Happy New Year!

The Eye wishes everyone a Happy New Year. The Eye looks forward to a 2012 and to the many changes that are hopefully coming!

Can Someone Please Fix The Computers?

Several Months ago, Officers were called into the IT Office to have their computers transitioned to Radio IP. This transition was a supposed upgrade and allegedly cost the department millions of dollars.
Instead of an upgrade, Radio IP is a definite downgrade. Soon after having it installed, officers were going into the office, begging to have it removed. They were told "no" because everyone had to have Radio IP installed. It did not matter that it wasn't working properly. It did not matter that the officers in the unit would temporarily fix the problem, however the program would become unworkable shortly after being "fixed".
When working, officers are able to pull vehicle registrations, dispatched calls, warrant checks, etc. When Radio IP isn't working, officers are not able to do any of those things.
Two weeks ago, the entire system went down AGAIN. The city was forced to pay thousands of dollars in overtime for the Lieutenant, Sergeant, numerous officers, and several civilians to work on each computer individually to try to get the program running. Well, the fix lasted less than two weeks and the employees are back to square one.
Part of the problem is training and experience. The IT unit is comprised of sworn officers that came from varying backgrounds, none of which was computer technology. A couple of the officers were detectives, one was a field officer who had just left the academy, another was an officer that was brought in because she was on ILD due to a pregnancy. Computer classes were taken AFTER being brought into the unit. Are these positions that are really necessary and beneficial for sworn police officers? It seems like computer college students from UNM could be doing better. The trained civilians in tech services seem to be doing much better than the sworn officers.
Does the city not care about officer safety? Officers can not run the registration or warrant checks for subjects prior to making contact. Officers can not receive dispatches and have to constantly ask the dispatcher to repeat the calls. Officers can not pull the "hazards" from the call. "Hazards" are a type of warning to the officers about any safety issues that the location or subject may be involved in. For example, a hazard may flag a mentally unstable subject that has threatened to kill police officers should they come to his/her house.
It seems like Chief Schultz acted on impulse yet again and chose to "fix" something that was not even broken. Should there have been a trial period, the glitches of the system could have been found before spending the money, before wasting the resources, before wasting the "airtime" having to broadcast every single thing, before placing the officers in a more dangerous situation every day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We here at the Eye want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas!

What About His Certification?

ADDED TODAY (December 21, 2011):
Chief Schultz was found guilty of violating Officer Orlando Camacho's Right to Due Process. Just another day in the life of Chief Schultz.


On Tuesday, there was an emergency meeting of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board. After the meeting it seems like the certification of police officers is being attacked. The Law Enforcement Academy Board is set up to review officers that are suspected of misconduct or even termination and decide whether the officer's certification should be suspended or even pulled indefinitely. Once the officer has their certification pulled, they can not be a law enforcement officer anywhere in the state. One of the hearing officers of the board expressed his displeasure in the Attorney General's office as to the current amount of pending cases. The board was also concerned with the accused ineffectiveness of the Attorney General's office.
The board's obvious passion for officers certification poses a question for the Law Enforcement Academy board. Is being found in violation of one's constitutional rights enough to decertify an officer, better yet decertify a Chief of Police?
In November of 2009, Chief Ray Schultz was found guilty by a jury of violating former officer Sam Constales' civil rights (See cv-00827-MV). Being found guilty of violating someone's civil rights is extreme to say the least. No law enforcement officer ever wants to be found quilty of such a violation. It appears to the Eye that a violation of this caliber more than meets the definition and criteria of officer misconduct. Chief Ray Schultz currently has at least one other pending case in Federal Court in reference to his violation of civil rights. D-202-CV-201106829 (Terysa Welch vs City of Albuquerque, et. al. ) accuses Chief Ray Schultz of Deprivation of Civil Rights Pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42USC sections 1983 and 1985, and the New Mexico Human Rights Act. As it turns out there are numerous cases where Chief Ray Schultz has been accused of violation of civil rights (nmcourts.gov). Are we the only ones that see a pattern here?
Why hasn't the certification of Ray Schultz been questioned by the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board? We did fail to mention that Chief Schultz is a member of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board.
According the New Mexico DPS website, "Oversight of the Law Enforcement Academy operations, revocation or suspension of certifications for officer misconduct, and direction for in-service training of officers are but a few of the many responsibilities of the Board." In our opinion, the accusations as well as the 2009 Costales jury decision against Chief Schultz is more than enough to warrant a hearing before the Board. Whats good for one officer is good for The Chief, isn't it?

What Exactly Doesn't He Control?

For years and years Albuquerque City Employees have signed up for insurance benefits and have had the option of choosing their provider. It seemed only fair. Lovelace, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Presbyterian all were available health care providers that had both pros and cons. Finding a primary care physician can sometimes be a feat in itself, and when you finally find a good provider you do not want to have to change.
Unfortunately, Mayor Berry helped to make sure that city employees no longer had a choice in the matter. Earlier this year he forced others out and allowed only Presbyterian to be the sole provider.
This sudden change caused hardships on many city employees. Co-pays went up, premiums were increased, and service went down. For example, prescription medications and treatments that were provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield are no longer being approved by Presbyterian. Employees are left with two options, pay for the treatment and medication completely out of pocket or go without.
In fact, the Eye was contacted by two separate parents of special needs children. These parents are employed by the Albuquerque Police Department.
One parent explained to the Eye that the co-pay and out of pocket expense has risen so much, their family can not afford to get the care their child needs. Another parent explained that they have now been forced to apply for Medicare as Presbyterian does not provide the same treatment that is needed for their child's survival. These parents explained that this lack of service is the exact reason why they did not enroll in the Presbyterian Health Plan when they were hired by the city.
Our last email recieved stated that this employee has been prescribed the same medication for several years for an untreatable medical condition. The medication provides relief for the pain and discomfort this condition is causing. This employee has tried other medications and the one they are currently using is the only one that works. Presbyterian refuses to pay for the medication and it is forcing this employee to spend four hundred dollars just to remain healthy. The employee tried to appeal, however the staff at Presbyterian wants this employee to try all the other medications, yet again and even now is refusing to compensate the employee.
What gives Mayor Berry the right to chose what health plan employees are allowed, especially those that have been long time employees and were promised to be able to make the decision on health care when they first enrolled. What benefits is the Mayor personally receiving to have had this radical change become permanent?
Is the Mayor concerned that his employees are suffering and are inconvenienced at his hands?
Will Mayor Berry ever allow the citizens of Albuquerque to have a choice about ANYTHING or will he continue to dictate everything?
One thing is for sure, Mayor Berry's independant, selfish ways of "ruling" are not only ruining morale, they are physically hurting the employees as well.

Hey Ray and Kari, Why Don't You Tell The Public The Whole Story?

If you watched the local news last night, especially Channel 4 (KOBTV), you would see that the Schultz/Brandenburg media manipulation is at it again. It was reported that approximately 1/3 of the DWI cases brought to Metropolitan Court are dismissed because the "prosecution was unable to proceed". If you have had any experience with Metropolitan Court, you would know this more than likely means the officers were not able to attend court. Kari Brandenburg stated she did not want to point the finger at just one person, but the lack of support for APD officers speaks differently.

For the most part, DWI cases being dismissed is NOT the police officer's fault. For those who are unaware, here is a quick breakdown of the logistics with officers and court cases. At the most, officers are given seven days notice of court hearings. There are actually times when officers get only one day notice to appear in court. In essence, this means that although officers have days off, they really do not have any days off. This can make it very difficult for officers to plan for doctor's appointments, daycare, personal time, etc.

Instead of being sympathetic to the needs of the police officers, Chief Schultz has (as so typical of the Chief), made it into a blame game with the officers on the receiving end. Memos threatening officers with absolute discipline have been circulating and the discipline seems to be escalating. For example, if an officer calls in sick, some employees are being forced to provide doctor's notes, proof of the sickness, and proof of calling in to the APD Court Liaison Office. How many people go to the doctor every single time they (or their child) is sick? In fact, if an officer is going to miss court, that officer must provide a thirty day notice to APD Court Liaison advising their absence. Again, an officer's scheduled day off is not really a day off, they are at the mercy of the department and the District Attorney.

Day shift Officers are faced to log out at court and are not available to take calls for service. On those instances where the officers are stuck on a call, they must call into court and then later prove they were in fact on a call. Swing shift and graveyard officers usually are at court when their shift is just beginning or just ending. Not only is personal time comprised, so is their sleep time. For example, you can have an officer work from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., proceed to court at 8:30 a.m., then they may have court in the morning, afternoon, etc. So the officer may leave court at 3:00 p.m., or even later in the instance of a trial. The officer gets home at 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., only to go to work a few hours later. For typical case of "when I say jump, you better jump".

Let us not forget the aspect that defense attorneys know the loopholes and many attorneys continue their criminal cases over and over knowing that the one time the officer does not appear, they will more than likely receive a dismissal. As stated in the kobtv.com story, Retired Sergeant Paul Heh, had once attended court 23 separate times for one single DWI case. According to Paul Heh, he has no idea what the outcome of the case was because he never received notice for his 24th appearance.

It would seem like Kari Brandenburg and Chief Schultz are so conceited, they can not admit that the system is severely broken and the fault does not lie within the officers, but lies with the Chief of Police as well as the District Attorney's office. It would have been so nice if either one of them took the responsibility or admitted that the Officers are the ones placed with the burden and are not to blame. , but then again we dont live on Fantasy Island do we?

For the KOB story, click here.

Big Brother is Not Only In The House, But Big Brother Has Crossed The Line!

The Eye gets many emails every day, some giving us ideas for stories, others bad mouthing us. The Eye reads every single email. The last few emails we have received are from different people, yet all seem to have experienced the same incident. The Eye does not know if this is true, but The Eye can tell you several people have contacted us very concerned and wanting this to finally get out to the citizens of Albuquerque.
For those who don't know, APD has an Tech Services Unit that deals with the department computers and the problems that come with them. The Unit is not comprised of current college students, or computer "nerds". The I.T. Unit(Information Technology) has the newest computer gadgets and are not afraid to use them.
Rumor has it that there was a meeting where a flash drive was placed into a computer that was wired into the city network. This would be similar to an officer placing their thumb drive in any of the computers at the substation, or at the PTC. Let's face it, officers do it all the time. That is how the officers save their files, save their reports, etc. During this meeting the flash drive was removed from a city computer and then placed in an employees personal computer that was NOT hooked up to any city network and not affiliated with the city in any way. What comes next seems almost movie like, very Hollywoodesque. The Chief was able to see all of the files on the employees personal computer. This means if you use your flash drive in a city computer and then insert it into your home computer, the city is able to see what is on your home computer. Is nothing sacred anymore? Is there no line the Chief won't cross? What would justify the need for the Chief to retrieve any information from an employees computer? Where are the warrants?
Employees need to get locked flash drives (ironically the I.T. Unit has them already). Do not use the same flash drives on city equipment and then your personal computers. Password your file folders, do not let it be easy for them.
IF this is in fact accurate, this is more than an invasion of privacy. This is a complete disregard for the constitutional rights of an employee (DEJA VU isn't it CHIEF SCHULTZ)!

Again, The Eye has not been able to confirm these accusations. The Eye contacted a very reliable computer expert who stated, not only is this technology available and very plausible, it is very easy to do (especially in the APD setting). We would love to hear from Chief Schultz about this, however, he will never grant us an interview or answer his questions.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Eye would like to wish everyone and their families a Happy Thanksgiving!

New Training or New Trainer?

It is no surprise that the Albuquerque Police Department has been in the spotlight. In fact, there is hardly a day that goes by that APD isn't on the front page of the newspaper or the top story in the news. City Council Meetings have been so heated lately and almost every meeting many individuals are there to express their "anti-APD" feelings. We can't remember a time when APD has had such a bad reputation as they do now.

So what is the Chief's answer to this low morale, high aggression, bad decision making department? More training, better training, higher discipline. Chief Schultz even went to the media boasting about his new plans for better officers. One problem, he forgot to tell the media about his plan on training these new officers.

Recently there was an opening listed for current officers that were interested in becoming Field Training Officers. These are SUPPOSED to be veteran officers that train the newly sworn officers that just graduate from the academy, or new officers that transfer to the department. We were told that the majority of those that are being selected as new Training Officers each have a grand total of TWO years on the department. TWO WHOLE YEARS and the Chief will be granting them "training privileges". You have got to be kidding. Where in the world does the Chief get off thinking it is acceptable for a two year officer to train a new cadet or a new transfer? This has to be one of the most ludicrous thought processes of Chief Schultz.

What is your thinking when you let a rookie officer train another rookie officer? We ask you Chief Schultz, where does this practice of hiring new officers to train new officers fall in your theory of "better training"? Chief Schultz, you are continuing to ruin the integrity of the Albuquerque Police Department. Chief Schultz, you are continuing to ruin the integrity of the Field Training Program. You Mayor Berry, are no better for allowing him to continue to bring this Department down. Will there ever be a time when Mayor Berry realizes he is continuing to put the safety of the citizens at risk, because of his continuous RISKY behavior?

Transition- What Transition?

The Eye received an email that showed us a story that the Alibi just posted. Here is the posted story, straight from alibi.com:

Lost in Translation
Commissioner contends a key APD report never made it to the mayor
By Carolyn Carlson

When the latest rash of officer-involved shootings had just begun in 2009, a transition team created a report for the incoming mayor about the Albuquerque Police Department. It pointed to corruption, fear of retaliation on the force, criticisms from the public and problems with APD's leadership.


Read the full text of the original report by clicking here.But Mayor Richard Berry may have never seen that version of the report.

Two years later, retired APD Sgt. Paul Heh tried to address the City Council about the two versions of the report. Heh’s presentation was cut off, and he was not allowed to discuss the differences between drafts. Heh says he wonders if Berry would have chosen to reappoint Police Chief Ray Schultz if the original had reached the mayor's desk as written.

Heh was not on that transition team but has obtained copies of two conflicting documents.

Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson was a member of the transition team along with eight others. He says the group was approaching a consensus for a final version but didn’t get a chance to finish. The process was cut short when members were told to wrap it up and submit what they had. Johnson says the team was working on a draft that pointed out systemic problems within the department and asked whether Police Chief Schultz needed to be replaced.

“The draft submitted to the mayor was not voted on and was not the direct work product of the committee,” Johnson says. “We were asked to do an honest assessment of the police department, good and bad. And we were doing that. Then we were not given enough time to finish the report.”


Read what was submitted to the mayor by clicking here.The team made 41 recommendations. The modified report that went to Berry had 38. Still, critical observations in the original never crossed the mayor's desk. Johnson says he doesn't know who softened the report.

The team reviewed the work of nationally known police expert Neal Trautman, including a paper titled “How & Why a Department or Jail Becomes Corrupt.” Members of the group found that aspects of APD could indicate shady leadership, according to Trautman’s “Continuum of Corruption” guidelines.

Fear among the rank-and-file is one of the major clues that a department is rotting, according to Trautman's paper. Others include: bitterness and harsh criticism by large groups of citizens; bursts of open defiance of administrators; workers rationalizing unethical actions during conversations with each other; and a departmental attitude of keeping corruption out of the media. Avoiding bad press, Trautman writes, becomes more important than addressing and disciplining corrupt acts.


“We were asked to take an honest, hard look at the department, then not allowed to finish the task."
-Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne JohnsonThe team, in its first draft, observed that members of APD’s command were defensive and ignored requests for meetings. Some commanders met with team members but feared retaliation from their superiors, according to the original report. Field officers told the team they were afraid to identify problems and that higher-ups seemed distant from the cops on the front lines. Supervisors reported that they felt out of the loop.

Bob Martinez served as chair of the police transition team. He is president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. The modified report bears his name on the cover sheet.

“The report with my name on it is the official report of the transition team,” Martinez says. It was his job as chairman to wrap things up, he says, and reflect the views of the majority of the group. He says the transition team rubber stamped what was sent to Berry. “It was done and approved by the committee.” There may have been a minority opposition to what was given to Berry, he adds, but the official report is what the transition team agreed to turn in.

Johnson and other members contend this is not the case. Instead, he says, the transition team never finally approved anything, and critical observations of APD brass were deleted from the final draft.

The Alibi spoke with another member of the transition team who wishes to remain anonymous, “Steve.” He says at least half of the nine-member transition team felt there were significant problems in the police department, and a change in leadership was recommended. He also says the report was reviewed by newly appointed Public Safety Director Darren White before it was sent to Berry.

The softer version was given to the mayor before he reappointed Chief Schultz. Steve also wonders if Berry would have made a different decision if he had seen all the information the team collected.

Dayna Gardner, Berry’s spokesperson, did not directly address the question of whether White or anyone else reviewed and changed the report. Gardner also didn't say whether Berry knew about an earlier version identifying systemic problems.

More than 200 volunteers analyzed each of the city’s departments after the 2009 mayoral election, she says. Berry’s transition effort was led by Sherman McCorkle, a longtime supporter of White. “Each chairman, or their respective designate, submitted a final consensus report reflecting their committee’s work, findings and recommendations,” Gardner says.

All of this matters, Sgt. Heh says, because the police transition team did a thorough review of the department in 2009, highlighting problems that have continued to plague the department. Both he and Commissioner Johnson say the first version, though rushed, reflected work by members of the community and pinpointed solvable problems. “We were asked to take an honest, hard look at the department," Johnson says, "then not allowed to finish the task."

Heh says it appears to him that the Berry administration hired police leaders who would rather hide or deny APD's problems than address them. “It doesn’t help to put a Band-Aid on a major wound.”


Well, now it is evident why City Council was so afraid to let Paul Heh speak at the council meeting.

The ORIGINAL report submitted by the transition can be found by clicking here.

The ALTERED report given to Mayor Berry can be found by clicking here.

Yet again, Mayor Berry we really hope you have the City checkbook wide open and the checks signed. (You may want to invest in Overdraft Protection, something tells us you will need it).

A special thank you goes to The Alibi for letting the truth speak!

Downtown Bars= Full Immunity, Isn't That Right Mayor Berry and Chief Schultz?

Chief's Overtime is a program that seems to benefit many. Theoretically, private businesses contract the Albuquerque Police Department to provide a security of sorts for their business or event. The business pays the City of Albuquerque $52.00 an hour for officers and even more for Sergeants and Lieutenants. The City obviously profits from this service, as it is well known that the Officers do not make near that amount. Some businesses, like Graham Central Station, rely on Chief's Overtime Officers to maintain a safe environment. In fact, the opening and continued operation of Graham Central Station was contingent on the employment of officers at their business.

Recently, the Chief of Police,Ray Schultz, ordered that ALL contracts with liquor establishments be immediately null and void and no longer honored. Scratch that, not ALL businesses, just those businesses that Chief Schultz ordered. For example, contracts with Tumbleweeds and Graham Central Station are no longer honored, however Chief's Overtime is still applied at all Lobo functions and Isotope games. For those unaware, all Lobo events and all Isotopes games sell alcohol.

Now for the really big twist; the Downtown district (a district famous for the large amount of bars in a relatively small area) is provided with FREE police service. By free, we mean the bars do not pay the city a SINGLE penny for the exclusive use of an entire police squad; sometimes more. For example, EVERY single Friday and Saturday at least one ENTIRE squad makes themselves unavailable for calls for service and is ordered to stay solely in the downtown district.

Is the crime downtown SO BAD that it needs ENTIRE squads to be there non stop during operational hours? The answer is simple, YES! One on Saturday (October 8, 2011), while the bars were open, ONE squad handled nine dispatched calls, ten on site calls, one misdemeanor arrest, ten separate disturbances, and four separate fights. One of the fights was so violent that the victim had to be transported to the hospital with a skull fracture. On August 26, 2011, there was one stabbing, one Fire Marshall call (overcrowding at the One-Up bar), a tasing call, four traffic stops, ten separate disturbances, three misdemeanor arrests, two investigations, one theft, one traffic problem, and eighteen on site actions. In fact, our Eyes tell us the Fire Marshall is dispatched EVERY week due to overcrowding.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, these are just two examples and the Eye has many more statistics involving downtown. With all of these problems, why is the City allowing the businesses to remain open? Why is the Criminal Nuisance Abatement Unit allowing these businesses to remain open when in fact, they violate the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance EVERY SINGLE WEEK?

According the the Ordinance, "A public nuisance shall include and is further defined as any parcel of real property, commercial or residential, that is the subject of or that has been involved with calls for service to any law enforcement agency(ies) for violations of the criminal statutes cited in § 11-1-1-3(A) defining public nuisance and shall include a repeated pattern of calls for service and complaints of vagrants, suspicious persons, suspicious cars, general calls for welfare checks, disorderly conduct, domestic violence, domestic altercations, domestic disputes, loud parties, loud music, neighborhood complaints, noise ordinance violations, and public drunkenness and shall be subjected to the imposition of penalties for public nuisance as provided by § 11-1-1-11 ROA 1994."

Chief Schultz and Mayor Berry have thrown a wool blanket over everyone's eyes. They are turning less violent businesses away, and are allowing VIOLATING businesses to thrive, and even provide FREE security. The city has once again discriminated against. By allowing this to continue, the city has shown a complete disregard for the safety of its officers and the safety of the public. Next time you make a call to 911 and the officers take a long time to respond, just have a peace of mind to know that they are probably taking a long time responding as they are too busy dealing the havoc, chaos, and violence of downtown. A havoc, chaos and violence that is not only condoned by the Chief of Police, but financially supported as well.


For the complete Nuisance Abatement Ordinance, click here.

Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say! (We Mean You, Chief Schultz)

Chief Ray Schultz recently gave interviews to the news outlet in reference to his "new" recruiting techniques and ambitions. Before we go any further, yes this is the same chief that two or so years ago gave an order to get to 1100 officers regardless. This is the same Chief Schultz that was reversing the decisions of detectives from The Recruiting and Background Unit and ALLOWING subjects into the academy that had been previously flagged. This is the same Chief Schultz that allowed cadets UNDER 21 years of age to enter the academy, just to make that magic number. Well Chief Schultz, how did that work out for you? According to his interview with KRQE Channel 13, Chief Schultz said "What we will be doing is hiring better, more qualified folks”. Let us get this straight, so you admit you have knowingly hired less than qualified folks? The Eye thinks this is a straight confession and admission of guilt and could be used in the many pending lawsuits against the City. Chief Schultz also stated (according to KRQE), "The changes include trying to recruit less aggressive and less confrontational officers, as well as looking for people who are more compassionate, better problem solvers and those who can more easily de-escalate a situation." Again Chief Schultz, are you saying your current police officers are aggressive and confrontational? Are you saying your current police forcce is less compassionate and by your own admission, your police department are not good problem solvers and have a harder time de-escalating a situation. WOW! Chief Schultz not only did you throw every officer under the bus, you have yet again managed to undermine the entire Police Department. The Eye can not understand why Chief Schultz didn't stand up for the officers or the Police Department. He might as well just write a blank check to every Plantiff in EVERY lawsuit against the City and against APD. It is not the officers that need correction, it is the administration. APD administration needs to be completely demolished. This department needs LEADERS, real leaders. Your fate has been sealed Mayor Berry, the moment you went back on your word and decided to keep that liability of a Chief around, your fate was sealed. The Eye has a suggestion for you Chief Schultz. Instead of admitting everything YOU THINK is wrong, why don't you stand up for the officers YOU HAVE TRAINED. Why can't you look the camera in the eye and state "If you point a gun at an officer YOU WILL DIE". Why don't you look into the camera and tell the citizens that had it not been for the actions of the suspects, they would never have been shot. Each and every person shot by APD chose their destiny, each and every one of them chose to play Russian Roulette with the police. Sometimes they won, sometimes they lost. It seems Chief Schultz is now LETTING THEM ALL WIN!

Is There No Line He Won't Cross?

The Eye has been keeping tabs on the APD Social Media Policy that has recently come out. We have yet to figure out how Chief Schultz is able to overpower the Constitution of the United States. It seems that officers are not allowed to voice their opinions, about anything. This includes ALL officers at ALL times regardless if others know their profession or not. Officer Pete Dwyer was recently terminated for his personal rants on a social media outlet. Although his opinions were to many tasteless and racist, they were after all his opinions. The same opinion and freedom that has been guaranteed to us by the Constitution. Recently an officer was contacted by his Lieutenant. It had come to the Lieutenant's attention that there was at least one inappropriate picture on this officer's Facebook page. This officer is a well known, tenured officer and makes no apologies for being an Atheist. The photograph was a depiction of Jesus on a cross followed by some Atheist "inside" joke. The officer was told to immediately remove the photo or face certain discipline (which according to the social media policy can mean termination). The eye, although not in agreement of the atheist ways and point of view, completely believes that Chief Schultz has crossed the line. There is a certain line of church and state, it is there for a reason. You may not agree with a certain religion, or lack there of, but you should agree that the individuals have the right to express their opinions and feelings. This is one of the many aspects that make this country what it is today. Nothing on this officer's Facebook page makes any indication that he is an Albuquerque Police Officer. In fact, all of the information on the page is only accessible if you are a "friend" of this officer. What is the difference between this page and a private conversation the officer is involved in? To make it worse, after the officer was forced to remove the photograph, he was told he still MAY receive some sort of discipline. This is indeed a clear cut violation of every right this Officer should have. The Eye finds it ironic that while one officer is getting threatened with discipline, city employees are getting emails from the Chaplain unit. It seems that the Chief of Police not only picks and chooses WHAT officers can say, but he also picks and chooses WHO is allowed to speak. Chief Schultz you are supposed to be a leader, not a dictator. We predict many lawsuits to be coming out of this, and many checks to be written.

Vote, What Vote?

Albuquerque Citizens put the Redflex cameras to the test on October 4, 2011. The citizens overwhelmingly voted against all of the cameras. Although city council members as well as the Mayor, stated they would "listen" to the voters, the cameras are yet to come down. In fact, there are at least half a dozen employees that are dedicated solely to the red light cameras, none of which have received notice that their employment is no longer needed. The Eye was recently contacted in reference to the red light cameras. This anonymous man went to his mailbox only to find a notice from a Texas collection agency. The agency accused him of owing 300 dollars for a ticket he never recieved. The man contacted the agency and was told he had to pay the full amount immediately or else suffer the consequences of having his creadit tarnished for at least ten years. This was the first time he had even heard of receiving the ticket. Needless to say, that ticket will go unpaid, because he refuses to submit a payment of $300 for something he has no proof of doing. If this is happening to him, it is happening to many more people. Come on Mayor Berry, come on City Council. The citizens of Albuquerque have spoken------ NO MORE RED LIGHT CAMERAS.
Admit you are wrong, and look elsewhere for the revenue. Why hold a vote if the voice of the citizens does not count for anything. Mayor Berry, it is ok to admit you were wrong. It is ok to admit that the cameras have nothing to do with public safety, but has everything to do with money. It is ok to admit that public safety employees do not support you. It is ok to realize the citizens are smart individuals and this bluff involving credit agencies will not work. Our advice.... BRING IT ON, we are ready and the CITIZENS HAVE SPOKEN!

Nice Temper Tantrum Chief Schultz!

An interesting story came to us via email. As we started reading about the Appreciation Day that was held at the Valley Area Command Substation on Friday, we thought that for once the Administration of the Albuquerque Police Department would be shining for their outward support of the officers. THINK AGAIN. According to our letter, Chief Schultz was in attendance, standing near the APOA tent. Commander Rae Mason (our new hero) announced that for the first time ever, she was presenting an officer with the Officer of the Year award. According to the letter received, she announced Officer Dawn Roberto was receiving the award. As soon as Commander Mason announced the recipient, Chief Schultz turned and left. Even though he was standing directly behind the officer, he could not show the respect to even congratulate the officer. Lt. Dodi Comacho (our other new hero) quickly interjected. She stated all the good things Officer Roberto has accomplished and even stated no one can figure out why the countless nominations for Officer of the Month have been denied. Our eyes know why the nominations have not been approved. Chief Schultz is throwing another one of his well known temper tantrums. You know, the kind of tantrums he throws when people call him on the carpet, when he is caught off guard and has no time to devise an excuse. You may hate her, you may like her, but the eyes believe no one can doubt the fact that Officer Roberto is a hard working officer that has made this Chief look good. She is also a union member that continuously stands up for Officers and does not back down. We applaud Commander Mason and Lt. Camacho for their recognition. Chief Schultz, your tantrum was not gone unnoticed and you should be ashamed of yourself for the way you handle yourself. It is time for you to leave, bring the morale back to this department and for petes sake, leave the tantrums to the two year olds.

ATTENTION: DOUBLE CHECK YOUR PAYSTUB- RETIRED INCLUDED!

This is like a modern day Robin Hood. Only the City of Albuquerque is not robbing the rich to feed the poor, they are robbing the poor to feed the rich. We can not forget the pay raises the Mayor and some of his staff received, while the Officers of the Albuquerque Police Department are yet to get paid according to the contract they negotiated (taking a pay cut in fact).
Now on to the pay stubs. Our Eyes tell us that it is very rare to find a single employee that can decipher these pay stubs. If you work overtime, it is unknown and we think highly doubtful you are getting paid what you are supposed to. We understand that the Chief has yet to act on the numerous requests by officers to explain in detail how the officers are paid, and if they are getting paid what they are due.
We are hardly surprised that it does not end there. It has come to our attention that the City of Albuquerque is deliberately withholding money that is owed to its officers that retire. When an officer retires, their last paycheck still reflects all of the current deductions. When an officer retires prior to the end of the pay period (that is an whole "nother" story), one would think the deductions are prorated. For example, if someone purchases insurance, the monthly payment is prorated depending on the time of purchase. Right now, the City of Albuquerque deducts an entire month of deductions, regardless of your last day.
This exact scenario happened to one of APDs recently retired officers, Lynn Scott. She retired before completing an entire month of work. However, she received her last paycheck and an entire month of deductions was taken from her paycheck. The City of Albuquerque did not prorate her deductions. Officer Scott promptly notified the Department and over a month later, she received a letter from Mark Saiz (HR Manager, Insurance and Benefits Division). The letter indicates that the prorated deductions is "not possible".
Our Eyes tell us that Officers that retired from three years ago until now all have a grievance against this horrid practice and downright theft of monies that are owed to each and every one of these officers.
This is yet another example of the City taking from those that deserve so much more. Mayor Berry, you are no modern day Robin Hood, so stop trying to act like one.


As a side note: Legal action is pending. If any retired officer is interested in obtaining this information, please contact us at theeyeonalbuquerque@gmail.com

The Straw that Broke the Mayor's Back?

Was last night's embarassing and unprofessional behavior of Chief Ray Schultz, finally the straw that broke the camel's back? There was a City Council meeting last night. The usual "frequent flyers" were there, some to speak, others to observe. Prior to the meeting beginning, as it happens every meeting, many people (including Chief Schultz), meander about before taking to their seats. Kenneth Ellis, the father of one of those killed by APD, contacted us after last night's meeting. Mr. Ellis told us that at the meeting, he walked up to Chief Schultz and told the Chief that he was "praying for him". Mr. Ellis admits he ended with "you'll need it". The meeting started and was filled with many citizens giving their comments and stating their opinions. One subject was a student that talked for over 7 minutes about his inability to attend school without a free bus pass. Other people talked about the conservation of energy. Then former APD Sergeant, Paul Heh, approached the podium. Three people had vowed to relinguish their talk time in order to allow Paul Heh to fully talk to the City Council and citizens of Albuquerque. This has been a long standing past practice of the City Council; allowing those people that have a somewhat complicated matter to be able to adequately and fairly voice their concerns and comments. Right away Council President, Don Harris, announced he would not let anyone relinguish their time and demanded Paul Heh keep to a two minute time constraint. Council Member Ken Sanchez made a motion to override President Harris and allow the time for Paul Heh. He wanted to hear what Paul Heh had to say. The Motion was given a second nomination and of course when set to a council vote, the result was 4-5. This forced Paul Heh to stop midstream and NOT speak any further. It was clearly no coincidence that it was the Republican council members that voted AGAINST hearing Paul Heh speak. It was obvious by the actions of the Council that this was a premediated vote on behalf of the Republicans. Despite the crowd's pleas to continue, Paul Heh was forced to walk back to his seat. What were they afraid of hearing? What were they afraid of the public hearing? Paul Heh walked back to his seat and at intermission, Mr. Ellis approached him. This is where it gets even more exciting, as Mr. Ellis and Paul Heh were talking, Chief Schultz walked up to them and shook his finger at Mr. Ellis. Chief Schultz stated "Don't you ever approach me at a meeting again and say what you said to me". Mr. Ellis told the Eye that he felt threatened and was even afraid to walk to his car. Why would Chief Schultz be so angry that someone has offerred their prayers to him? In fact, doesn't the APD chaplain unit advocate daily prayers to the officers of APD? Our Eyes wonder what the Chief would have done if an officer had acted in the same manner. Our bet is that the officer would be shoveling papers in Report Review or answering phones at a substation. This is the definition of "Conducting Unbecoming" if ever there has been one. Does the Chief need remedial C.I.T. training? IF one comment like "Im going to pray for you", sets him off like that, what else will set him off? Chief Schultz, where is your higher standard? You know, the higher standard you demand your officers live up to or face immediate discipline. To you Mayor Berry, when will you see the liability that Chief Schultz is causing you? He is a time bomb and he is ready to explode, are you Mayor Berry prepared to write the check for the violations that he continues to exhibit?

See the City Council Video here.

Thanks to our Readers

Due to your diligence; Fairy Berry Land was put to a halt for now and the red light scam was voted down.

OUR THANKS TO YOU!

We have received several e-mails asking if the Eye is still active? The answer to this question is, "YES." The Eye does not make things up. Our staff finds stories we need to verify. We are working on some great stories for the coming weeks.

If anybody noticed, Berry has kept Schultzie on a tight leash. Recently, we have only seen the other court jesters out and about like: Banks. Too bad his family relative who he managed to sneak into APD wasn't availble for the photo shoot.

Stay tuned!

Listen to Mayor Berry; Vote His Way

You read the headline correctly! The Eye is recommending that you vote in accordance with Mayor Berry’s statements. Below you will find a link to a video where Mayor Berry clearly states, “You take care of the Fire Department, you take care of the Police Department. ‘You take care of the people who keep us safe every day first.’ ” Berry continues to state, “…and then you work on boutique projects after you’ve got those main dollars in place.” (Bolded added for emphasis)

HELP MAYOR BERRY KEEP HIS WORD! VOTE “NO” ON ANY BOUTIQUE TAX BONDS!!!

Listen to your Mayor; vote "NO" to the Faire Berry Botique bonds.

No more taxes till the City can restore all the losses Mayor Berry has slammed the citizens of Albuquerque and the City employees with.

NO MORE TAXES; PERIOD! Vote “NO” on the Redflex Scameras and vote for ANYBODY but Brad Winter or Trudy Jones. These two candidates are anti-public safety.

The Eye would like to thank our local firefighters and the Local 244 Union for their contribution to the link below.

Click HERE for video link.

UNM, An Advocate for Alcohol And Yet Another Black Eye!

Yesterday’s game was expected to be a handful. It was the first game the Lobos would play since the firing of Coach Locksley. The game was against the archrivals UNM Lobos and NMSU Aggies. UNM expected such problems (as demonstrated by last year) they even hired extra officers to be on duty.

Tailgate lots opened very early, despite a 6:00 p.m. scheduled kick off. Some people began to arrive at 10:00 a.m. and it appeared that UNM had a no rules tailgate party. Alcohol was plenty and people were piled in to the numerous tailgate lots. There were many tailgaters that had tents, full D.J. and people dancing, fighting, and drinking in the lot. One such tailgater was the "PIKE" fraternity house. During the tailgate party, an 18 year old girl was seen passed out near the "PIKE" spot. She had been drinking with them, along with several "PIKE" pledges and brothers. The female was so intoxicated she was required medical attention and Albuquerque Ambulance was called to treat and transport her to a nearby hospital. Several citations were also issued for minor in possession.

Many PIKE members were getting on the microphone and announcing which people were actual SID (Special Investigations Division)undercover officers. Isn't that interferring with a police investigation? What comes next is mind boggling. Supervisors on scene asked if UNM wanted the PIKE tailgaters to be escorted off property. UNM had briefed officers and stated there was a no tolerance and people would be cited and escorted off the property. Seeing that the PIKE tailgaters were providing alcohol to minor, or at least allowing minors to drink with them; it only seemed obvious that the PIKE tailgaters would be told to leave. The answer from the UNM big wigs was hypocritical at best, "let them stay." During the night, Albuquerque Ambulance and AFD were called to the lots in reference to intoxicated minors, numerous times. That does not seem to be the worst of it.

At 6:00 P.M., UNM officials told officers to let all of the tailgaters know that they had two choices; go into the game, or pack up and leave the property immediately. So let us get this straight. Officials KNOW people have been drinking ALL day long and their answer is "pack up and leave." Where does the responsibility of UNM lie? It has been on the news regularly that bars and other establishments are sued when a patron is in an accident after leaving their establishment. The courts have found that liquor establishments have a responsibility to know that certain intoxicated people should not be allowed to drive and that their intoxication level is the responsibility of the various establishments. What about UNM? Here is an "establishment," a SCHOOL no less that is KNOWINGLY allowing intoxicated people leave the area. UNM allows these people to drink all day long without any limit on the amount of alcohol they consume.

There are so many things UNM can do to help with this problem:

1) Make it a dry campus and they so often boast
2) Allow alcohol to be served only a certain time period and ending many hours prior to the start of the game.
3) Have trained staff to monitor and take appropriate action when they see someone is intoxicated.

One thing is for certain; UNM's policies must change. At yesterday’s game, many people were issued citations, many people were arrested, and many people were injured. It is only time before it becomes fatal.

Schultz Sharpens his Forte

When one thinks a local village idiot can do no worse, somehow they manage to surprise a person. On Monday, the Albuquerque Police Department issued another social media policy directed at an employee’s personal choice(s). Apparently Schultz is a bigot; you must think, believe and do as Schultz instructs! If you do not, you will be disciplined up to and including terminated.

Does this seem harsh or severe? Not if you’re a dictator like oh, let say, Momar Kaddafi or Raymond Daniel Schultz. You must do what as he says like an obedient slave. What’s next with this fascist leader? Is he going to go after officers for being Black or Indian or because they are gay or lesbian? Those days are gone; our community will not tolerate a bigot of any type or form. Schultz will soon find himself in the same situation as Kaddafi, held up in a hole waiting for the free will of the people to take him out.

No Schultz it is not a “threat,” it is a fact that you need to leave and take all your baggage and prejudices with you. Schultz’s actions would make the forefathers of our Constitution puke. The United States of America was founded and built on FREEDOM! That freedom includes “Freedom of Speech!” Schultz has overstayed his tenure and it is time for him to leave. The Eye sees another huge slap in the face to the City over this ridiculous policy.

Let us not forget that incompetence is promoted by incompetence. Schultz placed retired/rehired Officer John Gallegos to be the Departments’ Social Media Compliance Officer. This guy is paid about $50,000.00 a year to “surf” the internet looking for APD officers who might post something on the intranet. This is the same John Gallegos who tried to shove (Ret.) Officer Mark Bralley and his attorney Paul Livinston out of an office during an Internal Affairs interview. This cost the City hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gallegos has already proven he cannot make good decisions and Schultz rehires him and places him in this critical position? It would be shocking, but it is not because it has become a common for Schultz to make bad decisions.

Interesting enough, our Eyes tell us that Schultz attends church and stands there as a hypocrite. Is a church a place where three or more gather for a common purpose? Does his church sometimes oppose what the government does or says? This makes him guilty of his own policy. What about Schultz’s membership of the International Chiefs of Police (IACP)? What about the Fraternal Order of Police who commonly disagrees with the president and has a political action committee that “acts” against the President or endorses another candidate?

What about when Schultz conspired with Darren White to “go after” Sam Costales? Schultz has violated just about every single piece of this garbage; he calls a policy. Berry should terminate Schultz based on Schultz’s past actions. This site has provided proof and “information” repeatedly. UNM wizened up and terminated their problem (who has cost them millions). When is the City of Albuquerque going to follow suit?

Schultz has failed to learn that “respect is earned; not simply given.” When will Schultz learn? This is just another civil rights violation in the making. But Schultz sees it as no big deal, after all, it’s not his money; it’s YOUR MONEY that will be paid out! As far as being convicted for civil rights violations, this will just be another notch in his lip stick case…

Some of this policy is directly out of federal law language. You decide if this policy is right or wrong when it comes to a person’s personal choice(s); we are not talking about terrorist or terrorism:

Personnel shall not knowingly associate, visit, join, participate, mimic or have ongoing dealings with individuals, persons, memberships, associations, organizations, enterprises or groups of three or more persons under a common sign or symbol that:

|1|-|5| 1. Advocates the overthrow of the government; or vigilantism; or violence, or criminal activity, or discrimination, or knowingly or unknowingly violates the laws, ordinances or statutes of the City, State, U.S. or Constitution of the U.S.

[5-7} 2. Reduces the efficiency of personnel or organization, or creates a conflict of interest in either the on, and off-duty conduct of personnel with the stated goals, standards, requirements and or vision statement of the department; or compromises the conduct of themselves both on and off-duty in such a manner as to reflect most favorable on the department, or creates a self-induced jeopardy.

This type of behavior is expected from a two year old child who doesn’t get their way; not from a top executive in the City of Albuquerque.

A dictator is just that; a DICTATOR!

COMMIT TO TELL TEN TO VOTE “NO” ON ALL BONDS AND “NO” TO THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS!

The Eye, as many others in our community, are tired of the incompetence of our City’s Leadership. The Eye is asking that you tell ten people to VOTE “NO” on all bond issues and “NO” on the Red Light Cameras. What does this mean; it means no more new taxes and the City continues as it is now. It also means, no more supporting Redflex; a company who is not in Albuquerque, let alone in New Mexico.

We are in the worst economy that we will ever see in our lifetime and the City is demanding the citizens pay more and more to compensate for their incompetence. So many people are out of work, losing their homes and cannot put groceries on the table and the City leadership is still trying to “squeeze blood out of a turnip.” New Mexico is the second poorest state in the Country. According to Channel 7 News (see it here) the average yearly income is the same amount of money that Reflex donate to a local fly-by-night outfit to keep the Scamera’s in place. We are a struggling community and any new taxes hurt our kids and our families directly. This is wrong on many levels.
Until the City’s leadership is able to handle (budget) the money that we have already entrusted them with and are able to bring the City up to where it was prior to Berry; we do not trust giving this incompetent group another penny. Mayor Berry wants his Faire Berry Land on the Bosque with our tax dollars. Ask this question, if we don’t have the money to run the City now, how is the City going to pay for costs associated with Faire Berry Land? Where are the additional law enforcement personnel? Where are the maintenance and grounds keepers, supervisors and other required staff and equipment? Who is going to pay for it? This is going to cost the tax payers a fortune!

This is plain stupid. The City leadership needs to become competent and prove they can handle it. Maybe then the tax payers might consider more taxes. For now, we are in the “Great Depression of our era.” The City needs to learn to “live within its’ means; just like the rest of us.” No New Taxes!

And for those liberals who have stated, “Well, it will only cost this much more per household per year…” If you think the cost is “affordable,” then you can pay the tab and there should be no need for any tax increases.

Redflex who owns the Red Light Scamera’s donated $45,000.00 to Safe Streets Albuquerque in hopes of fooling the citizens of Albuquerque into keeping their “Gravy Train.” Don’t be FOOLED! Send a true message to Redflex and the City Leadership and VOTE “NO” on the Scamera’s!

One last thought, Berry owns a few goons on the City Council and it is time to create an equal playing field for the citizens. It is time to get rid of a few problems. The Eye is recommending that you do not vote for Brad Winter who has failed to do his job with the council and continues to wreck APS. The Eye also recommends that you do not vote for Trudy Jones; “Tutti Frutti” who has shown that she cannot handle the job or responsibilities of the position. We are not endorsing anyone and especially NOT endorsing Winter or Jones. Remember these two clowns have been covering Berry’s track, including blocking a federal investigation into the twenty police shootings. If nothing was done wrong why would they oppose an outside investigation? Think about it before you cast your vote. The Eye is not asking you to vote Republican or Democrat; the Eye is asking you to make a better choice. This is not a partisan issue but a logical one.

Please commit to tell ten people to VOTE “NO” on all bonds and the Scamera’s! Ask those ten to tell ten more people to VOTE “NO!”

Time for Governor to Stop Playing Liberal Games

The Eye takes a different view from Gov. Martinez on how to approach the illegal alien driver’s license issue. Driving is a privileged granted by the State of New Mexico and not a “God given right” or a “Constitutional right.” Even if it was a “Constitutional right,” these people are illegal aliens; therefore, they are not entitled to a “Constitutional right.” The Governor should administratively revoke all illegal alien drivers’ licenses. If the illegal alien wants to fight this issue, they would have to file an appeal like the rest of us do legally.

In a Reuter story (read it here), Judge Sarah Singleton in Santa-Fe, “issued a temporary restraining order blocking the program, arguing in a brief ruling that ‘irreparable injury’ would occur from "constitutional deprivations to the applicants." If illegal aliens have these rights that Singleton claims, none of this would be an issue and every state in the United States would issues licenses to everyone.

The Governor needs to put her foot down and cut the “nicy-nicy” baloney!

Most recently, several churches, including the Catholic Church, have chimed in and given their two cents in favor of illegal aliens having driver’s licenses. Whatever happened to the “Separation of Church and State?” Did all these Churches take a poll to see if the parishioners’ approved of them speaking on their behalf as a communal body? Martinez won the election, and part of her promise was to stop the illegal aliens from obtaining licenses in New Mexico. One last thought, before any church even thinks about looking in Martinez’s closet; they better look in their own closet and clean it first.

If all the liberals are “that” concerned, here is an alternate idea, the State should issue “Illegal Alien Driver’s Licenses.” This would remove the cloak for the crooks. The Illegal Alien Driver’s Licenses would clearly state the person in possession of the license is an illegal alien. Any law enforcement, government agency, or any other party dealing with the alien would know immediately that the person is an illegal alien.

The license would be clearly marked and state, “Illegal Alien” and state the person who presented this information passed a New Mexico driving test. The license would clearly state, “DO NOT RELY ON THE INFROMATION ON THIS CARD!” The reverse side of the card would state, “Confirm subjects’ information independently.” The license would not resemble the New Mexico standard license in any formative manner.

Let the Governor do the job she was hired to do. If you don’t like it; move or run for office and spew your vial after you’re elected.

Chief Costs the City $175K While “Dawg” Defends

According to the Albuquerque Journal (read it here), “The city has paid $175,000 to settle claims brought by three women against the Albuquerque Police Department and a former reserve officer…” The Journal states in the lawsuit, David C. Young, a radio technician, “misrepresented his position and authority, claiming to be a detective and a commissioned officer when he was in fact a civilian.” We all know a good chief knows what is going on in his department, right? Not APD’s “I know nothing” Schultz.

Our Eyes behind the badge tell us there have been several questionable incidents involving Dave Young while he has been with APD. Young was assigned, at one time, to the Departments’ Special Investigation Division (SID) as a quasi-fleet coordinator (one of the Good Ol’ Boys). Our Eyes tell us Mr. Young had several issues but all were swept under the rug. Then again, you need to keep in mind that APD’s SID Unit does whatever it wants, remember the Brad Arensfield case? Guess who was behind that mess? If you guessed APD’s SID Unit; you are 100% correct. Our Eyes tell us that this unit has been run by and with rogue coppers.

Apparently the Chief doesn’t care because he has done nothing to correct the problems or is waiting for another million dollar suit. When the next suit hits, Schultz can have his guard “Dawg” Kathy Levi attack this new blunder and start the regular rhetoric; “The main thing to remember is that when this was brought to the attention of the chief, he suspended it.” These reactive responses are too little; too late Chief.

In the Journal it states, “The women claim David C. Young, a department technician who was allowed to work overtime as an undercover officer and arrest suspected prostitutes, misrepresented his position and authority when arresting them.” It appears that more payouts are on the way. The Journal also reported, “Attorney Arne Leonard said the recent settlement takes care of pending federal litigation, but a separate state action filed against the city in May by the Kennedy & Han law firm is still pending. That lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 individuals to set aside convictions in cases in which Young made the arrest.” If the cost is $175,000.00 per every three persons; the City will need to pay out an additional $700,000.00 for the 12 individuals that are pending. The new total; $875,000.00. That will bring this debacle to around the same amount as the Costales debacle.

According to the Journal, Deputy (Dawg) City Attorney Kathryn Levi stated the settlement was paid out to two women who filed suits against the City and a third women just asked for the dough and did not file a suit. Must be nice for the third women; “Ask and you shall receive.”

The Journal investigation also reported, “He even wrote criminal complaints testifying under “the penalty of perjury” that he was a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department…” We figured if Schultz could fudge under oath, it must be okay for APD’s premier radio technician to do the same. Schultz was convicted in Federal Court of fudging the truth concerning former APD Officer Sam Costales. The Jury slammed Schultz who was convicted of civil rights violations which resulted in a huge award in favor of Costales of for $862,000.00.

According to the Journal, Young stated in an email, “…it had been a tough week and ‘I need to point my GUN at somebody.’” Let’s make sure we have the story correct. This dork comes out of Sherwood Forrest and feels a “need” to point a firearm at an Albuquerque citizen, right? Does anybody see a “loose cannon” ready to go off and hurt one of our citizens? Oddly enough, an APD supervisor thought this was a good idea? Can anyone say, “Culture of Corruption?”

Ray Schultz’s number two guard dog, Deputy “Dawg” Kathy Levi, stretched out her neck for Schultz stating, “The main thing to remember is that when this was brought to the attention of the chief, he suspended it.” Who is Levi to instruct anyone on what to “remember?” Schultz screwed up again and Levy wants us all to “remember?” Really? Well Ms. Levi, everyone “remembers” all the debacles that your Master Schultz has caused and no one will forget it either. Just a reminder Levi when a neck stretches out, the end result is not pleasant.

Santa Schultz keeps costing us tax payers but Mayor Eeyore Berry thinks Schultz walks on water. The Mayor should be deducting 10% from each settlement out of Schultz’s pay. Schultz might actually start watching and managing the Police Department. For now; Schultz “skates” again.

The Honorable Judge Parker Restores Faith

Today Former APD Officer Brad Arensfield learned his fate. Arensfield was convicted in Federal Court of Obstruction of Justice. The Honorable Judge Parker sentenced Arensfield to: six months (and one day) in prison, six months of house arrest, and three years of probation. The Eye would like to salute Judge Parker. This man truly applied common sense in sentencing Arensfield. The sentence was reasonable, given the circumstances and justice has been served.

It was comical watching Assistant US Attorney Yardbird make himself look cheap along with belittling the Office of the US Attorney. Yardbirds’ only claim that he rejoiced in, was Arfensfield was a convicted felon and could not be a copper. We here at the Eye expected a professional display with statements such as; “Justice has been served” or “the people prevailed in this case.” No, Yardbird sounded like he was just released off the farm. This prosecutor should have shown up with a straw in his mouth wearing a pair of faded coveralls.

Our Eyes tell us Arensfield’s attorney will be appealing this case based on the fact that evidence was intentionally withheld by Assistant US Attorney Tara Neda. The records show that Neda has a past pattern and practice of intentionally withholding evidence in Federal cases. In all probability, a higher court will rule in Arensfields’ favor.

Let Us Not Forget 9-11!

The Eye would like to take this time to thank all of those that have served this country, and all those that continue to serve our country. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed. We will always remember 9-11-01:
Times of impact: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. 2819 dead from 115 different nations. 343 Fireman/ paramedics, 23 NYPD, 37 Port Authority officers all perished.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Smile! You're on Scammer Camera!

Checked your mail lately? This week many citizens of Albuquerque are getting a piece of propaganda in the mail that on the outside looks like a great campaign. Luckily, not all of us are that stupid. Not all of us are willing to buy beachfront property in Arizona. Safe Roads Albuquerque sent out a mailing that depicts a graphic car accident on one side and meaningless and biased statistics on the other. Safe Roads is wanting the citizens to "Vote Yes on October 4 and help save lives". Very dramatic, yet very misleading. KRQE provides two separate statistics. One states, "Red light running decreased by 50% in one year at city intersections with traffic safety cameras. KRQE, 7/24/10". WOW, again looks pretty impressive from the outside. The next statistic is "Traffic safety violations increased by 584% when traffic safety cameras were turned off at three intersections" KRQE 5/28/10". AMAZING, not only is KRQE able to predict the weather and broadcast the news, they are now clairvoyant! How would anyone know that violations were increased when the cameras were turned off? Not to mention that KRQE is Darren White's very own personal newstation (and the term news is used very loosely).
So many questions come to mind. WHO is RedFlex and who exactly is Safe Roads Albuquerque. For those who haven't been keeping up Albuquerque news, RedFlex is the company that is responsible for the implementation of all of the red light cameras throughout Albuquerque. The same cameras that Mayor Berry wanted to get rid of. The same cameras that were shut off for some time because the benefits and validity of the cameras came into question. It was even implied by law enforcement that the grossly inflated statistics were because the accidents were not properly measured and documented correctly to correlate with the cameras.
Craig Loy, retired APD Captain, and former City Council member, quoted the following:"Why should reckless drivers get away with breaking the law? Safety cameras save lives. That's why we need to keep them." This is the same Craig Loy that is the Chairman of Safe Roads Albuquerque, that is behind this ludicrous campaign. It is mind boggling to imagine the cost of printing tens of thousands, or even more, of this colorful two sided-deceptive piece of propaganda. Our Eyes found out that the top contributor to Safe Roads Albuquerque was none other than RedFlex; to the tune of $45,000.00. There was however, another contributor, that was an unknown female who contributed a whopping $50!

The Eye wonders why this information wasn't printed on their fancy little flyer:

A 2008 University of South Florida report found:
"Comprehensive studies conclude cameras actually increase crashes and injuries, providing a safety argument not to install them.... public policy should avoid conflicts of interest that enhance revenues for government and private interests at the risk of public safety."

Or how about this- In October of 2010, the University of New Mexico released The Albuquerque Red Light Camera Study. "The report dismissed the increase in the overall number of crashes by providing an accident cost analysis not based on any examination of the collisions in Albuquerque, but by applying a generic formula designed to downplay the importance of rear end collisions. The report recommended that the city use engineering countermeasures to improve safety. Mayor Berry issued a statement confirming his willingness to do so -- including giving drivers longer yellow times." There was no question that the installment of the cameras was nothing more than a money driven exercise. "The study, which was funded by the city of Albuquerque, presented automated enforcement as favorable a light as it could. The study measured the number of accidents in thirty-eight camera-free control intersections used for comparison with the twenty photo-enforced intersections. The total number of crashes at the photo enforced intersections increased while camera-free intersections saw a decrease. While injury accidents decreased at the camera intersections, the decrease was much more prominent, 29 percent, at camera-free locations." See for yourself at http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3303.asp.

This is nothing more than a lame attempt to pick pocket the citizens of Albuquerque and question the intelligence of every single citizen. What does Craig Loy gain by this Safe Roads Campaign? As the campaign states, "Vote YES for Safe Roads on October 4". The Eye sees things differently. On the contrary, Vote NO and tell RedFlex we have Albuquerque Police Officers that are there to keep our roads safe and issue their own citations, and not some meaningless citation generated by a faulty, money driven camera.

Resigned Cynicism; Is there Hope?

The Eye received this letter from Marty Gilmore, a retired APD Captain, and from all the emails we receive, it seems Gilmore is right on target when it comes to many of the retired senior coppers.

I retired after twenty-five of service as an Albuquerque Police Department Captain/Commander. During my tenure I served as Commander of the Southeast and Foothills Area Commands, the Traffic Division, the Crime Lab, Records/ID and Evidence. I was also given responsibility to command the first accreditations process and form the Inspections Unit.

I was happy to see Ray Schultz be given the opportunity to be Chief under Mayor Chavez as he had worked for me in the Crime lab and did a great job. As time passed word kept getting back to me that Ray was not the same person he was before he took the position of Deputy Chief in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was becoming disconnected from the officers and discipline was becoming a major issue. Officers were becoming reluctant to do their job for fear of discipline should they make an honest mistake.

I was very surprised to see the current mayor retain Chief Schultz after being told Chief Schultz and his command staffs were pushing hard for the re-election of Mayor Chavez. The function of loyalty is to the community first and then to the chain of command. To avoid corruption there can be no other approach.

Never did I believe the possibility of a Justice Department investigation possible due to the lack of leadership. Chief Schultz said he is the man to clean up APD's problems. The thought that comes to mind is who was in charge when the mess was created? Also, why is the Journal so quick to defend the Chief and say he is the right man to correct the problems existing at APD when the Journal has been very critical of the APD for the past number of years?

The APD at one time had a reputation of being one of the best local law enforcement agencies in the nation. I believe it can regain that standing through a good work ethic, getting back to the basics of police work, good discipline and new leadership.

David M. Gilmore Retired APD Captain

The laments never stop coming; yet, Albuquerque’s Mayor Berry pretends he is deaf and dumb. The Eye is at the point of resigned cynicism and realizes Berry is never going to correct the wrong doings but force the rest of us to live and deal with his bad decisions. Mayor Berry has become pathetic. Is there any hope?...

Berry Does the Three Card Monte and its Ugly

Our Eyes have been watching and learned Mayor “Eeore” (Berry) has a long face for a good reason. Berry shuffled the deck of cards when Darren White ousted himself from the City. According to the City’s Web-site (read it here), “Mayor Berry has decided not to fill the position of Public Safety Director at this time. That position most recently paid $120,640. Under the new City of Albuquerque organization chart, the Chief of Police and Fire Chief will report directly to Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry.” The Mayor claims he did not fill the position; however, Perry’s new title is Chief Administrative Officer/Public Safety Director.

Sidebar
When it comes to police and fire issues; Perry doesn't know the difference between derriere products from dairy products. Albuquerque is not the “barnyard” where everything is controlled behind safe and secured locked gates at the Department of Corrections. Perry is completely unqualified for this position. So much for the rubbish for the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board who claimed the Chief could now be the Chief. Berry would have been better off placing police and fire under Soladay who is as qualified as Perry to be the Public Safety Director.
End Sidebar

If the PSD’s position was not filled, why does Perry have this title: Chief Administrative Officer/Public Safety Director? This title blatantly states Perry has the position that was supposedly not filled. Here are a few questions? Why does the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief report to Perry NOT Berry? Where is the big chunk of change from the wasted position that White held? It’s easy; Perry took over White’s old position. Soladay received a newly created position of Chief Operations Officer with White’s old salary of $120,000.00.

What has happened is a card game of politics; the “Three Card Monte.” The game requires the players to switch hats (titles) so fast the public doesn’t realize they have been juke by Berry. Game over Berry and Perry, the Eyes see all and tell all.
Where’s the savings or re-organization you ask; there is none, just the “Three Card Monte.” Perhaps the City Council will see the game for what it is and vote to stop this fleecing of public tax dollars. You have fooled no one Berry; you only hammered one more nail into the box of your political career. Stop lying and simply tell the truth, you’re not going to be the Mayor in a few years, anyway. The Eye is hopeful that our future Mayor is taking notes on what NOT to do.

Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board Promotes Incompetence

In the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Section was a posting (read it here) by the Albuquerque Journal Editorial Board. The Eye has known this Board to say outlandish rubbish; this past week, the Board beat their own rubbish record stating, “APD Needs One Chief; Schultz Right for Job.” Perhaps the City needs to send the tab of over $6,000,000.00 in liability that Schultz has cost the tax payers. Perhaps if the Board was footing the bill they would be “singing a different song.”

If the Board wants to play semantic; they could start by just paying the $862,000.00 awarded to former APD Officer Sam Costales. This huge award was granted after Schultz was convicted in the United States Federal District Court of retaliation/civil rights violations. We want to remind the Board that Schultz started harassing and retaliating against Costales after former Sheriff Darren White gave the order to attack Costales like a dog foaming at the mouth. Once Schultz was ordered to “Sic,” he went after Costales. How does anybody in this City feel comfortable knowing that the Chief committed civil rights violations against one of his own; what value does he place on you and Eye?

The article praised Schultz for responding to the City’s most recent police shooting. The article stated, “This week, when an Albuquerque police officer shot and killed a career criminal armed with a loaded AK-47, Chief Ray Schultz showed why he is the right man for that job.” Really? So if “Porky Pig” or Geraldine Amato showed up, they would make a great chief too; right? The ridicules statements made by this Board are asinine. Of course at this point either one would make a better chief than Schultz. Where is Taco Bell TJ when you need him? I am sure he was out there too.

What the Board failed to mention is CHIEF SCHULTZ provided all the visual props to teach the City’s criminal element how to easily kill an officer wearing a bullet proof vest. Schultz should be terminated for this irresponsible action. This was beyond words for the damage that he personally has now done by this free classroom training for criminals. Way to go Schultz…

The article also discusses the PERF Report. The article states, “When the national Police Executive Research Forum investigated the increase in officer-involved shootings and made 40 recommendations, Schultz implemented 39 and added 19 of his own.” The article fails to speak about the conflict of interest; Schultz is an active member of PERF.

The Board also discusses how Schultz was quick to create a policy concerning social media. Once again, Ray’s cheerleaders failed to mention Schultz a few months prior was “tweeting” and admonishing our district court judges over his perception of the job they were performing. Schultz stated in a memo, “the conduct of individual officers can impact the reputation and integrity of this department and all officers and civilian personnel. It is essential that the public have absolute trust and respect for the Albuquerque Police Department and the men and women who serve in it. … The department is committed to a safe, secure community where the rights, history and culture of each citizen is valued and respected. The department will accept nothing less.” His policy is good for the rest but not good for him. Schultz should “practice what you preaches” and quite being a hypocrite.

The Board claims, “Schultz’s comments show he understands APD officers are held to a higher standard, that they must walk their law-abiding talk, that the public looks to his men and women, who put their lives on the line every day, to set an example.”

“They must walk their law-abiding talk…” Really? Schultz violates civil rights and walks without any consequences; Schultz violated his own social medial policy and walks without any consequences; Schultz provides training to criminals on how to kill officer wearing bullet proof vest, we anticipate Schultz will walk on this one too.

The biggest problem and weakness in APD is Schultz. “Set the example” Schultz, it is time for you to go!

Is UNM Police Inviting More Problems and Liability?

UNM raised hell with the Albuquerque City Council when the Council refused to clear UNM to proceed with a liquor license. UNM through legal and political maneuvering gained approval to sell alcohol at the UNM football events. Realizing some of the potential problems, UNMPD decided to implement a “Text Messaging Campaign.” This allows anyone to complain via text messaging. Here is the caveat; what if a bitter spouse wants to “get even” with their significant other? Or perhaps some other type of rivalry? What happens when the police have insufficient information because the disturbance was not called into a trained dispatcher? UNMPD has given some disgruntled individuals a tool to harass and/or intimidate another person. In addition, UNMPD may have invited more liability than what they can afford.

Channel 7’s Marissa Maez stated, “UNM Police say, they are also starting this new ‘Text Messaging Campaign’ to allow fans to text them when they see an intoxicated person misbehaving during the game.” According to UNM Lt. Robert Haarhues, “so, not only fans who had too much to drink, uh, whatever the issue maybe, uh, we want people who are afraid to say something… ” What happened to just call the police when someone disturbs the peace? This allows a trained dispatcher to evaluate, extract and gather facts from the caller. Does the text message say the offender is armed and with what? Does the text message say the offender just ran over two kids, gives a vehicles description or a license plate number? Any professional knows that face-to-face communication is the best; next is direct verbal communication with another person. There is a reason why professional law enforcement agencies require calls for service (complaints) to be called in.

UNMPD is inviting more problems and vicarious liability. Ultimately, this botched “campaign” is going to blow up in UNM’s face when a family sues for not following professional law enforcement standards.

One last opinion, if UNM’s desire is to make more money, they should fire their football coach for losing game after game. A proven and accompllished coach like Steve Alford packs the PIT! It would be the same result for the football team, if UNM had a good football coach. UNM is trying to solve a problem by treating a symptom. Fix the problem and pack the stadium; and skip the booze.

An Open Letter From; We The People

The Eye recently received this open letter that was sent to Mayor Berry. This letter is right on point and spells out some grave errors. We hope when the Mayor read this letter he will realize; it is not just the Eye complaining, this is your voting block.

Dear Mayor Berry,

During your tenure as mayor I have supported some of your decisions when it came to public safety, especially that of accepting Darren Whites resignation. When you chose to veto the city councils effort at calling for a DOJ investigation, (R-11-247), citing in part the P.E.R.F. investigation and that of another city employee, or employees, I made an effort to seek-out and read the report. I immediately saw it as a "schmoozing" report, but when I learned that Chief Schultz in fact is a member of P.E.R.F. I became enraged at the thought that you had to have known about his direct involvement, lest he intentionally kept it from you, as has been his practice regarding myriad issues where the public is concerned. I will not resort to name-calling but his arrogance is legendary.

I then set-out to check a few things for myself and I must say first of all that the P.E.R.F. report, in my opinion, is a waste of money, or as someone recently said, "APD got exactly what they paid for." Actually, "We-the-people" paid for it, or at least its conclusion. As one who helped pay for the investigation and report, I would like a copy of all communications between all investigators and P.E.R.F. personnel and the City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque Police Department, and anyone else who was involved. I can't believe you would be satisfied with a report that doesn't even have a table of contents or an index! Not to mention the fact that investigative methodology isn't addressed, nor who actually conducted these investigations. If your office can-not provide what's requested, please pass this along to the appropriate department.

I maintain the majority of Albuquerque Police Department officer's are of good standing and truly want to do a good job, but they're being hindered by department hierarchy, who're making bad decisions. I am left to wonder what in the hell motivated Chief Schultz, et al, to do a dog-and-pony-show on broadcast television regarding the last shooting incident on the westside, where I live. Was this something you approved? As a citizen I am livid over this, but were I a police officer, I would be requesting chain-of-command to find out why the chief would deliberately explain, nay, demonstrate to "the bad-guys" how to kill a cop, or someone else, what kind of weapon is required, and the type of ammunition needed! It's bad-enough people are intentionally knocking each other off, some call it gang warfare, but for a chief of police to reinforce what to do is stupid, stupid, stupid!

Normally, I keep my opinion of such political hot-potatoes to myself, but it's obvious to an exponentially growing number of "We-the-people" that something is very wrong within our police department, beginning at the top, which includes you too mayor. At the very least things are out of control, and at the very worst citizens are being killed at a rate that far exceeds police departments of similarly sized cities as Albuquerque and some much larger.

Mr. Mayor, picture yourself standing at the center of a locomotive turntable, (your office), and several freight trains are bearing down upon you at out of control speed, all at once. This is how I see your situation. The trains are from within the police, (and fire), department, but they also represent several citizen groups and their membership is rocketing upward, trust me.

This mornings Albuquerque Journal editorial speaks of 14 shootings, when the fact is that there have recently been 20 shootings, of which 14 have been fatalities. It's this form of protectionist reporting that festers like an open wound, to a point that it's hard to separate truth from lies. Mayor, the city and your administration of it is festering and the mis-management of APD is the wound. A good chief would have been proactive and immediately addressed the so-called bad apples, as referred too by Chief Schultz, within the department, instead of waiting for people to thumb their noses, and worse, having done-so publicly! Why have shootings occurred and the officer states he didn't deploy his taser because it didn't work! Why isn't assigned equipment being used in the manner intended? Why aren't officers utilizing audio and video recording devices as prescribed by standard operating procedure? I can go on for several pages but I will say this, now that the horses are out of the stable, "We-the-people" are invited to have a look inside, in the form of a damned dog-and-pony-show! Am I missing something here or is it just my blood boiling?

Mr. Mayor, I think it's time to cut-out the wound and begin the healing process, for the sake of us all. Although, I am a democrat, and because I believed you would be the breath of fresh air our fine city needed, I voted for you, but you haven't kept your end of campaign promises; you've simply bargained them away. Speaking for myself, I want to see a change in the top administration at APD, and for supervisors to ensure stricter adherence to policies and procedures by everyone in the department, yes that includes civilians too. It's a police agency, sir, not a bordello. As someone who helped manage a protective force of several hundred armed officers at a weapons laboratory, I know what it is to deal with a strong union on a day-to-day basis, and it starts with respect. Unfortunately, you, Chief Schultz, and most of his top command do not have the respect of subordinates and dog-and-pony-shows won't get you there.

Without needed change Mr. Mayor, I promise I will ask 100 people not to vote for you in the next election, explaining why, and I will ask that each approach 10 more, and so-on, until "We-the-people" have our say! Accordingly, we're also keeping our eyes on the city council and taking note of who listens to what we believe is in the best interest of our city, and for us who choose to live here. Until election day, your option is to hunker-down and weather the proverbial Department of Justice storm, or just continue to bury your head in the sand.

Respectfully,

Lawrence Trujillo

Some Police Shootings are in Question; This One Is Not

APD’s most recent police shooting is legitimate. The Eye has taken an in-depth look into this case and the facts are undisputable. Our Eyes tell us that APD Officer James Purdue is one of the best; if not the best Officer in APD. Our Eyes tell us that Purdue is a mature, rational and seasoned officer. One senior high ranking retired APD officer stated, “Purdue’s background prior to and his service to APD and the community is impeccable! ‘I would trust Purdue with my life.’” There is not a story here in regard to illegal or inappropriate actions or behaviors on behalf of APD.

The incident occurred when 31 year old Michael Marquez, who was wanted for several violent armed robberies, was located and surrounded by police. Marquez has a long history of violent behavior. Below is a small list of facts concerning this violent felon and this incident:

• Convicted triple felon
• Convicted child rapist (14 year old girl)
• Convicted car thief
• Convicted of drug possession
• Registered sexual offender
• Armed with a stolen loaded military type assault weapon
• Felon in possession of a firearm
• A member of the violent Sureno’s 13 gang

Marquez should have been in a “comfy prison cell” in the Santa-Fe, New Mexico State Penitentiary. Marquez dictated the actions of police contrary to his brothers’ statement to a Journal photographer (read it here); “Bill Marquez, the suspect’s brother, told a Journal photographer that just because someone is a criminal does not mean they ‘should be treated like an animal.’” It is deploring and an insult for Marquez’s brother to compare this violent fleeing felon and child rapist to the innocents of an animal. The only truth to the Bill Marquez statement by proxy is; Michael Marquez was a criminal and chose how he wanted to be treated.

Michael Marquez was a criminal living a life of crime. There are consequences for violent criminal behavior; Marquez finally paid the price. When Marquez chambered a live round in his assault rifle while surrounded by police; what did he think was really going to happen? He knew there would be response and consequences for his actions. The victims that Marquez shoved a gun on and threaten and the 14 year old girl who Marquez raped; may now be able to start the healing process, knowing that Marquez is no longer a threat to them or anyone else.

Sidebar On the Channel 7 News, Schultz was bumbling and did not make any sense. We believe he was trying to say; the officers were familiar with the sound of a live round of ammunition being chambered into a firearm. Sidebar End

The Eye offers condolences’ to the family. No one wants to see another person die. Officer Purdue acted accordingly to stop the actions of an armed violent felon, Michael Marquez. Officer Purdue prevented Michael Marquez from hurting another human being.

The Eye believes this was clearly a legitimate and bona fide use of force. The Eye is positive that Purdue took no joy in having to terminate another person’s life; Purdue was only performing the job he was hired to do, “serve, protect and defend.” Marquez will no longer be a menace to society.