Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina will retire Dec. 31, ending a five-year run defined by controversy.
Medina announced his decision on Wednesday and told APD commanders during his final staff meeting on Tuesday, according to a city press release. His tenure included a crash that seriously injured a civilian, a City Desk investigation that found widespread deletion of text messages and a federal probe into the department’s DWI unit.
He will begin a new job in January, developing leadership programs for police chiefs nationwide.
Mayor Tim Keller praised Medina in the release, saying he “retires having achieved” key goals such as concluding the U.S. Department of Justice settlement agreement, lowering crime and improving trust.
City officials offered no details on succession planning. In City Desk reporting last week previewing Medina’s retirement, APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said the department will “discuss Chief Medina’s future plans soon.”
Crime fell during Medina’s tenure, according to APD data through November 2025. Homicides dropped 33%, robberies fell 24% and auto theft declined 42% compared to 2024. Violent crime overall decreased 12%, property crime fell 23% and felony arrests rose 27%.
Public confidence lagged behind those numbers. A February 2024 city-commissioned survey found 56% of residents disagreed that APD is doing a good job addressing violent crime, 60% disagreed on property crime and 51% said the department is not ready to operate independently without federal oversight.
Albuquerque’s crime declines mirror national trends, but the city still ranks 14th for violent crime per capita among 59 major U.S. cities, according to a KOAT analysis. Data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which Medina serves as president, show 55 homicides, 537 robberies and 2,985 aggravated assaults in the first nine months of 2025.
Medina’s tenure was marked by multiple scandals. In February 2024, he ran a red light while fleeing gunfire, seriously injuring Todd Perchert. An internal investigation found he violated policy by not activating his body camera. KOAT reported that Perchert’s lawsuit against Medina and the city was reinstated in November, with a hearing set for January.
Perchert’s wife, Danielle, said in a statement after the internal investigation that findings “confirm the chief’s complete disregard for the rules designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all citizens” and that “a written reprimand pales in comparison to the lifelong physical and emotional trauma he caused.”
A City Desk investigation in November found Medina testified under oath that he routinely deleted text messages about official business since 2018, potentially violating state records law. City Desk also obtained texts showing Medina discussed plans to “hammer the unhoused” with Keller. A federal probe into the DWI unit led to the dismissal of more than 150 cases.
Defeated mayoral candidate Darren White, who made firing Medina a central campaign issue, responded to Medina’s social media retirement hint last week: “While you’re using your city Twitter account to spike the political football — too bad the driver you recklessly crashed into and left with permanent, life-changing injuries, doesn’t get to retire on his own terms.”
Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel will name an acting chief after Mayor Keller’s third-term inauguration, and the city will launch a national search for a permanent replacement. No timeline was given.
Police union president Shaun Willoughby said the union “strongly prefers promoting one of APD’s four deputy chiefs rather than conducting a national search.”
The four current deputy chiefs — Cecily Barker, George Vega, J.J. Griego and Josh Brown — are potential internal candidates. Barker would be the department’s first female chief if promoted.
Medina became chief in March 2021 after Keller asked predecessor Mike Geier to resign. He oversaw the end of a 12-year federal consent decree in May 2025, allowing APD to operate independently for the first time since the department was found to have engaged in patterns of excessive force.