WORKING TO SOLVE MURDERS AND TO
TAKE DOWN THE VIOLENT GANGS.
>> WITH US NOW IS THE MAYOR OF
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, TIM
KELLER, WHO HAS BEEN SKEPTICAL
OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF FEDERAL
AGENTS TO HIS CITY, CALLING IT
POLITICS STANDING IN THE WAY OF
POLICE WORK.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS
MORNING.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
GIVE US A QUICK SENSE OF WHY YOU
ARE SKEPTICAL WHEN THE
ADMINISTRATION SAYS THIS WILL BE
DIFFERENT THAN PORTLAND, AS YOU
HEARD THERE, THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL SAYING IT’S
INVESTIGATORS AND OTHERS TO HELP
FIGHT GANGS IN YOUR CITY AND
ELSEWHERE.
>> I THINK THE SKEPTICISM REALLY
COMES FROM JUST THE PRESIDENT’S
WORDS ACTUALLY AS OPPOSED TO THE
A.G.’S.
THE PRESIDENT ESPECIALLY THE DAY
BEFORE YESTERDAY CLEARLY SAID
THAT HE WAS READY TO INCITE
VIOLENCE IN DEMOCRAT CITIES AS
PART OF SORT OF A RE-ELECTION
STRATEGY, AND SO FOR US, WE’VE
SEEN WHAT’S HAPPENED IN
PORTLAND.
TWO WEEKS AGO, THEY WERE JUST
THERE TO PROTECT A BUILDING AND
THEN WE SEE THEM PICKING UP
PEOPLE IN UNMARKED VANS, SO
WE’RE JUST REALLY WORRIED ABOUT
A BAIT AND SWITCH AND
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN’T REALLY
TAKE THE A.G. AT HIS WORD THESE
DAYS, BECAUSE OF EITHER
SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON, OR
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT OVERRIDES
IT.
>> THE ACTING HOMELAND,
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY CHAD WOLFE SAID HE
DOESN’T NEED THE INVITATION OF
LOCAL MAYORS OR OFFICIALS TO DO
HIS JOB.
DID THE ADMINISTRATION REACH OUT
TO ARE BEFORE MAKING THE
ANNOUNCEMENT AND HAVE THEY SINCE
REACHED OUT TO YOU TO GIVE YOU
ANY MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT?
>> THIS IS ALSO WHAT’S
INTERESTING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
THEY ALWAYS REACH OUT TO US, AND
WE HAVE NUMEROUS DOCUMENTS,
MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING AND
AGREEMENTS THAT OUTLINE WHAT’S
IN SCOPE AND WHAT’S OUT OF
SCOPE, BECAUSE WE DO WORK WITH
THE FEDS DAILY, BUT WE GOT
NOTHING FORMAL, NOTHING IN
WRITING ON THIS AT ALL.
SO THAT’S WHY IT’S VERY
CONCERNING, BECAUSE THEY’RE
SAYING WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY
POLITICAY BUT LEFT THE DOOR
WIDE OPEN FOR THIS TO BE
ANYTHING THEY WANT IT TO BE.
>> I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT
THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE THE
BAIT AND SWITCH, AND THAT’S WHY
YOU’RE SKEPTICAL BUT VIOLENT
CRIMES WHILE THEY ARE SLIGHTLY
DOWN IN ALBUQUERQUE, THE CITY
STILL DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY
HIGHER VIOLENT CRIME RATE THAN
THE U.S. AS A WHOLE.
YOU EVEN CALLED ON THE STATE OF
NEW MEXICO LAST YEAR TO HELP YOU
OUT.
IF THIS IS A REAL CRIME FIGHTING
PARTNERSHIP AS BILL BARR
DESCRIBED THERE, COULD YOU IN
FACT USE THAT HELP?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING
WHERE THE ANSWER IS ABSOLUTELY.
SO IF SOMETHING IS IN STEP WITH
OUR COMMUNITY AND THE VALUES
THAT WE HOLD, WE WOULD WELCOME
THE ASSISTANCE, AND WE’RE NOT
HOLDING OUR BREATH, BECAUSE
WE’RE STILL WAITING ON 10
MILLION WE WERE PROMISED A
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO FROM THE
SAME A.G., AND SO FOR US, YOU
KNOW, WE KEEP ASKING FOR HELP.
WE DO AND SAY LET’S DO IT
TOGETHER, LET’S DO IT IN STEP
WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN THE
FUNDS NEVER COME, AND THEN
THERE’S AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
ANNOUNCED AT A PRESS CONFERENCE,
AND SO THAT’S WHY IT’S BEEN
REALLY CHALLENGING TO GET ACTUAL
HELP THAT WE KNOW OUR DEPARTMENT
NEEDS, AND WE HAVE THE LARGEST
DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE, SO I
ALSO THINK, I KNOW HOMELAND
SECURITY SECRETARY HAS THE
ABILITY TO DO WHAT HE’S TALKING
ABOUT, BUT YOU CAN’T REALLY COME
INTO A CITY AS BIG AS OURS IN A
RURAL STATE AND GET MUCH DONE
WITHOUT WORKING WITH OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
>> WHAT IN YOUR EYES OR THE
CITY’S EYES WOULD BE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OVERSTEPPING ITS
BOUNDS AND IF SO, IF THEY DO, IN
FACT, OVERSTEP THEIR BOUNDS,
WHAT DO YOU PLAN ON DOING TO
PREVENT THEM FROM CONTINUING
THAT?
IS THERE ANY LEGAL RESOURCE ONCE
YOU IDENTIFIED THEM DOING SO?
>> YOU KNOW, FOR US, FEDERAL
AUTHORITIES STILL HAVE TO ADHERE
TO CITY ORDINANCES, SO PART OF
THEIR OATH IS THEY’VE GOT TO
FOLLOW ALL THE LAWS, EVEN THE
LOCAL LAWS IN THE JURISDICTION.
FOR US, WE ARE AN IMMIGRANT
FRIENDLY CITY, SO THERE WILL BE
NO TARGETED ROUND-UPS OF FOLKS
WHO ARE UNDOCUMENTED.
WE ALSO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO
PROTEST PEACEFULLY, AND SO THERE
SHOULD BE NO CLANDESTINE
OPERATIONS AGAINST PROTESTERS,
TARGETING PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT OUR
CITY WILL HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE
FOR.
WE’RE PREPARED TO DO A COUPLE OF
THINGS.
OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SAID
HE’S WILLING TO PROSECUTE IF
THESE LAWS ARE NOT FOLLOWED, AND
AT OUR CITY LEVEL, OUR CITY
ATTORNEY AS WELL, WE’LL LOOK AT
EITHER SAYING YOU GOT TO ONLY BE
IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT ARE