ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For over five years, he was New Mexico’s top cop. Pete Kassetas has a storied career in state law enforcement, but he also now has an entirely different career as an Albuquerque business owner.
This week on the New Mexico News Podcast, Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart have a rare and candid sit-down with Kassetas, who shares details behind his ups and downs in law enforcement, and what it was like to be the face of New Mexico’s largest police agency. Kassetas led the New Mexico State Police during some of the state’s biggest news events, including school shootings in Roswell and Aztec. He shares what it was like to face the public during tragedies, and some of the politics at play behind the scenes.
Kassetas was new to the Chief position when KRQE News 13 broke the story about a New Mexico State Police officer in Taos opening fire on a minivan with children in tow during a traffic stop. That case was a pivotal moment for the chief.
Now on the other side of dealing with crime, the former lawman offers perspective on what it’s like owning a business in one of the city’s biggest recent development shake-ups – Old Town in Albuquerque. He’s also part of a new task force alongside other business owners to try and come up with solutions.
What’s the former chief been up to since leaving State Police? Has his view on handling crime changed? Those topics and more are discussed in this week’s episode which you can listen to above, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here’s a look at some of KRQE News 13’s coverage of the stories and events mentioned in this week’s episode:
- November 2013 – Taos minivan shooting
- December 2013 – Taos protestors meet Chief Kassetas
- January 2014 – Roswell school shooting investigation
- June 2016 – State Police Chief responds to officers ignoring DWI investigation of DA
- June 2017 – State Police Chief asks Forrest Fenn to call off treasure hunt
- June 2017 – Reaction to Forrest Fenn treasure hunt comments
- December 2017 – Aztec High School shooting news conference
- May 2019 – $1.7 million paid in confidential state settlements
Story continues below:
- Local: Two women accuse former employer South Valley Care Center of age discrimination
- Albuquerque: Barelas Park awaits ‘phase 2’ of long-awaited makeover
- New Mexico: Safety concerns leave UNM men’s basketball games against NMSU up in the air
- Environment: Carson National Forest sets out new rule for camping
Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Podbean among many others.
Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term “KRQE” or “New Mexico News Podcast” (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.
