Cecily Barker was nominated to lead the Albuquerque Police Department by Mayor Tim Keller. Barker’s appointment is subject to City Council confirmation.In late March, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller announced Cecily Barker as his official nominee for APD chief.
Barker is a 22-year veteran of APD. Since Jan. 1, she has been interim police chief after the retirement of Harold Medina on Dec. 31, 2025. Her permanent appointment is subject to City Council confirmation, a process that includes a public hearing and a formal vote.
“Cecily Barker is the right fit,” Keller said in a statement. “She brings a fundamental understanding of the community and strategies that have helped us turn the corner on crime, while also bringing fresh ideas about where we are going.”
Public Safety is one of the Chamber’s Bold Issue Groups (BIG), where the Chamber advocates for and helps implement local and state-level policies and practices that will result in a reduction in crime in Bernalillo County and a tough, strategic, fair and sophisticated criminal justice system.
“The Chamber congratulates Chief Barker on this well-deserved appointment. Our business community needs a police chief who understands that public safety and economic vitality go hand in hand. We are confident she is that chief,” said Peter Lorenz, Chamber Board of Directors chair and Unirac president/CEO.
Keller said Barker, a former deputy chief with over 20 years of law enforcement experience, will be the first woman chosen to lead the department on a permanent basis.
Barker said the community wants a safer Albuquerque and that will be a shared goal, as well as holding the department to the highest of standards. She will oversee more than 950 sworn officers, which is the state’s largest law enforcement agency.
“Chief Barker’s appointment is a milestone moment — not just because she’s the first woman to lead APD, but because she is the right leader for the moment,” added Terri Cole, Chamber president/CEO.
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