Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales said it’s time for change in Albuquerque. He promises to deliver it if he is elected mayor on Tuesday.

“We need reform in Albuquerque but it isn’t the kind of ‘reform’ you see on the mainstream media today.  We need political reform. Defunding the police, abolishing the police, these are all nonsense ideas put forth by unserious people,” Gonzales told New Mexico Sun. “The city of Albuquerque has the potential to retain good police officers who want to work hard and enforce the laws. However, the reality is that the Department of Justice and the leadership at the city level have effectively handcuffed police. I have heard time and time again that current leadership has made it impossible to do their job.

“Don’t take my word for it, look at the results: In 2019 KOAT examined every department under a Department of Justice consent decree since 2010. They then compared violent crime statistics from two years prior to, and two years after, the consent decrees took hold,” he said. “The study found that cities with a population over 50,000 people saw a double-digit increase in violent crime. Albuquerque saw a 36% increase. This year alone the homicide rate is at an approximate 100% increase over 2020.”

Sheriff Manny Gonzales takes the oath of office as his wife Elaine looks on. He was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. | Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

Gonzales said it’s readily apparent what happened and why.

“Manpower losses, decimated morale, frustrated citizens,” he said. “Does anyone think this system is really working? It is working for some, it’s working for a select group of bureaucrats and contractors who have profited off this scheme. This has to stop.

“A top-down revamping of APD leadership and policies is required. It is also time for an unapologetic stance toward doing the job they were hired to do, which is to enforce the laws and protect the citizens.”

Gonzales will be on voters’ ballots in the Nov. 2 election, alongside three other candidates for mayor: Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller, radio personality Eddy Aragon and write-in candidate Patrick Sais. Absentee voting is underway. For more information on the election visit nmvote.org or berncovotes.org

Gonzales has been in law enforcement for nearly 28 years. He was appointed sheriff by the Bernalillo County Commission in 2009 when the sheriff resigned. Gonzales was elected to the post in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

“We have accomplished much at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office,” Gonzales said. “The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is fully staffed. This is a direct result of supporting our deputies and empowering them to do their job. The people are the most valuable asset of our department. They must be well-trained, supported and provided with the discretion needed to serve the community. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office has a successful record of service.

“Crime is down in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County. While crime is spiraling out of control in the city of Albuquerque (over 100 homicides this year), in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County we have had nine homicides this year, consistent numbers as the past five years, and while any amount of murders is too high, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has a 100% solve rate for homicides in 2021.”

The national solve rate of homicides is approximately 61%, he said.

These operations have yielded the following: 262 arrests; 191 felony arrests, included but not limited to murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery.

The department also made 71 misdemeanor arrests, including but not limited to: DWI, drag racing and shoplifting. It recovered 19 stolen vehicles, seized 61 firearms as well as 22,357 fentanyl pills, 2,100 grams of methamphetamine, 29,357 grams of marijuana and 9,758 grams of heroin.

Deputies had 986 contacts with people, 506 business contacts and conducted 1,211 traffic stops. It’s a hectic schedule but one that Sheriff Gonzales expects from his department.

“The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office takes a community-based, proactive approach to law enforcement,” he said. “We believe in community collaboration, proactive partnerships and problem-solving.”

One of those issues that he plans to address as mayor is the homeless population.

“The answer to the problems surrounding homelessness depends largely on who we are talking about,” Gonzales said. “If we are talking about the homeless themselves, there are several categories of homelessness, from the transitionally homeless, to the drug-addicted and/or mentally ill.

“For some, just having housing isn’t enough. These individuals may also need treatment or other specialized services,” he said. “For the transitionally homeless, projects across the country have seen varying success and failure. From the Housing First program to concepts like transitional shelters, we have to choose wisely to see which of these solutions would most impact our unique homeless population in Albuquerque.”

For the citizen or business owner, homelessness is a matter of knowing that you can both be sympathetic to another person’s circumstances, but also demand of your government that you be able to live in peace and safety, the sheriff said. But he said law enforcement has an important role to play as well.

“For those who are homeless and committing crimes or harassing the general citizenry, there can be no excuse-making or sweeping the problem under the rug,” Gonzales said. “Accountability must be part of the equation and the community deserves it.”

According to a report by CBS News, Albuquerque is ranked as the ninth-most dangerous city in the United States. The violent-crime rate is listed as 1,352 per 100,000 residents. And with 84 homicides in 2019, crime continues to be on the rise in the city.

In an op-ed for the New Mexico Sun, Rachel Donavan wrote, “Plain and simple Albuquerque has a huge problem with crime and many people live in fear wondering when they will be the next victim. Mayor Keller campaigned on cleaning up the crime problem four years ago and yet the crime rate has increased 24% under his rule.

“In 2019, Albuquerque was the 9th most dangerous city in the nation. According to 'Neighborhood Scout,' who attributes their information directly to FBI crime data, Albuquerque stands at a 71% crime rate for every 1000 citizens through 2020.”

“The homeless situation in Albuquerque has increased dramatically under the Keller administration, because it has become much easier to be homeless in Albuquerque,” said Donavan, criticizing the “bird-feeder” policies put in place as a response to the increasing homeless population in the city. She continued by saying, “When you have policies that encourage the homeless to stay on the streets, you’ll get what that produces. Under the Keller administration, Albuquerque’s homeless numbers have exploded and based on what we’ve seen in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, it’s going to increase even more substantially when that goes into effect in New Mexico next year.”

Gonzales does not want Albuquerque to remain a sanctuary city.

“No, I will not support the sanctuary city policy,” Gonzales said. “Local police do not enforce immigration laws, however, when a person commits a crime like rape, robbery or murder, the federal government should be allowed to check the offender’s immigration status and enforce appropriate federal immigration laws. These offenders must not be released back into our community unchecked.”

In 2020, Albuquerque’s sanctuary status put access to federal funds for fighting violent crime in jeopardy. KRQE News 13 reported that the city’s policies on immigration left roughly $10 million in federal grants that could have been used to help fight the city’s rising crime rates hanging in the balance.

If he is elected, he will have to deal with other matters as well. But Gonzales said he doesn’t think government has all the answers.

“Small businesses suffer greater losses from complying with government regulations than large companies,” he said. “Small businesses usually do not have an adequate amount of staff to keep up with rapidly changing laws. Small businesses pay more, per employee, than larger firms to comply with government regulations. The larger percentage of costs burdened on small businesses hinders their growth, therefore I am not in favor of government regulations on small businesses.

“The engine of an economy cannot work at its best when it is slowed by regulation and government red tape,” the sheriff said. “We must eliminate the barriers that exist between the small business owner and success.

"We must ensure that our commerce hubs around the city are safe and vibrant zones that are exciting to visit.

“Freedom is the key to unlocking our potential,” he said. “With the right ambition, our community members should have the freedom and support to start a business, invest in business partnerships, or simply help the grassroots economy by supporting a local business with its purchases.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, small businesses have taken a hit due to local mandates and ordinances that either forced businesses to reduce or completely halt traffic for extended periods of time. In fact, only 60% of pre-pandemic businesses in the state were still open as of the end of June.

Over the summer, Gonzales and Mayor Keller participated in an interview with the New Mexico Business Coalition. When asked what makes him the best candidate for the job, Gonzales cited his time in law enforcement as proof that he would truly be a servant of the community, even willing to lay down his life for it.

“We will no longer be number one in crime and have the worst economy in the country ever again, as long as I'm mayor,” he said in closing.

Gonzales is a lifelong Albuquerque resident. He joined the Marine Corps at 17 and returned home after his military service. Gonzales and his wife Elaine have three children.

“Manny is running for mayor to restore the misplaced priorities which have been overlooked by the current administration and have allowed the people of Albuquerque to be continually victimized by the horrendous crime crisis, lack of well-paying jobs, and declining quality of life,” his campaign website states.