Carla Sonntag, president and CEO of the New Mexico Business Coalition, said on the New Mexico Sun’s YouTube podcast that Albuquerque requires a change in leadership after years of unfulfilled crime-fighting promises. She mentioned that the mayor sought pliant police leadership.
"what the mayor was looking for was a yes man," said Sonntag, President & CEO. "a puppet, somebody who would do whatever the mayor said. in my opinion [it] has gotten us into trouble with our police officers. they don't feel supported."
According to New Mexico Sun’s "Suncast," Carla and Larry Sonntag evaluated the impact of crime on small businesses, staffing, and police morale while reviewing Mayor Keller’s Metro Crime Initiative to-do lists. When asked about voters' actions regarding incomplete action items, Sonntag argued that the mayor installed a "yes man" chief, which eroded officer support and outcomes. She urged for a leadership change to restore enforcement credibility.
Carla Sonntag, President & CEO of NMBC
| Rebound NM
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) homicide data for 2024 recorded 97 homicide victims across 89 cases, with firearms involved in 79 incidents. The APD listed 125 suspects charged, arrested, or deceased; 86 were tied to 2024 cases and 39 to prior-year investigations. The dataset also categorized suspected motives such as domestic issues, robbery, and gang-related activities and showed case status including open or cleared by arrest/exceptional means.
According to FBI-based USAFacts data, New Mexico remained among the least safe states in 2024. Violent crime reached 717 per 100,000 people, the second highest nationally and roughly twice the US average. Property crime ranked first at 2,751 per 100,000 people. Aggravated assault accounted for 81.9% of violent offenses; larceny-theft (63.6%) and motor-vehicle theft (18.2%) comprised approximately 82% of property crimes. These figures reflect FBI submissions and underscore sustained elevated risk.
Rebound New Mexico lists Carla Sonntag as president and co-founder of Rebound NM and its sister group, the New Mexico Business Coalition—highlighting her full-time volunteer service in both roles. The profile emphasizes their complementary roles: RNM focuses on helping New Mexicans improve daily life while NMBC advances policy change, underscoring Sonntag’s leadership across advocacy and operations.
