On December 17, Mayor Tim Keller sat down with KOAT TV news reporter Alyssa Munoz to reflect on the past year and talk about changes if he is re-elected to a third 4-year term. It was in August that Keller said he would be seeking a third 4 year term. Keller appeared relaxed, clean shaven, wearing a coat and tie with his hair combed. During the KOAT interview, Keller looked very much like a mayor which is in sharp contrast to his usual physical appearance of a full or partial beard, wearing casual attire such as a polo shirt with the city emblem on it and at times wearing cargo shorts and flip flops.
The KOAT interview was wide ranging. Keller proclaimed 2024 was a pivotal year for the city as far as his accomplishments. Keller pointed to as accomplishments the opening of components of his Gateway homeless shelter system, APD essentially coming into to compliance with the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA), APD increasing police staffing and increasing the availability city low income housing. The interview included the city’s dealing with the closure of businesses along central and Nob Hill, the effectiveness of the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and various controversies with the Albuquerque City Council including over APD’s social media policy.
At one point the interview turned to APD Chief Harold Medina. Following is the relevant portion of the Keller interview:
KOAT TV REPORTER ALYSSA MUNOZ:
“Chief Medina has said he is going to retire in December of 2025, but he’s recently said that he might want to stick around for another term. Now, if you’re reelected, will Medina be your police chief?”
MAYOR KELLER:
“Well, the city is going to have a new police chief the next few years, no matter what. That’s for sure. I think he’s talking about a matter of months and things like that and how you would do a transition. I do think it’s important to say that, look, he’s committed to our department and so he’s going to do what the department needs that might be, you know, a little early or a little later. It’s ultimately up to myself or if there’s another mayor. I think that’s the way it has been sort of planned out. It’s just no one’s hanging their hat on a specific month anymore.”
KOAT TV REPORTER ALYSSA MUNOZ:
If you are given another term, will you keep him as your police chief?
MAYOR KELLER:
I’ll be looking for a new police chief, with another term, for sure.
Keller did not specify in his KOAT interview when the search will begin nor a timeline for when he would appoint a new chief.
You can read the entire transcript of the KOAT interview here:
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-reflects-on-the-past-year-during-interview/63207902
Keller’s statements to KOAT TV about replacing APD Chief Harold Medina came a mere 2 weeks after Medina told the Journal he was not planning to retire in December 2025 as he had been previously indicated. Chief Medina and Mayor were together at the Journal when Medina made the statement that he was having second thoughts about retiring. A week before Medina’s remarks, Keller told the Journal that the chief was likely to retire in December 2025 since Medina is eligible for retirement. Medina was not present for that interview.
During Keller’s and Medina’s visit to the Journal, the police chief said he wanted to mentor someone to take over the department. Medina specifically said Deputy Chief Cecily Barker could take over as APD Chief. Medina has been police chief since 2020, becoming Chief after Keller force APD Chief Mike Geier to resign.
Staci Drangmeister, a spokesperson for Mayor Keller, said this in a statement to the Journal:
“We’re not putting the cart before the horse. … [Chief Medina] is committed to seeing us get to the finish line on APD reforms and setting up the department to continue the progress we’ve made fighting crime.”
Drangmeister added that Keller and Medina are “on the same page.”
A YEAR OF APD SCANDAL AND MEDINA PERSONAL CONTROVERSY
2024 was a year that saw 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. 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 it was Medina who assigned police officers to the DWI unit. At least one of the officers implicated in the scandal has accused Chief Medina of being fully aware of what was going on. 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 yet Medina waited and essentially did nothing for a full year.
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. On 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 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. In April, the APD crash review board declared the car crash was “none avoidable”. Surveillance video proved Medina made false statements that the intersection he drove into was clear of oncoming traffic when it was not as he drove at a high rate of speed through 3 lanes of traffic and crashed into another vehicle totaling both vehicles. Medina was given letters of reprimand by the Internal Affairs Division, which he assigns personnel, for his handling of the crash, for not turning on his lapel camera and violating APD policies and procedures.
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.
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.
On August 26, 2024 it was announced that District 1 City Councilor Louie Sanchez 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 request for investigation was 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.
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. 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.
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.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Mayor Tim Keller and Chief Harold Medina have been “tied to the hip” throughout all controversies involving APD and Chief Medina. This was especially true during 2024.
It’s painfully obvious from the KOAT report Keller’s support of Medina is now wanning simply because Keller is running for a third 4 year term. Keller no doubt realizes Chief Medina is a major liability to him and that Medina will be an albatross around Keller’s neck as he seeks a third term. The problem for Keller is that Medina will still be around during the 2025 campaign for Mayor. The fact that Medina wants to mentor someone to take over the department should sound the alarm to the public that things will not change with another Keller appointment and Keller could appoint a Medina clone. 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.
Keller cannot run away from the extraordinary lengths he has gone to defend Medina as he showed blind loyalty to Medina to the point of heaping questionable praises upon Medina. On February 17 during a news conference after the crash Medina caused, 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.”
Complicating matters for Keller is his extremely low approval ratings. A year ago on November 3, 2023, the Albuquerque Journal released a poll on Mayor Keller’s job performance. It reflected that 40% DISAPPROVE of Kellers performance as Mayor while 33% said they APPROVED . 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
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.
The link to a previous related blog article is here: