Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller calling federal immigration policies “dangerous” following a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. “This incident raises serious questions and reflects a dangerous pattern that we are seeing across the country because of the president’s divisive policies,” Keller said in the statement posted on social media. “My […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
APD shootings rise as federal oversight ends
Albuquerque Police police officers shot 15 individuals last year, according to department statistics, an increase from each of the previous two years when the department was under federal oversight. Data examined by City Desk ABQ shows last year’s total number of police shootings is up from 13 the previous year and 14 in 2023. Those […]
Posted inLocal Government
Albuquerque renters have rights on paper but who’s enforcing them?
The City Council on Monday deferred a vote on a rental protections ordinance as officials pointed to an enforcement gap that leaves renters facing hidden fees despite state laws meant to cap them. The proposed Rental Practices Ordinance, O-25-102, would fold state tenant protections into the city’s Housing Code to give local enforcement real authority. […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
APD reports significant decline in homicide
Albuquerque Police Department officials report 63 homicide incidents in calendar year 2025, with a total of 65 people killed. That total is down by more than one-third from 2024, when 98 people were killed in the city. Police say 87%, or 55 of 63, of 2025 homicide cases have been solved, along with 25 cases […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Inside City Council’s budget transparency meltdown
Albuquerque’s push for more budget transparency collapsed Monday night as the City Council voted 1-8 against overriding Mayor Tim Keller’s veto of an ordinance that had passed 8-1 just three weeks earlier. The failed override leaves the city’s $1.5 billion budget process largely unchanged. The administration will not have to share detailed vacancy data, drop […]
Posted inLocal Government
Women now hold the majority of Albuquerque City Council seats as Peña takes presidency
A month after nearly losing her Albuquerque City Council seat, Klarissa Peña is back at the helm. The council elected Peña president in a 5-4 vote over Joaquín Baca. The same five councilors — Peña, Dan Champine, Renée Grout, Dan Lewis and outgoing President Brook Bassan — voted to install the new leadership. In separate […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Westside commuters aren’t wrong: Rio Grande crossing times keep climbing, data shows
Traffic across Rio Grande river crossings in the Albuquerque metropolitan area has surged to record levels, jumping from approximately 500,000 vehicles daily in 2014 to nearly 580,000 in 2024, according to 2024 data released by the Mid-Region Council of Governments in November. The 16% increase over the past decade represents the highest river crossing volumes […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Health officials warn of possible measles exposure at Albuquerque hotel
Health officials are warning of possible measles exposure after a traveler diagnosed with the disease spent several hours at an Albuquerque hotel late last month. The New Mexico Department of Health said Tuesday that a traveler from South Carolina who was diagnosed with measles stayed at the Quality Inn at 450 Paisano St. NE from […]
Posted inLocal Government
District 1’s new councilor is breaking from tradition before she even takes her first vote
Albuquerque’s newest city councilor is starting with a simple idea: setting up an office in the district she represents. Stephanie Telles, the new councilor for the city’s Westside District 1, said she asked for office space in her district to make herself more accessible to constituents who struggle to get downtown to City Hall. When […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ, Education
Six Albuquerque schools to require clear backpacks in safety push
Six Albuquerque Public Schools will require students to use only clear backpacks starting Tuesday, the latest measure in the district’s efforts to address weapons on campus. Del Norte High School and five middle schools — Wilson, Kennedy, Hayes, Washington and Cleveland — will implement the policy, joining Taylor Middle School, which already mandated clear backpacks. […]