ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque City Council confirmed the appointment of Cecily Barker as the Albuquerque Police Department Chief and Raul Bujanda as the Public Safety Executive Director. Bujanda, the former Albuquerque FBI Special Agent in Charge, will be in charge of all three agencies: police, fire, and the Albuquerque Community Safety Department. He retired from the FBI last April, after serving 27 years in law enforcement.
Albuquerque police announce Cecily Barker as the next police chief
On Monday night, the council unanimously confirmed the appointment, but some raised concerns about how much he would be paid and questioned whether the position was even necessary. “If things were working in eight years in this administration, why now? Why is this a need now?” said City Councilor Dan Champine.
Former head of Albuquerque’s FBI office breaks down his new role leading public safety in the city
A city official spoke on Bujanda’s appointment. “Bujanda’s specific skills and experience provide us an opportunity to think about maximizing the opportunity for that collaboration across departments,” said Samantha Sengel, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Albuquerque.
The council unanimously confirmed Barker’s appointment as police chief. Barker, a 22-year veteran of the department, is the first female chief in APD history…