APOA’s endorsement of Keller is very significant

The crisis of crime in our city needs to be addressed

To assert that the Albuquerque Police Officers Association’s endorsement of (mayoral candidate) Tim Keller is significant would be an understatement. Given the state of crises in our city, particularly where crime is concerned, this vote of confidence for Keller by the APOA is a HUGE deal that should not be taken lightly.

The APOA endorsement affirms what I already knew, and what those who are still weighing their options should strongly consider — and that is the fact that state Auditor Keller will clean up crime in our city, protect our communities and invest in hardworking Albuquerque families.

Yes, it is true, we must collectively create opportunities for all hardworking families to better themselves. Yet, how is this possible when parents are afraid to send their children to school and our locally owned businesses can’t focus on creating more jobs because they’re mitigating burglary scenarios? Ensuring all people respect our laws and our laws respect all Albuquerqueans is the seed out of which other critical pieces of our thriving community will grow — our economy, our ability to invest in early childhood interventions etc.

According to a recent Albuquerque Journal Poll, “69 percent of likely Albuquerque voters listed Albuquerque’s crime rate as the city’s No. 1 concern.” The author also stated it was “surprising” that 78 percent of individuals from the Northeast Heights named crime as their foremost concern, compared with 65 percent in the rest of the city. Translation, regardless of socio-economic status or geography, no one person or neighborhood in Albuquerque is immune to becoming the victim of crime. However, we as a community need not be plagued by fear anymore — with Tim Keller in City Hall, I am confident that we can and will resolve this public-safety crisis. The APOA agrees.

Notwithstanding the obvious, what makes this endorsement stand out? As a retired U.S. Secret Service agent and proud former APD officer, I can attest that it is not common practice for law enforcement to support a progressive Democrat. What is common practice is the thoughtful and serious nature by which this association conducts endorsements. Again, another reason this is significant: If any one group in this city knows, firsthand, through its members about the problems that have infected APD, it would be the Albuquerque Police Officers Association. Think about this for a moment. Most police officers are pretty darn conservative. Anecdotally, probably most are Republican, yet the police officer’s union in this city is endorsing a Democrat in an election where two staunch Republicans are candidates. This speaks volumes for Tim Keller and his plan to put Albuquerque on the right track.

To summarize, State Auditor Tim Keller a Democrat, has been endorsed by firefighters, unions, small business owners, community groups and now the police officers association. Endorsed over two Republicans. Some would say that if any group of folks can smell “horse manure,” it would be cops; some would also say that cops are harder nuts to crack, yet here it is, the group of proud public servants on the streets responsible for separating the lawful from the lawless, chaos from calamity, and is tasked with being the first line of defense against crime has chosen to support Tim Keller for mayor.