Albuquerque mayor pushes police officer recruitment

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller wants to hire 100 new police officers in the coming fiscal year as New Mexico's largest city looks to curb crime. Keller focused on public safety Friday as he unveiled his first budget proposal. Nearly $13 million would be used over multiple years for the officer recruiting effort. The goal is to grow the force to 1,200 officers in four years. The mayor contends new officers would address shortfalls across the city and would increase police presence on the streets as Albuquerque tries to stem vehicle thefts and other property crimes. Another $2.3 million would go toward mandated police reforms. To balance the budget, a new tax increase will start to be collected July 1 and the city is planning for an increase in gross receipts tax revenues.