City Councilor Nichole L. Rogers Calls for Urgency Over String of APD Officer-Involved Shootings

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Today, Albuquerque City Councilor Nichole L. Rogers, District 6, issued a stark call for urgency, accountability, and immediate evaluation following a deeply concerning surge in the use of deadly force by the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). APD officers have deployed deadly force in response to calls for service four times within the last two weeks. The department reports six officer-involved shootings year to date 2026. There were fifteen officer-involved shootings (OIS) reported by APD during 2025.

"Four officer-involved shootings in a span of ten days is a crisis point for our city," said City Councilor Nichole Rogers. "Every single loss of life or deployment of lethal force reshapes families and fractures community trust. We cannot treat this as a string of isolated incidents. We must act with the utmost urgency to evaluate why our emergency responses are escalating to fatal outcomes, especially when dealing with neighbors experiencing mental health crises."

Councilor Rogers emphasizes that the Albuquerque City Council bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring municipal law enforcement remains accountable. Without strict oversight, the City risks regressing into another restrictive Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree and costly independent monitoring.

"The City Council is the backstop for accountability," Councilor Rogers stated. "We fought for a decade to meet the requirements of the previous DOJ operational compliance measures. We cannot—and will not—allow our city to slide backward. That is why I have formally requested a thorough, transparent review of each of these four recent shootings to identify exactly how we can improve law enforcement encounters and preserve human life."

Strengthening Independent Oversight

To ensure an unbiased review of these incidents, Councilor Rogers highlights the vital role of the City’s Civilian Police Oversight Agency (CPOA) and the Civilian Police Oversight Advisory Board (CPOAB).

The CPOA and its volunteer Board operate independently of APD and the Mayor’s administration. Their core mission is to provide robust, neutral, and community-driven oversight of law enforcement. Key duties include:

·       Investigating civilian complaints against APD personnel.

·       Reviewing APD policies, practices, and officer-involved shooting data.

·       Providing systemic recommendations to the Chief of Police and City Council to ensure constitutional policing.

Get more information on the CPOAB and how you can become a member.

Transforming Public Safety: Voting for Modern Reform in November

While demanding accountability for current police practices, Councilor Rogers is also leading systemic solutions to shift how Albuquerque responds to emergencies.

On June 1, 2026, the City Council passed a comprehensive public safety legislative package spearheaded by Councilor Rogers: O-26-31 and R-26-29. Both measures await the Mayor’s signature and this legislation would clear the path for Albuquerque voters to directly reshape the City’s emergency architecture on the November ballot by modernizing the Public Safety Gross Receipts Tax (PST) revenue allocations.

If approved by voters, this measure will:

·       Increase Dedicated Funding for ACS:  Formally secure and elevate the funding percentage for the Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) Department—the City’s pioneering third branch of first response—ensuring sustainable, long-term civilian dispatch for non-violent calls.

·       Integrate Dedicated ACS Dispatchers: Fund dedicated ACS call-takers and dispatchers within the emergency communications system to rapidly identify, properly resource, and route individuals in mental health crises away from armed police intervention.

"We cannot keep sending the wrong resources to the same crises and expect different results," concluded Councilor Rogers. "By passing O-26-31 and R-26-29, the Council has given Burqueños the power this November to structuralize a safer, more compassionate city. We need robust independent oversight today through the CPOA, a complete review of these four tragic shootings, and a community-wide commitment to fund the right first responders for tomorrow."