For 7 years, the Albuquerque police have been subject to monitoring by the Department of Justice through a consent decree, that began after a use of force incident. But, Republican Congresswoman Yvette Herrell has sent a letter to the United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling him to end the DOJ consent agreement with the Albuquerque Police Department. In the letter, the New Mexico congresswoman states, "Officers feel over scrutinized, worried they will be falsely accused of wrongdoing, and choose to serve other communities, leaving the department understaffed and streets under patrolled." “By speaking to an Albuquerque issue and going up to bat for them now, I'm sure her team sees it as a potential win for her in the election coming up in November," said political expert Rhiannon Samuel. Samuel said the move comes at a good time for the congresswoman, as crime is top of mind in the state. Also, with the new district map she must begin to attract more people in Albuquerque. “There's going to be a larger portion of the Albuquerque voting population, and she wants to make sure they're on her side,” Samuel said. The move by the congresswoman comes before other Democratic Congress members. “I haven't seen anything from Congresswoman Stansbury on the DOJ issue. I have seen Mayor Keller be somewhat critical of the DOJ is staying in Albuquerque,” Samuel said. We reached out to Mayor Keller's office about the letter, they sent KOAT a statement saying: “The Congresswoman is echoing concerns the City and APD leaders highlight every week with the Department of Justice and in federal court. We have worked hard to re-shape the reform effort so it works best for Albuquerque, not Washington. Her letter follows the Mayor’s in person discussions with senior AG officials three weeks ago. However, it’s important to not be overly simplistic or simply ill informed – anyone who has been engaged in the DOJ process knows that we cannot just hold a hearing and be done with it. We have to find a path to fight crime and enact meaningful reform. The City’s negotiations with the DOJ are well underway to carve our own path to doing exactly that.” – spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office.” Samuel thinks the letter does have potential to create change. “This letter could make a difference because there's a national dialog around how long the DOJ is in certain cities, but we haven't seen from the DOJ in particular then establishing timelines. But it's very much within the public sphere of discretion," Samuel said. Congresswoman Herrell has requested a response from the United States attorney general on the matter by Feb. 25.