Monday, June 15, 2020Criminal Justice Beat: Delay APD Union Contract To Make Way for Reform? Plus: Talk Of Police Reform For Upcoming Special Session
The arduous process of getting the police department ABQ wants is again front and center, a result of the George Floyd case. Alan Wagman, a former member of the city's police oversight task force, believes the city should take the rare step of delaying approval of the contract with the police union. The current one expires June 30. His analysis: People who want change should be demanding that Mayor Keller not renew the city’s contract with the Albuquerque Police Officers Association (APOA) until after the public has been engaged in a meaningful examination of what kind of police department we want. If you want only that APD make the changes the city agreed to and the federal court ordered five years ago, you will lose your opportunity to get what you want if the mayor enters a new contract with APOA. The city will continue to pay millions of dollars to the federal monitor because its obligations will remain unfulfilled. If you want to see APD abolished, you will lose your opportunity if the mayor enters a new contract. If you want something in-between, something that involves real change in who responds to medical emergencies (police or EMTs?), who responds to the mentally ill (police or counselors?) or who deals with the homeless (police or social workers?), you will lose your opportunity if the mayor enters a new contract. If you want yet something else, you will lose your opportunity if the mayor enters a new contract. Six years ago, I served on the city’s Police Oversight Task Force charged with making recommendations for a new oversight ordinance. We discovered that the city’s contract with APOA set a time limit beyond which discipline could not be imposed, and the civilian oversight statute required a process which pushed civilian oversight beyond the contract’s time limits. The result was no discipline. The Task Force raised the issue and the Berry administration responded by renewing the APOA contract, preventing oversight and avoiding discipline. Under Mayor Keller’s APOA contract, the federal court monitor has been reporting for years that the road block to progress remains unchanged. Supervisors stall the disciplinary process until it gets beyond the deadlines set in the contract. Result? Cops aren’t disciplined; APD does not change and taxpayers continue shelling out money to the federal court monitor. Without an APOA contract, the city can make whatever change the public desires and force APD compliance with the federal lawsuit and save millions of dollars. Without an APOA contract, the city can reallocate money to better and more humanely serve the city. Serve us, the people, Mayor Keller. Do not enter into a contract with APOA. Well argued, but what if APOA strikes because of no contract? There was a police strike back in the mid 70's. APOA President Sean Willoughby is raising objections to proposed police reforms from ABQ City Council President Pat Davis.
Willoughby called the proposal of possible cuts to funding “ignorant, idiotic and ludicrous,” saying the department is already understaffed. He said, if Davis wants better community policing, they should invest in more officers not take money away and undermine reform efforts. "Ignorant and idiotic" to the president of the City Council? Well, that shows how intoxicated APD has become with its power over civilians who in the past have been apathetic or intimidated into not exercising their oversight responsibilities. SPECIAL REFORMS?  Maestas is asking the Governor’s Office to support legislation that would strike language automatically inserted into police contracts dealing with investigations into police misconduct. State law requires certain parameters when it comes to probing into police misconduct cases. Maestas argues the law shields police from accountability as a matter of routine. House Speaker Egolf also says police reform should be on the Governor's call: One bill would prohibit New Mexico officials from claiming “qualified immunity” — a legal doctrine that can shield them from being held personally liable for actions that violate a person’s constitutional rights. “This is a glaring hole. It is a big, big problem. Others argue such ideas deserve a full airing and should be taken up at the 60 day session in January. One measure that might not cause headaches during the special is mandating police to wear body cameras. That proposal has been throughly debated and found effective. APD is among the departments that have them. The BernCo Sheriff's Department does not. This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (newsguy@yahoo.com) Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here.   (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2020 |
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