Southwest
Entire police department resigns after town's 'failure' to meet law enforcement needs: former chief
An entire city’s leadership has crumbled after the failure of political leaders to meet the police department’s needs, its former chief said.
The entire Geary Police Department in Oklahoma — including Chief Alicia Ford — resigned on Oct. 31. City Council members Rocky Coleman and Kristy Miller resigned shortly afterward, as FOX 25 Oklahoma City first reported. Mayor Waylan Upchego then resigned, the Watonga Republican reported.
“The reason that prompted the entire resignation was: it was just a continued failure from the mayor to make change that would affect the department and make it more effective for the community,” Ford told Fox News Digital. “It was just an ongoing issue. He consistently refused to keep his word to us, and that was something that we held him to. When you’re a mayor, you’re [supposed] to lead the city and what’s best for the city and the departments within.”
Ford said she had gone to Upchego and the city council requesting their help to address the overworked and understaffed police department, plus budget cuts that had recently impacted pay and bonuses for officers, on top of some other administrative issues. Nobody stepped up, according to the former police chief.
TOWN’S ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING CHIEF, RESIGN ON SAME DAY
Geary Police Department Chief Alicia Ford shares a Halloween message on Facebook. (Facebook/ Geary Police Department)
“They cut the jail. They cut our dispatch, and that put strain on us. But we found we went to another agency, and they have done excellent and accommodating us with that dispatch,” Ford explained. “[The mayor] consistently refused to keep his word when it came to basic needs of equipment and the safety issues within our department. We talked about the budget cuts that caused hardships for these officers and myself that were unnecessary.”
Hope added that she knows that police departments across the country have dealt with staffing shortages and budget cuts, but her six-person department had recently dwindled to four, with herself doing administrative chief work, one officer stationed at the local high school, and two officers working extremely long shifts doing regular daily police work.
“Who wants to do that for extremely low pay?”
“So that would lead two officers to do basically 24 hours . . . five to seven days a week. That’s not realistic,” she said. “But honestly, who wants to do that for extremely low pay? I mean, they did it. And honestly, I don’t ever really remember these two officers complaining about it.”
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The entire Geary, Oklahoma, Police Department resigned. (Facebook/ Geary Police Department)
Ford gave the mayor and city council a month’s notice to address the police department’s concerns, saying that if needs were not met, they would resign. They even offered city leaders a timeline.
“And then we followed through with our timeline,” Ford said.
Ford took on the job of police chief in October 2023 after the department had been rocked by another unrelated scandal.
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“At first, it was kind of challenging. It was my first year of being a chief of police. I’ve taken several roles in law enforcement, but never that type of administrative, high . . . role,” she explained. “It was great. . . . Geary, Oklahoma, was an amazing community. They were very accepting of me.”
The entire Geary Police Department resigned on Oct. 31. (Google Maps)
Ford has since accepted a position as an investigator with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, which helped meet the Geary Police Department’s dispatch needs after budget cuts. Right now, she’s focused on her family.
Coleman shared a letter with FOX 25 explaining his decision to resign from the city council following the police department resignations, saying he had left the council because his “core values do not align with the city’s current direction.”
“I have tried to be a voice of reason. Unfortunately, I was just one voice. The City Council and administration should not allow personal goals or agendas to affect the city. Decisions should be made only to benefit the city,” he wrote, adding that council members lacked communication and were frequently left in the dark about agenda items.
“Transparency is also crucial for communication. I would love to see more communication online, not just in person. For example, the financial reports should be posted for the community to read. I have never shied away from explaining the state of the finances to any citizen who has asked. When people are informed, they are more likely to understand that we have a failing infrastructure and why rate increases must happen. I have repeatedly asked that we be more proactive instead of reactive. We should be prepared for the worst and not hoping for the best.”
Upchego could not immediately be reached for comment. An interim chief has since taken over the Geary PD, and residents are still able to make 911 calls.
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Southwest
Mayor Tim Keller defeats law-and-order challenger to secure third term as Albuquerque mayor
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Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has been re-elected to lead New Mexico’s largest city, according to the unofficial results from the Bernalillo County clerk’s office.
While officially nonpartisan, Tuesday’s runoff carried a clear ideological split as Keller faced a challenge from his right in former Sheriff Darren White, who cast himself as the law-and-order candidate promising to restore public safety.
Keller defended his record on crime and homelessness, ultimately securing a third term to continue leading the blue city through the next four years as it confronts public safety and housing challenges.
Keller and White advanced from a 7-candidate field on Election Day on Nov. 5, 2025, when other high-stakes mayoral races were playing out across the United States, from Seattle to New York City. Because neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the mayoral contest advanced to Tuesday’s runoff election.
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Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller greets then-Vice President Kamala Harris at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. (Sam Wasson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Despite Albuquerque’s officially nonpartisan mayoral election, Keller aligns with the Democratic Party while White is a Republican.
“Thank you for believing in this campaign, in our city, and in the work ahead. I’m honored to earn your trust for another historic term, and I’m ready to keep delivering progress for every community in our city. Let’s get back to work, together,” Keller said Tuesday night after securing a third term.
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“While we are disappointed by the final result, we have no regrets. We walk with our heads held high, proud of the movement we built and the issues we helped elevate,” White posted on X.
Both candidates made public safety and housing central to their campaigns as Albuquerque has struggled with some of the highest violent-crime rates in the region and a homelessness crisis.
Keller is a former state senator and auditor who has served as mayor of Albuquerque since 2017, while White is the programming manager for a local radio station, the former chief public safety officer for Albuquerque and lost a congressional race as a Republican in 2008.
According to Keller’s campaign website, he ran for re-election, in part, because Albuquerque “needs strong, reliable leadership” to “stand up” against President Donald Trump’s sweeping, second-term agenda.
Then-U.S. House candidate Darren White speaks at the New Mexico’s Republican Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 15, 2008. (Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Keller issued an executive order “reaffirming Albuquerque’s longstanding commitment as an immigrant-friendly city and outlined specific actions to safeguard the rights and safety of immigrant and refugee communities,” amid Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
“He’s done the real work to repair decades-long challenges holding our city back. Now we know what’s working — and it’s time to press the pedal down and move Albuquerque forward through these tough times,” Keller touted on his campaign website, as he pointed to “tough times” locally and nationally.
Keller leaned on his record throughout the campaign, including his efforts to combat crime, reform homelessness and housing services and his “breakthrough achievements,” including public safety and community investment projects, as outlined on his website.
The mayor also highlighted his initiatives to reform the city’s emergency response system, invest in neighborhoods, fight for survivors of sexual violence, modernize the economy, leadership on “climate action” including a commitment to being “100% renewable by 2025,” expanding youth programs and “leading with courage” through the COVID-19 pandemic, per his campaign website.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller delivers remarks at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. (Sam Wasson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, White emphasized his law enforcement experience as a U.S. Army veteran who has served as “the head of the New Mexico State Police and Sheriff of Bernalillo County,” according to his own campaign website.
Chief among his campaign promises was a commitment to fighting crime by restoring law and order and “giving officers the support and tools they need to enforce the law and clean up our streets” and ending “Mayor Keller’s Sanctuary City law for criminals and fight to end Catch and Release,” according to his website.
Drawing a contrast to Keller’s own record, White campaigned on cleaning up homeless encampments and addressing “the homeless crisis with policies that work.”
Other campaign promises included partnering with businesses to create jobs and boost the economy and prioritizing government efficiency by cutting the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars, per his campaign website.
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“I have a proven record of fighting crime, protecting our communities, and upholding law and order,” White said. “I’ll unshackle the police, end Mayor Keller’s failed sanctuary policies, clean up homeless encampments, and restore safety to Albuquerque’s streets, parks, and businesses while cutting government waste and making our city a place where families and businesses can thrive again.”
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Southwest
Crockett’s potential successor has repeatedly railed against US in reparations push: ‘It’s been evil’
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Progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s pastor, a radical reparations activist who once claimed America was “born in political violence,” is now running as a Democrat to replace her in Texas’ 30th Congressional District.
A Texas Democratic Party document reviewed by Fox News Digital confirmed that Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a Dallas megachurch pastor and social justice activist, is running to replace Crockett following her announcement that she is running for Senate.
In 2022, speaking at a “Solidarity for Reparations” event at a San Francisco church, Haynes advocated for reparations on the grounds that America owes it to the African American community.
“America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust. It’s been downright wrong and the only way to bring salvation to America – you gotta pay us what you owe us,” Haynes said. “I’ve come by to say San Francisco, California, Texas, United States of America, if you want salvation to come to this house, you’ve got to engage in reparations.”
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, speaks to reporters after announcing her run in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on Dec. 8, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The remarks were made at the church of failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ longtime mentor and pastor, Amos Brown, who has made several controversial comments, including blaming the United States for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Haynes’ comments received high praise from Brown, who told the congregation, “What a wonder. What a word. What a challenge.”
He then told all the members of the San Francisco reparations task force in the crowd to “implement what our preacher has so eloquently stated in undescribable words. I told you you would receive information. You got all the inspiration you need. Now it’s time for implementation.”
Haynes was also present at a reparations rally outside the White House in 2023, when he said the United States was “born in the sin of a hostile, genocidal takeover of Indigenous land and shaped by anti-Black White supremacy. This is a country that spent in the aftermath of emancipation decades plundering Black communities and ensuring that we were economically exploited and excluded. And so how could you talk about redemption without reparation?”
“We’ve come to cash our check because we’ve seen the [profit and loss] statement,” he continued.
In addition to his activism on reparations, Haynes has a history of controversial statements, including posting a photo of himself and notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan in 2017, calling him a “wonderful and great man.” In 2015, Haynes also lavished praise on Farrakhan, saying he was “a prophetic leader of our time.”
Earlier this year, he attacked conservative activist Charlie Kirk after his assassination, accusing him of espousing “dangerous” views “rooted in white supremacy.”
He criticized characterizations of Kirk’s killing as an assassination, saying, “a white Christian gets killed, murdered, not assassinated,” continuing, “Martin King got assassinated, Malcom X got assassinated, Medgar Evers got assassinated, don’t compare Kirk to King.”
Though he condemned political violence, Douglass proceeded to drill into Kirk, saying, “What Kirk said was dangerous, what Kirk said was racist, rooted in white supremacy, nasty and hate-filled.”
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Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, enters the plaza and talks with his supporters. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
During the same sermon, he proceeded to call out politicians who said America was better than political violence, because, as he said, “we ain’t better than this.”
“One of the things that gets me, and we got the politicians in here, I’m going to come for you if you ever say this, if you ever say, ‘America, we better than this,’ you lying, you lying. We ain’t better than this. America was born in political violence.”
He proceeded to list a number of acts of violence, saying, “America committed political violence during the slave trade, America committed political violence when black bodies hung as strange fruit from old southern trees, America committed political violence against the Irish, against the Italians, before they became white.”
“And you going to say, ‘We better than this?’” he continued. “No, we can’t fix what you won’t face, until you look in the mirror and face this is a violent country, that has done violence to too many people.”
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett launches a Texas Senate campaign with a clever ad featuring Trump’s own insults against her, sparking social media reactions. (LM Otero/AP Photo)
Haynes did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.
Though he did not address his congressional campaign, speaking at Crockett’s Senate launch event on Monday, Haynes accused Republicans of “racism” over a recently passed Texas redistricting bill. He praised Crockett, comparing her to the biblical Esther, saying, “As dark as it is right now, with Jasmine, the light is about to break out and shine.”
Crockett has previously praised Haynes, saying he has been a source of guidance for her.
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In a July 2023 social media statement, Crockett wrote, “I’ve been blessed to know Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III for years, and to have been able to turn to him for guidance wherever, whenever.”
“As a PK, as a North Texan, and as a member of Friendship-West Baptist Church, I couldn’t be prouder to watch Pastor Haynes touch even more lives!” she added.
Crockett did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.
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Southwest
FCC, state AGs to join forces in crackdown on China-linked communications technology
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FIRST ON FOX: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and four state attorneys general are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) creating a partnership to share information and coordinate oversight of high-risk communications technology.
A draft of the MOU, viewed by Fox News Digital, outlines plans to strengthen consumer protection by targeting communications equipment and services, particularly those originating from China or subject to influence by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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The MOU between the attorneys general of Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. The FCC confirmed to Fox News Digital that Carr met with the attorneys general on Wednesday morning.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr met with the attorneys general of Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia to discuss the new partnership. (John McDonnell/Getty Images)
For the first time, the agreement will bring federal and state authorities together to share intelligence on China-linked communications technology, coordinate enforcement against security threats, protect consumers from compromised devices and close jurisdictional enforcement gaps.
“The chairman is actively partnering with state attorneys general across the country to promote national security,” the FCC said.
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A person familiar with the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the discussion as “exceptionally productive,” and said it highlighted the need for faster information sharing and stronger safeguards against CCP-linked companies that attempt to infiltrate U.S. markets by rebranding their products to conceal their Chinese origins.
“This strengthened federal–state partnership reflects the Trump administration’s decisive leadership in turning policy into action and safeguarding the American people from foreign adversaries,” the person told Fox News Digital, warning that U.S. manufacturers and retailers should immediately halt the sale of banned Chinese components “or they will likely face swift federal and state enforcement actions.”
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said that after the meeting, the state attorneys general are “eager to deepen our coordination with the federal government as we work to stop CCP-linked technology from endangering American consumers.”
“We are taking decisive action to keep Communist China out of our homes and networks. This partnership reinforces our commitment to confront and shut down malign Chinese influence in America’s communications infrastructure.”
The national flags of the U.S. and China flutter at the Fairmont Peace Hotel on April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
The move comes amid mounting concerns that Beijing is using Chinese-made communications equipment to undermine U.S. security and gain strategic footholds in critical networks.
Lawmakers from both parties have long warned that the Chinese government uses educational exchanges, research partnerships and business investments in the U.S. as cover for espionage activities, concerns that mirror growing fears about Beijing’s expanding footprint in America’s communications networks.
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