Today is the first day on the job for newly-elected mayor, Timothy “Tim” Keller.
Keller was sworn in as Albuquerque’s 10th mayor during a private ceremony held at his private residence Nov. 30.
He was sworn in by District Judge Shannon Bacon in the presence of his family and close friends.
On Nov. 15 Keller won the mayoral runoff election in just one hour against opponent Daniel “Dan” Lewis with a staggering 62 percent of the votes.
Throughout his campaign Keller promised to tackle crime and “take on” substance abuse and homelessness.
Keller said he has begun a national search for a permanent police chief to aid him in his long-term goal of addressing the high crime rates in the city. In the meantime, he appointed former Rio Rancho Police Chief Michael Geier as interim chief of police.
Taking his time finding a police chief is something Keller said was important when addressing his first moves as mayor.
Crime is on the rise in Albuquerque, and the record for most homicides in recent years was broken this week, topping out at 71 with still a month left in 2017.
A public swearing in ceremony will be held Dec. 1 at the Albuquerque Convention Center — Cynthia Borrego, who was also elected on Nov. 15, and five other city councilors will also be sworn in.
Madison Spratto is a news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Madi_Spratto.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
