How does your experience and resume qualify you to lead the city of Albuquerque?
“I dedicated my life to public service, from the time I was in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division until I left the city of Albuquerque in 2011. I think we can all agree that crime and homelessness are the two significant issues that are facing our city, and it's a crisis. And I think I'm well-positioned to address those issues.
I only plan to serve four years. I'm not looking for a ticket to higher office. I'm just looking to get into office, roll up my sleeves, clean up the mess and make our city safer.
And I have the reputation of being pretty tough on crime, and I think it's what our city needs right now.”
What is the most important issue you feel our city is facing and how will you work to fix it?
“I think it's crime and homelessness. And as it relates to crime, I believe that the fundamental role of government is to keep people safe. And with over 750 murders in the last eight years.
I think families live in fear, and businesses are struggling to survive. As far as the crime goes, I will hire a strong and inspirational chief that not only the rank and file can be proud of, but the public as well.
I'm going to return to proactive policing, and that means officers out on the streets conducting traffic stops and patrolling their areas.
The one figure that alarms me the most is that we have the same number of officers working out on patrol that we did 30 years ago, and the city has grown over 40% in that time. And so something is seriously wrong when we have a department of over close to 900 and less than 300 of them are out taking calls.
They're the executive staff of the police department is too top-heavy. There's currently 50 people working in the (Albuquerque Police) Chiefs’ executive command. I'm going to knock that down to about 15 to 20, and take those positions and move them out into field services so they can be patrolling communities where they're needed most.
I want to create a juvenile unit … a specialized unit of detectives who can be well-versed in these juvenile crimes and work side by side with the district attorney's office to identify them and hopefully get to them before they start committing some of these brutal crimes.
The juvenile laws — which the mayor doesn't specifically have a role in — they were designed for kids that packed lunches, not for kids that packed guns. I'll be a vocal, vocal advocate for restructuring our juvenile laws.
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I will also end the city sanctuary policy. Anybody that's in the country illegally and is charged with a crime, that arrest record information should be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We have enough criminals of our own and and so that information should be shared.
Homelessness: we've spent over $300 million with the Gateway Center and other services programs, and we have very little to show for it.
The tent encampments come down on day one of my administration. It's not fair for the families and the businesses that are forced to survive in this, in this disgusting environment (that is) so bad that we have city employees cleaning up human waste.
This is not the City of Albuquerque that we all know and love. So they will be offered an opportunity to take advantage of the service programs. If they refuse, then the laws will be strictly enforced.”
What is your vision for the relationship between the city and the University of New Mexico? And what steps will you take to reach that vision?
“It should be treated as an important relationship. When I was a young rookie cop that was the beat that I worked. I had to work hand in hand with law enforcement at the time.
It's a big footprint in the middle of our city, and so it's important that we have a good working relationship. As we've learned so tragically, crime doesn't operate with borders. If you have a serious violent crime problem, like we do in the city of Albuquerque, that is going to seep into the university as well.
I know some of the folks that are over there already, and we'll work hard, and we'll work together. Because the University is a New Mexico treasure. It's important that we work together to ensure that the students and the faculty and visitors can go they can go to the University of New Mexico, and they can feel safe.
That's important, not just for the administration of the University, but for the City of Albuquerque too. Because we tend to look at it, — well, that's state property, that's University property, that's their problem; if it's the university's problem, it's our problem.”
There has often been what some would call a contentious relationship between city council and the mayor's office; how will you ensure city government runs smoothly and works together to respond to residents' needs?
“Through my life in public service, I've always gotten along with people, even if we share philosophical differences. I mean, it’s no secret: our city is in crisis, and it needs attention.
I'm not sitting here and saying to you that I'm going to get my way and everything that I want, but I think if we share that same common goal, then I believe I'll be able to work with the City Council. But what I will not do is I will not jeopardize what I believe is important to get our city back to where it belongs.
On your website it says you will as mayor be “working every day to support economic growth and job creation in the city.” What specific policies you have planned to be able to support small businesses within the city?
“Two-thirds of all jobs are created by small businesses in our city. And while it's important that we continue to attract large companies to Albuquerque, it's imperative that we remember the small businesses are what drives our economy.
First and foremost, we need to create an environment for our small businesses that allows them to operate without the fear of crime. I say it's the crime tax.
They're having to deal with vandalism, and they're having to deal with skyrocketing insurance premiums. And I call that the crime tax.
It's vitally important that we address this crime crisis. I understand, as a small business owner, it takes forever to get plans through the zoning department, so long that it's causing builders to absorb higher costs because they're waiting to get these plans through.
My proposal is, is to bring in a third party and allow them to assist with in the zoning department and planning, and assist in getting plans approved as quickly as possible.
For residential, it should take no more than three to four weeks. And for commercial, it should take more than eight weeks to get the initial plans back. Another thing I won't do — that is a real sore spot for me — is this administration has, at times, targeted businesses for not doing more to address the crime problem in our city, and I think that's an insult and a punch in the gut.
They're struggling every single day to keep up and then to send them letters and say, you need to do more. Downtown now, they have a registry for vacant buildings, and as if you own a building because you don't want it to be leased, they're not able to lease those buildings downtown because the environment that they're in.
I always circle back, we have to remember that two-thirds of all of our jobs are small businesses, and they're going to have a mayor, if I'm elected, somebody who recognizes that, and I'll be an adversary, not an enemy.”
