Thursday night’s budget meeting at the Albuquerque City Council saw an explosive exchange between City Councilor Louie Sanchez and Police Chief Harold Medina, bringing to light the deep dysfunction and ongoing scandals plaguing the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
The meeting quickly spiraled into chaos, underscoring the growing dissatisfaction with Medina’s leadership, which has been overshadowed by corruption, mismanagement, and lack of accountability.
The Heated Exchange
The controversy erupted when Police Chief Medina defended APD’s request for a $271.5 million budget for the fiscal year, a 5.2% increase over the previous year. Councilor Louie Sanchez, who is also a former police officer and a mayoral candidate, didn’t hold back, criticizing Medina’s approach and appearance. “Nice of you to show up in a polo shirt today, chief,” Sanchez remarked, adding, “Thanks for disrespecting us today.”
This set the tone for a tense confrontation. Sanchez continued to press Medina on the issue of New Mexico National Guard involvement in APD operations.
The department had requested Guard troops to assist with lower-level tasks, freeing up officers to handle more critical duties. Sanchez expressed frustration that the Council had been left in the dark about this request, questioning the transparency of the process.
Medina, visibly rattled, fired back at Sanchez, accusing him of being “unprofessional” and defending his department’s need for additional resources. “I’m not going to sit here and let you abuse me,” Medina declared, his voice rising. The two men shouted over one another until the committee chair was forced to restore order, but the damage was done. The argument highlighted the serious tensions between local leadership and APD’s top brass.
A Deeper Crisis: Scandal and Corruption Within APD
The tensions over budget figures and staffing numbers merely scratch the surface of the much deeper issues plaguing the Albuquerque Police Department. Under Medina’s leadership, APD has been embroiled in several scandals that have severely damaged its reputation and eroded public trust.
Most notably, APD is directly implicated in a federal bribery investigation known as the “DWI Enterprise.” This scheme involved several law enforcement officers, including APD officers, New Mexico State Police, and deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, who conspired to dismiss DWI cases in exchange for cash.
The operation, which dates back to at least 2008, has resulted in multiple firings and resignations within APD, further tarnishing Medina’s leadership.
Beyond the bribery scandal, Medina’s department has been accused of nepotism and retaliatory practices within the APD academy. Seven instructors filed a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming they were punished for reporting that a cadet—who was the son of a police commander—had been reinstated after violating grooming standards and lying about the violation.
The retaliation against the whistleblowers, including their reassignment, only fueled further concerns about Medina’s willingness to protect insiders at the cost of integrity.
Leadership Missteps: The Car Crash and Accountability Issues
Further compounding the controversy surrounding Medina’s tenure is a February 2024 car crash involving the police chief. Medina ran a red light and collided with another vehicle, seriously injuring the driver.
Despite the severity of the incident, Medina failed to activate his body camera, and when questioned, he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination. This behavior has raised additional concerns about accountability within APD and whether the department is truly committed to reform.
The Budget Battle: Priority or Waste?
As tensions over Medina’s leadership continued, Councilor Sanchez and other members pressed the police chief on APD’s top-heavy structure and its failure to put enough officers on the streets. Sanchez demanded concrete plans to address the department’s bloated upper management, pointing out that the focus should be on getting more officers in the field.
Medina defended the current structure by pointing to the U.S. Department of Justice consent decree, which mandates reforms within the department. He argued that past lack of supervision due to inadequate staffing had led to poor accountability, and the current setup was designed to address these issues.
Councilor Dan Champine echoed concerns, particularly about the $6.5 million earmarked for command staff salaries, questioning why the budget seemed to prioritize bureaucracy over frontline policing. Meanwhile, Councilor Dan Lewis exposed a $5.4 million backdoor cut to the APD budget, accusing the department of diverting funds meant for vacant officer positions to other uses. “We’re cutting your budget by $5.4 million, and it’s going to other things,” Lewis said bluntly.
Medina claimed that APD had approximately 900 officers by late 2024 and projected 1,000 by the end of 2025, but doubts about his department’s priorities persisted. Even if the $5.4 million were restored to the officer salary fund, Medina admitted it would likely be spent elsewhere, indicating that APD’s financial management continues to be problematic.
A Turning Point for APD Leadership?
The budget discussion may have been just one more chapter in the saga of growing frustrations with Police Chief Harold Medina, but it revealed the depth of the crisis facing APD. As the department struggles with scandal after scandal, increasing scrutiny from local government, and a community demanding accountability, it’s clear that reform is no longer a choice—it’s a necessity.
The City Council has now advanced the budget proposal, with a final vote scheduled for May 20. Whether the pressure from local leaders and the public will push Medina to address the deep-seated issues at APD remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the call for real change is growing louder, and the leadership of the Albuquerque Police Department is under fire.
