sa国际传媒官网网页入口

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Mayor Tim Keller and challenger Darren White squared off in the first debate since Election Day on KOB-TV.

With the field cleared of other challengers, Keller and White went for the jugular, each critiquing the other鈥檚 track record and leadership in a heated 30-minute debate.

In last week鈥檚 general election, Keller secured 36% of the vote while White scored 31% in the race for mayor. With neither winning 50% of the vote, the pair are headed to a runoff on Dec. 9.

At times during Tuesday night鈥檚 debate, the mudslinging devolved until moderators had to remind the candidates not to talk over each other and when their time was up.

White and Keller have sparred in past debates about crime and homelessness with White, a former Bernalillo County Sheriff, routinely taking a harder line and saying that the city鈥檚 crime rates are 鈥渙ut of control.鈥�

Keller, in turn, has argued that crime is down in all categories under his leadership. Recent statistics released by the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Department detailed those decreases.

Despite this, Keller said that residents still perceive crime to be high.

鈥淚 agree that we don鈥檛 feel that yet, but that鈥檚 because it鈥檚 been going down for the past nine months for the first time in 10 years,鈥� Keller said.

White disagreed and accused APD鈥檚 statistics of being a false representation of crime in the city.

鈥淢ayor Keller, nobody believes that,鈥� White said.

The pair swapped statistics about how many homicides had occurred under the other鈥檚 tenure, with both sides calling the referenced numbers inaccurate.

Keller also criticized White鈥檚 career in public safety, which he says was marked by 鈥渇ailure.鈥� Keller referenced a 2011 vote of 鈥渘o confidence鈥� by APD鈥檚 police union, when hundreds of officers declared that they did not approve of White鈥檚 job as Public Safety director.

鈥淎 lot of the things I鈥檝e had to clean up started under your watch, including the (Department of Justice consent decree), including officers leaving, including the no confidence vote in you as their boss,鈥� Keller said.

Discussion of crime quickly shifted to homelessness, which White said has grown untenable under Keller鈥檚 leadership.

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 elected, the homeless tent cities will come down on day one,鈥� White said.

Keller countered, calling White鈥檚 approach to the growing number of homeless people in the city as 鈥淭rump-like roundups and chaos and violence.鈥�

White also criticized the city鈥檚 civil complaint against Quirky Books, a used bookstore that has allowed homeless people to camp in its parking lot. The complaint asked a judge to rule the property as a public nuisance, which White said was hypocritical while thousands of people live unsheltered on sidewalks, at parks and in front of businesses across the city.

鈥淚f that business owner in Nob Hill is a public nuisance, what does that make you?鈥� White asked Keller.

Whether APD should assist federal immigration enforcement was also a hot topic.

Keller remained in support of the city鈥檚 immigrant-friendly policies, which forbids any city employee, including police, to collect information about immigration status or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

White condemned those policies as 鈥渄angerous鈥� and said he would permit APD to cooperate with ICE if elected.

鈥漈hey are preying on our communities and the mayor is shielding them with his policy, which says 鈥榳e are not going to provide any information to immigration,鈥欌�� White said.

In closing, Keller accused White of using fearmonger tactics.

鈥淢ake no mistake, this is him trying to resurrect his own failed public safety career,鈥� Keller said in closing. 鈥淎nd what you heard today is why it鈥檚 never worked 鈥� because it鈥檚 based on fear, it鈥檚 based on slogans and some sort of savior complex that鈥檚 not about substance, that鈥檚 not about governing.鈥�

Voters will decide which argument prevails in December when polls open again for the runoff.