By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — After 22 years of climbing the ranks from patrol officer to the Albuquerque Police Department’s top-ranking officer, Cecily Barker stands one vote away from making history as Albuquerque’s first female police chief.
Mayor Tim Keller announced Barker as his official nominee for chief of police on Tuesday, choosing the APD veteran over outside candidates following a monthlong nationwide search. Barker has served as interim chief since January, following Harold Medina’s retirement. Her permanent appointment is subject to City Council confirmation, a process that includes a public hearing and a formal vote.
While serving as interim chief, she slashed the command staff by eliminating 12 high-level command positions.
“Cecily Barker is the right fit,” Keller said in a statement. “She brings a fundamental understanding of the community and strategies that have helped us turn the corner on crime, while also bringing fresh ideas about where we are going.”
Keller also named Raul Bujanda, a recently retired FBI special agent in charge of the New Mexico office, to the newly created executive director of public safety role. The new role will oversee APD, Albuquerque Fire Rescue and the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and will report to the city’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Samantha Sengel. Because the new executive director reports to the CAO and oversees department directors, under the city charter, Bujanda will also be subject to City Council confirmation.
The confirmation process for both Barker and Bujanda will move to the City Council in the coming weeks. If approved, the appointments will trigger a budget shift to fund the new executive director position through departmental savings.
Share this story and start a conversation
