the Albuquerque Police Department is doing:
“The majority of city residents DISAGREE that APD is doing a good job addressing violent crime with 39% agreeing it is doing good job and 56% disagreeing they are doing a good job.
The majority of city residents DISAGREE that the APD is doing a good job addressing property crime with 35% agreeing APD is doing a good job and 60% disagreeing they are doing a good job.
A slight majority of city residents DISAGREE that “the Albuquerque Police Department is ready to transition away from oversight by the federal government and operate on its own” with 39% agreeing APD is ready to transition away from federal oversight and 51% disagreeing APD is ready to transition away from federal oversight.
In addition to disagreeing with the positive APD statements, most city residents disagree that “The Albuquerque City Government is responsive to our community needs” with 35% agreeing that the Albuquerque City Government is responsive to community needs and 61% disagreeing Albuquerque City Government is responsive to community needs.
The link to review the entire unedited survey report is here:
https://www.cabq.gov/progress/documents/albuquerque-yearly-survey-2023.pdf
FINAL COMMENTARY
One thing that can be guaranteed as a certainty is that APD Chief Harold Medina will be a major issue and a liability for Keller in the 2025 Mayor’s race because of all the scandal and corruption involving APD and Medina himself.
Not with standing Keller’s declining job approval ratings, poor job performance and all public criticism of Mayor Keller, he is still favored by city hall observers for election to a third term. This is primarily because no one knows if he will have a serious opponent who can mount an effective campaign against him and time is now running short.
Keller has never lost an election and has won all of his elections by a landslide. He has a built-in advantage with an existing campaign organization in the form of his city’s highly paid department directors and the ability to raise large sums of campaign cash along with a campaign manager who resorts to slash and burn tactics to disparage opposition and win at any and all costs.
Mayor Keller and in turn Medina are likely banking on no well-known Democratic candidate who can mount a serious campaign. Keller is also banking on his lock on the progressive wing of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party that he has relied upon in the past for virtually all of his races, but that may be changing.
The only announced candidate thus far running against Keller is Conservative Republican talk show host Eddy Aragon. Another said to be running is retired Fire Fighter Eddy Varela. Other names rumored to be looking at running for Mayor are Republican City Councilor Brook Bassan, well known commercial real estate owner and Republican Doug Peterson, Democrat City Councilors Louie Sanchez and Klarissa Pena. Democrat Jeff Apodaca who ran for Governor and who is the son of former Governor Jerry Apodaca is said to be considering a run. Sources are also saying Republican Mark Ronchetti is considering a run. Republican City Council President Dan Lewis could also reconsider and run again. Sources have confirmed that Democrat Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover was talking about running and she as much told Keller of her intent but she has since changed her mind.
The local election guide and calendar of deadlines for the 2025 municipal election will be available January 1, 2025. Soon after January 1, 2025 you can expect announcements for Mayor in that nominating petitions and public financing qualifying donations will be made available for a qualifying period of time.