Louie Sanchez, a councilor of the Albuquerque City Council, expressed concerns over public safety in Albuquerque under Mayor Tim Keller's leadership. He cited the deployment of the National Guard as evidence of what he described as failed policies. This statement was made on Facebook on April 8.
"A telling indication that he knows he's in the political fight of his life," said Sanchez, according to Facebook. "For eight years, public safety has declined under his leadership. Now, despite the Mayor's claims that crime is down, the National Guard—whose service we deeply respect—is being called in to support APD."
According to AP News, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in Albuquerque on April 8, 2025, due to rising crime rates. She announced the deployment of 60–70 National Guard troops along Route 66 starting mid-May. The Guard will assist police with non-enforcement tasks such as traffic control, crime scene security, and drone operations. This measure aims to allow officers to concentrate more on public safety issues. The initiative includes state funding for support. While city officials acknowledged a recent decrease in crime rates, they welcomed the additional assistance. However, critics like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned about potential risks related to increased militarization and civil rights concerns. This decision follows a similar intervention by the governor in 2021 and ongoing public safety challenges such as the fentanyl crisis and juvenile violence.
Time reported that in 2021, Albuquerque recorded 120 homicides, resulting in a homicide rate of 21.3 per 100,000 residents. This statistic placed Albuquerque among cities with significant homicide rates during that year. The data also revealed that firearms were used in most homicides (80%), reflecting an ongoing surge in gun violence that began with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Law Enforcement Bulletin (LEB) highlighted that the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program collects crime data from law enforcement agencies nationwide. The program manages various data collection systems capturing different aspects of crime and incidents involving law enforcement officers, including hate crimes and officer suicides. The UCR Program uses submitted data to provide reliable statistics for law enforcement and public use to aid policy decision-making, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
Sanchez is noted as a lifelong Westside resident and retired officer from the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). He is also a successful small business owner who founded two Allstate agencies and received numerous awards for job creation and community service. Additionally, he is deeply involved in local education initiatives by sponsoring scholarships and supporting programs like the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber’s Excellence in Education program.
