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ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR TIM KELLER EXPRESSING HIS FRUSTRATIONS WITH MDC. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER BRANDON EVANS EXPLAINS WHY, AND HOW THE JAIL IS REACTING. BRANDON: MAYOR KELLER SAYS POLICE ARE ARRESTING PEOPLE, BUT MDC IS REFUSING TO TAKE THEM. AND TODAY, HE HAD A STRONGLY-WORDED MESSAGE FOR THE JAIL. MAYOR KELLER: WE NEED OUR JAIL TO TAKE OUR PRISONERS. THAT IS THEIR JOB. BRANDON: WHAT’S WORSE IS HE SAYS IT’S NOTHING NEW. MAYOR KELLER: THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT’S BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. IT’S GOTTEN WORSE, OF COURSE, DURING CORONA. THEY’RE ALWAYS REJECTED FOR DIFFERENT MEDICAL REASONS. BRANDON: KELLER SAYS IT’S NOT ONLY DANGEROUS TO THE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO TO THE PUBLIC. MAYOR KELLER: WHEN MDC REFUSES TO ACCEPT PRISONERS THAT WE HAVE ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE FELONIES FOR A VIOLENT CRIME AND OUR OFFICER HAS TO SPEND A FULL SHIFT DRIVING AROUND FOR NINE HOURS BECAUSE THE JAIL WILL NOT TAKE CUSTODY, EVEN THOUGH THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN MEDICALLY CLEARED, IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. BRANDON: THE MAYOR ALSO SAYS IT’S NOT THE JAIL’S CALL TO MAKE. MAYOR KELLER: A JUDGE, NOT MDC, HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL CAN BE RELEASED FROM CUSTODY. BRANDON: I REACHED OUT TO MDC TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE MAYOR’S COMMENTS AND IT WASN’T MUCH. THEY RELEASED THIS STATEMENT, SAYING QUOTE, "THE COUNTY IS FINALIZING A FORMAL RESPONSE TO APD AND MAYOR KELLER REGARDING THEIR MDC CONCERNS. THE COMMUNITY AND MEDIA WILL ALSO RECEIVE AN UPDATE AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME." IN THE MEANTIME, THE MAYOR HAS PLEDGED TO ASSIST THE JAIL WITH WHATEVER IT NEEDS. MAYOR KELLER: WE ARE ABSOLUTELY WILLING TO HELP IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SAFETY MEASURES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE CANNOT KEEP THEM IN THE BACK OF A POLICE CAR, AND WE SHOULD NOT RELEASE THEM BACK INTO THE PUBLIC. BRANDON: ALL THIS HAPPENING AS THE MAYOR RELEASED NEW CRIME STATS SHOWING COMMERCIAL BURGLARIES ARE ON THE RISE RIGHT NOW. REPORTING, BRANDON EVANS, KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. DOUG: THOSE NUMBERS ALS

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Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said police are arresting people, but the Metropolitan Detention Center is refusing to take them.On Thursday, Keller had a strongly-worded message for the jail.“We need our jail to take our prisoners. That is their job,” Keller said.What's worse is Keller said it's nothing new.“This is an issue that's been happening for several months it's gotten worse of course during corona. They're always rejected for different medical reasons,” he said.Keller said it’s not only dangerous to the officers, but also to the public.“When MDC refuses to accept prisoners that we have arrested on multiple felonies for a violent crime, and our officer has to spend a full shift driving around for nine hours because the jail will not take custody, even though this individual has been medically cleared, is completely unacceptable,” he said.The mayor also said it's not the jail's call to make.“A judge, not MDC, has the authority to decide whether an individual can be released from custody,” he said.KOAT reached out to MDC to see what officials there had to say about the mayor's comments.A Bernalillo County spokesperson released this statement: "The county is finalizing a formal response to APD and Mayor Keller regarding their MDC concerns. The community and media will also receive an update at the appropriate time."In the meantime, the mayor has pledged to assist the jail with whatever it needs.“We are absolutely willing to help in any way that we can to provide adequate safety measures for those individuals, but we cannot keep them in the back of a police car, and we should not release them back into the public,” Keller said.Keller said all of this at a news conference Thursday. He also announced the number of commercial burglaries is increasing and 50 new police officers just hit the streets.