Elise Kaplan, Author at City Desk ABQ

APD finds Chief Medina’s crash was not preventable and not criminal

The Albuquerque Police Department’s Fleet Crash Review Board and its Fatal Crash Unit have reviewed the chief’s actions leading up to him running a red light and crashing into another vehicle while fleeing the sound of gunfire. They determined the crash was not preventable and he should not be criminally charged, members of APD told […]

County seeking consultant for opioid settlement funding

Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque — along with global health organization Vital Strategies — are seeking a short-term consultant to help plan how to spend millions of dollars in opioid settlement funds. The money was awarded as part of litigation brought by states and local political subdivisions against pharmaceutical distributors that inflicted damages […]

Open space master plan open for comments

Bernalillo County wants the public’s thoughts on parts of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. HOW TO PARTICIPATE WHEN: 6:30 p.m. WednesdayWHERE: North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center at 7521 Caramel Ave. NE A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center. The purpose of this meeting is to […]

WHAT TO EXPECT: APS board to discuss dropping enrollment

Enrollment in Albuquerque Public Schools is expected to drop — again — for the coming academic year. School board members will meet Wednesday to face numbers that show a projected enrollment of 64,995, down roughly 2% from the 66,321 students this year. Since 2016, enrollment will have fallen by 20,341 students (or about 23.8%), if […]

WHAT TO EXPECT: No confidence vote in police chief on the table

A no-confidence vote in the police chief will be on the table for the Albuquerque City Council at its Wednesday regular meeting. Strike Out or Home Run Councilor Louie Sanchez has failed a couple of times to get a message of no confidence off the council table and onto the mayor’s office. The city’s Finance […]

How does the mayor’s proposed budget stack up against last year’s?

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s administration released a $1.4 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 on Tuesday. The 2.3% increase over last fiscal year focuses on big picture categories like public safety, housing, homelessness, behavioral health, jobs, the economy and more. The city said in a news release that the budget takes into consideration post-pandemic […]

911 calls detail aftermath of police chief’s crash

On Feb. 17, Todd Perchert called 911. He’d just been hit by a black truck at the intersection of Alvarado Drive NE and Central Avenue. He was driving his gold 1966 Ford Mustang — which was his uncle’s and his dad’s before his. Struggling to talk, Perchert told the 911 operator that he had been […]

Homeless sobering center would take pressure off emergency rooms

When an intoxicated homeless person needs to get sober, they often end up in one of Albuquerque’s emergency rooms. But officials say it’s an untenable situation that places a further strain on already stressed health care workers and maxed out ERs. The city hopes to alleviate some of the load through a new medical sobering […]

Public safety townhall will be held in South Valley on Wednesday

Two of the county’s top cops are holding a townhall meeting in the South Valley Wednesday evening. Second Judicial District Attorney Sam Bregman and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen will hold the meeting in order to allow residents to provide their input on the future of law enforcement in the county. “Your voice matters, and this […]

Cuidando Los Niños sounds alarm on child homelessness

The picture of homelessness for many Albuquerque residents is likely one of a panhandler at an intersection or bus stop who is almost always an adult male. But that picture is woefully incomplete, says Ashley Martinez, because it should include children and families too — a group that has been increasing in number. “It is […]