A man who sheriff’s deputies say was at the center of Albuquerque’s largest organized retail crime operation was arrested earlier this month. Raul Fernando Garcia, 42 — dubbed the “Al Capone” of retail theft by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office — was arrested on April 15. He is facing multiple charges including organized retail crime, […]
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City investigated for undisclosed special ‘payouts’ to top officials who resigned
Exclusive in City Desk ABQ High-level city officials have been awarded thousands of dollars in extra compensation after announcing their resignations thanks to a special, and mostly unknown, leave program, City Desk ABQ has learned. The most high-profile recipient of the “special leave” was Sarita Nair, Mayor Tim Keller’s top aide and the city’s chief […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Bernalillo County’s Tiny Home Village hits a stride
Progress didn’t come easy, but Bernalillo County officials say the Tiny Home Village withstood a rocky start to emerge as a project with promise in an area of Albuquerque that desperately needs it. Now, three years in, the county is fielding questions from Albuquerque officials who are in the early stages of a similar undertaking […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Gov.
Lawsuit alleges woman overdosed in jail while guard watched YouTube, played games
The mother of a woman who died of a drug overdose at the Metropolitan Detention Center filed a lawsuit against Bernalillo County last week alleging a corrections officer failed to complete required checks and also broke the jail’s computer use policy by watching videos and playing games during his shift. “This case is about MDC […]
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City Council wants to hear your thoughts on the mayor’s proposed budget
Have some opinions on how the city should budget its money? The public is invited to share its thoughts with Albuquerque city councilors at two upcoming meetings — one this Thursday and another next Thursday. The Committee of the Whole will meet May 2 and May 9 to hear resident input on the mayor’s proposed budget […]
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Library IT funds missing from mayor’s budget
The days of searching for a book using card catalogs and the Dewey Decimal System became obsolete at least a decade ago as libraries were computerized and digitized. This is one reason employees and supporters of the metro area’s 19 branches are concerned that the entire information technology (IT) budget — $400,000 — has been […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
State’s largest jail gets a new warden
After months with an interim warden overseeing the Metropolitan Detention Center, Bernalillo County has hired a new warden — from Florida — who will start his new position on June 17. Steven Kai Smith is currently a warden with the Volusia County Division of Corrections in Daytona Beach, Florida, according to a news release from […]
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NMDOJ investigates complaints about county commissioners
The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) is investigating claims that some members of the Bernalillo County Commission have violated meeting rules. In a letter dated April 24, and addressed to County Manager Julie Morgas Baca and Attorney Ken Martinez, the NMDOJ said, “Based on the materials reviewed, there are indications that deliberations on public […]
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Councilor eyes return of Berry-era homeless labor initiative
An idea born under former Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry that provides day labor jobs for those experiencing homelessness could be making a comeback. “There’s a Better Way” was launched in 2015 and the initiative quickly gained national attention. After a year in operation, the Washington Post called it “a simple idea that works.” The […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Gov.
Tax and Revenue Dept. warns of fraudulent delinquent tax letters
The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is warning taxpayers about fraudulent demand letters going out to property owners who are delinquent on their taxes. The letters tell the owners to call a 1-800 number by a certain date or the state will seize their property. The letters are not from the state Taxation and […]