Since the commencement of 2012, Mayor Berry’s police department has had several challenging months. From failure to fiasco, hardly a week goes by without there being some new challenge compromising APD’s ability to operate. We thought we’d take a moment to review where things stand this year so far and note how one couldn’t plan the mismanagement of a police department more horribly even if you tried:
-Failing to anticipate celebration by bar goers on New Year’s Eve, the new year starts with shootings downtown and with APD personnel pleading for backup from other area commands over the air.
-Not learning from the New Year’s events, violence repeats itself downtown during the Fat Tuesday celebrations.
-The city continues to pay out multi-million dollar checks to plaintiffs whose harm is aggravated by administrator and command staff coverups.
-The annual patrol officer bid starts with as many people assigned to the field as there were almost twenty years ago despite the addition of two area commands and massive population growth.
-Despite stagnant staffing levels and reduced employee expenses, thanks to freezing wages and transferring healthcare costs to employees, APD’s budget soars to over $160,000,000.
-Chief Schultz maintains his national standing with the LA Times and New York Times with his inept management of APD and the statistically significant number of officer involved shootings.
-Fired employees Russell Perea and Mark Wilson are found to have had their employment terminated without cause and are ordered for full reinstatement by the city personal labor board.
-Fired employee Orlando Comacho wins his lawsuit against Chief Schultz and proves he was improperly terminated and denied due process.
-APOA continues to be under a cloud of, at best financial mismanagement, or at worst, criminal financial crimes.
-CAO Rob Perry, claims in the best of Orwellian fashion that the city is a victim and subject to a stacked deck by contract hearing officers. Because the city lost its appeals to the personnel board and to district court, the city in all its weakness simply fires the hearing officer.
-Deputy Chief Allen Banks is caught lying under oath while giving testimony in a labor hearing and thus contributes to the rehiring of a terminated employee.
-Lieutenant Dodi Comacho fails to provide relief for officers under fire during a nighttime shooting incident in order to keep the downtown bar owners happy.
-APD puts forward a promotion list that defies belief: Junior lieutenants Dodi Comacho, Kevin Rowe, and Joe Christman are to be promoted before other candidates that scored higher and have more relevant experience.
-Commander Steve Warfield will be promoted to Deputy Chief despite a conviction of a civil rights offense of excessive force which cost him punitive damages of $37,500 and attorneys fees (see ABQ Journal article from 12/10/09).
-APD Deputy Chief Allen Banks will become the chief of APD’s field services division despite the fact that he has no patrol experience, has demonstrated limited leadership ability, and seems to have no ethics.
-APOA leaders are the subject of an investigation by the NM State Police for financial crimes.
-APD officers are now required to wear bodycameras and must record all encounters with citizens all the time.
We really don’t know what to say except that we’re sure that if you asked Mayor Berry’s police chief, Raymond Schultz, he’d probably say he didn’t know anything about it. What concerns us, is that while all of these issues are driven by decisions made by poor management, it is the frontline officers and detectives who bear the brunt of these challenges. Their jobs have been made that much more difficult by the few people who clearly are not capable of running the state’s largest police department. Summer has not even started yet here in Albuquerque, and we know there is much more coming….Do the citizens of Albuquerque really have to wait before becoming victims of Mayor's Berry's police department as it reaches its tipping point?
38 comments:
A current command officer would be a very bad choice to replace Schultz when he leave. Remember the old saying, "Like father, like son"
Keep it up eye, smeone besides all of his victims all of us who are not his boys are appreciative of your articles.
Can you believe Mr. Civil Rights Violator Allen Bank, oh I should not have forgotten liar is now the FSB DCOP what is going on there. Who approved this move?
Lets cut to the chase Schultz is unfair and an updated example of this is Hamby's new position. Did that opening come out and we just create new jobs? Us in the field are short can't get a day off and she is in a job she knows nothing about? Does she even know what a condition of release means?
Hamby wearing her lapel camera? You are contacting the public all day. Make sure you use your camera. I hope the media picks up on this.
Schultz's new SOP is another tool in his arsenal to keep the officers right where he wants them. Every one of his ad libbed SOPs are worded so that an officer can be either severely disciplined or terminated at HIS whim. Now you can be terminated for not turning on your camera?!? This guy is an out of control punk, with an inferiority complex. If anyone should have a camera implanted in his forehead that turns on every time he opens his mouth it is this guy! He always needs to have some crooked way to have the upper hand on everyone else. That, or just plain dirt on them. HE is a coward who can't tackle a problem head on. This guy shouldn't be leading a boyscout troop.
Schultz sits on criminal accusations that the New Mexico State Police act on within hours. What does that tell you? If there are founded charges against the APOA union officials, Schultz should be investigated for obstruction and conspiracy....at least being hit with an obstruction charge. Transferring two individuals to the assignments they are at, under the conditions with which they resigned their positions, without asking one single question in light of Fred Mowrer's blatant e-mail, shows malfeasance of duty, neglect of duty, and total remiss in responsibility. Blatant disregard for ethics. If these allegations are founded the accused, along with anyone else involved including the chief, if he is found to have assisted in covering it up, need to be indicted. Let them feel the sting of an indictment, loss of their job, and pension. They sit back and get entertainment at everyone they destroy. They may be getting a little bit of their own medicine now.
The funny thing here is that the NMSP will conduct a fair and objective investigation into the matter, unlike Schultz's "federale cartel" like mentality of an investigation that he conducts on his targets while abusing his authority, harrassing and violating civil rights, slandering them, violating due process, and personally attacking them, then imposing his predetermined outcome of a fraudulent investigation on them. These targets won't be subject to that, so you know if something is found it will have merit. YET, Schultz insults the NMSP by saying he will settle for their handling of the matter??? That mans disrespect and smug arrogance is unbelievable.
Schultz states that he would investigate the matter...then whoops...it's a conflict when someone POINTS THAT OUT...then he is going to assign it to BCSO when again SOMEONE HAS TO POINT OUT AGAIN that another liar's husband is a ranking official there! How much more do you need to see before it is BLATANTLY OBVIOUS that Schultz was yet again trying to direct the outcome of ANOTHER investigation, this time in the direction of his pals favor until it became too high profile.
The positive thing about arrogance is... it is a false sense of confidence. That false sense of confidence derived out of getting away with things unchecked for so long will be their unraveling.
Adiose Dirty Amigos!
Hamby is a complete waste of a sworn officer. I can't wait for her to step up in court to complain to a judge about sentencing. I hope the first judge she tries it with holds her in contempt.
We are so short handed in the field, why does Schultz waste officers in this type of position? This should be staffed by a civilian. This chief is a horrible manager and leader.
Very professional to see Hamby munching her gum in court. Well I hope it is gum ..............
Can a family member assert themselves in a case also? Wow, somebody who's never been to court came up with this idea. Good job Mayor's chief!
Unfair...That is a gross understatement. Fair isn't even in that guy's dictionary. Neither is honor, integrity, morals, ethics, truthfullness, compassion or sacrifice unless it's one of his officers and the cause is his hide and pockets.
Officers shall run their camera on all dispatched calls and encounters with citizens including arrest, search, traffic stops, etc. You have to be kidding me Schultz. This is a Martin SOP revision because he was dispatched to a non-priority call that did not require him to be running tape, when a felon scared him and got shot. So you punish all officers on the department because you dont have the balls to stand up for us. Fuck you.......and the entire 5th floor. You dont have 10 years of street experiance between the worthless lot of you. You dont trust us and wont back us up. We dont trust any of you to have our backs either, as you have shown over and over again. Mayor Berry, WTF are you doing while these idiots run a once proud department into the ground???? Property crime initiative. I got one for you. How about all 350 field officers, yes thats probably the correct number, do nothing but take our calls for service. You know if we acted like real cops and actually worked and pulled over cars and looked for criminals it might result in complaints, fights, or god forbid another shooting, because that can happen when you actually do police work. So to limit our citizen contacts and be the kindler, gentler, touchy feeley officers with big brother on our lapel 24-7, I say we save the city gas as well as wear and tear on our cars by assuming a stationary patrol policy like in a snow storm. After all, the less contacts with citizens, the less chances of bad things happening. Since you wont support us, we need to take care of ourselves. Including keeping our 82 enroute on all calls that are dispatched as two man. See what happens to the number of calls for service holding and your 700 officers in the field like you tell people....moron. Not that you care about morale, or morality for that matter, but you just pushed us over the edge. Why in the hell do you think all these officers are buying time and leaving in record numbers, including a DC? Youre like a fucking nuetered dog,,,,you just dont get it. I just hope someone gets it before its too late. I'm out.........
Hamby gets to do what job now???? Was that position open for others to try for or is it ANOTHER closet for a worthless 34 to be put in...
924 well said. NOBODY SHD C4 there 82 ever.
5/6 9:24: Very well said.
These have got to be the saddest days @ APD, pathetic!!!
As a 21(+/-) year veteran 34 I must say that I love ABQ, and it is an honor to serve the great citizens and communities of ABQ. We are commisioned to "police" the city of ABQ, yet the greatest service that could be performed is actually to "police" APD. It is very EZ for the admin to put additional burdens or restraints on field officers and those within APD who do "actual" police work such as, excess documentation, audio/visual digital recordings, and analog recordings. The SOP or "operational" changes @ APD are no more than "lip-service" to our citizens. But truth be told, the top end of APD is the problem. And after the most recent promotions, there is no sign that the problems will end any time soon.
Personally I am somewhat OK w/Joe Christman, but only to a point. He has always been motivated and task oriented, as well as very personable. But the fact is though, he is much emersed in the political ways of which 34's are promoted @ APD, and the "schultz way," as he has aligned himself with the very "TOP" of top end brass of not only APD, but also the 11th floor. And Kevin Rowe, really??? When has he ever been in the "shit!" When was he ever in an operational position for that matter? Rowe seems to be a good guy. He smiles a lot and gets along with just about everyone. But, not much more to offer on the operational end of things. Rowe has very limited field experience and much of his supervisory experience came from being assigned to the polygraph unit where he was in charge of ONE person. As for Dodi Camacho, c'mon really??? She proved to be among the laziest and most incompotent of 34's, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN... As a sergeant she was NO better as she was CONSTANTLY under the scrutiny of her commander for GOING HOME TO SLEEP DURING HER SHIFT AND FAILING TO ANSWER HER RADIO. Oh, and when she was @ work and supposedly doing her job, it was CONSTANT questionable decisions that she made. A very "book smart" person, but thats where it ENDS.
So, who was it really who was promoted here??? The epitopmy of a "company man" along with two under-qualified super-minorities to replace Banks & Paiz on the 5th floor. Yes, Banks is a proven liar to say the least and Paiz, well she is retiring. I suppose Feist will soon find the back door too, right?
As human beings we make mistakes, but those who fail to learn from those mistakes are doomed to failure. Unfortunately for berry he WILL NEVER LEARN. The blatant motivation behind his decisions is evident of his desire to "self-promote" rather than to serve the citizens of ABQ. Instead of cutting off the snakes head with replacing schultz and following up with LEGITIMATE appointments (or propmotions) to the lesser DC and commander positions he instead chose to perpetuate the cycle @ APD. Why??? Because he is a self-promoting figure-head endorsed by the local GOP who has absolutely no sense or desire to serve the community of which he was elected.
APD must be cleansed, PERIOD... And, the only way that could be done is by bringing in an outside source with absolutely no ties to current APD command staff, coupled with "retiring" the current command staff ("at-will" personell). Why is it the that the last tested position @ APD is for lieutenant? Is it that the typical knowledge/skills/abilities that that are commonly viewed by any other employers are not quite that important @ APD? The system is set up to put THEIR OWN players in the game.
berry is a pawn, no more, well maybe?.?.?. (surley there are other choice words and/or descriptions for him). schultz too. And the citizens of ABQ and the 34's who serve them are left to pay the price.
PATHETIC!!!
Hamby is a 34 and she got herself a "sweet spot" @ APD, must we fault her for that??? Well, I suppose for those who know that she "did her best work" before she got into APD know the truth would do so, rihght. So frkn glad that the dept is supposedly enforcing a fraternization policy.........
Our saviors have arrived in Obama and Schultz. I can feel the love.
Obama is going to give me a new house and Schultz is going to give me a new pen camera.
Ok, I've come to the conclusion that Mayor Berry is crazy -- seriously. There is something wrong with him. If you study him at press conferences he doesn't make sense when he speaks, and he seems confused. I don't understand why he wanted to be mayor -- he doesn't like city workers (the real workers -- the rank & file PD, and all other city workers). "He's a walking contradiction -- partly truth but mostly fiction." (Kris Kristofferson for us old timers!!)
Everyone talks, and pretty soon all of the fraudulent allegations against anyone who is against the city officials and their corruption, is going to lead to personal animus and how these officials are uning their position to exact revenge, slander, and sabotage their opponents and then they will be responsible personally for their attacks. It would be a picture of justice to see the city attorney, Chief administrative officer, and anyone else involved in vicious attacks on those against them to lose their homes and bank accounts, instead of using our tax monies to pay for their games. When the public gets to hear outrageous testimony from these idiots, they will see. When supposed leaders of city government get up and take the stand to explain allegations, then sound like an imbecil wil can't make their case, it is disgusting. This is what we have here folks. A bunch of children that call people names and pretty much make up stories to get their way. They maks up stories to make themselves look good. They make up stories to fire officers and those they don't like. They make up stories to stack the odds in their favor after stacking the odds in their favor fails and when that don't work, they make up another story.
There is validity in discussing Nadine's position. It is another sign that there is much mismanagement at APD. Rather than address problems, Ray Ray has chosen the easier route for him, which is to bury them in a closet. When the closet is full, he simply finds more closets. Off the top of my head he has created similar jobs for Trish by turning the PIO spot from an officer to a Sgt's spot just to accomodate her. He is on par with David Copperfield when out of thin air he created the 5th floor spot for newly promoted Sgt Paul Szych who was quickly proven incompetent in the field. Flip and Joey get not only transfers, but prime cush spots after accusations fly.
All of this while the units actually doing work are not staffed and not supported. Now Ray Ray defies logic by promoting people who are incompetent or lazy, just to improve his image as a minority friendly "leader". Kevin Rowe is indeed a nice guy, but give me a break, it is beyond poor form to try to intimidate someone when you administer the polygraph based on a lack of knowledge of NM State Statutes.
This circus rolls on and on, but what's amazing is it keeps playing in the same place, and people keep on paying to see it. For all those 34's on stationary patrol, I have shade out front and will provide alternative entertainment to the Ray Ray Ringling Bros Circus!
Record all contact with citizens during an 8hr or 10hr shift with a digital video recorder that only has two hours (approximately)of power. THAT'S JUST BRILLIANT!!!
5/7 12:40 You got it backwards. APD does not detest the community. The top brass at APD is trying it's best to mis-inform the community via the suck-up media without any real journalism skill set to see that particular mission accomplished.
BTW: officers have a right to blow off steam, to vent, AND to let the 11th & 5th floor know how they feel without the fear of being retaliated against, fired, thrown under the bus, you name it, because you know Ray & his lame entourage will do that in a New York minute. You might want to familiarize yourself with the First Amendment - the right of free speech.
@ May 7 12:40pm
Thank you for stating the blunt truth. As one of those crybaby cops stated in a former posting. You are the company you keep....Schultz, APOA, cameras, Olivas, Sigala, Felipe, etc...its about time you get a taste of the poison you clowns in costume love to dish out to the public. BTW, Nadine Hamby f/k/a Nadine Chavez...she was a piece of T&A in Mayor Marty's office at one time. What was that...an Admin Assistant? That's what makes our wonderful top notch police force called APD? That's laughable.....
BTW, best of luck with grievance appeals now that Rob Perry illegally fired the best hearing officer the city could've hoped for having. all hearings are now tainted with prejudice because of this retarded action. Zane you held hearing over my case several years ago (think motorcycle "accident") and you were the only one to see through all the bullshit...
To 12:40,
Damned if you do, Damned if you don't. People like you are the problem. You cry, and say the police have some blue wall of silence and are corrupt,and then when they finally do speak out against corruption, they are crybabies who need to shut the FK up. Which is it? Well, why don't YOU STFU? You are nothing but a pathetic hypocrit who offers no solution and makes no difference in the world. Either that, or you are one of the punks dwelling in the vipers pits on the 5th and 11th floors. Go back to stealing money, defrauding constituents, lying to the city through the media, and using your employees to get ahead, then paying out everyone's tax dollars to bail yourselves out of your dirty deeds. Dirty deeds none not so dirt cheap.
It is a shame that people like 8:06 feel that way. I never saw an officer here badmouth citizens or say citizens deserve their rights violated. I would believe this comment was a citizen if it were not for the fact that this PLANT knows too much, and their comment gives it away. It is obvious those here are trying to make it appear that SOMEONE has their side. ANYONE? Funny I hear crickets.
Seems the corupt leadership is being exposed, and people are realizing it.
It seems like there are a few foul mouthed kool aide drinkers in the house. Ill tell you what minstrels of misinformation, go back and do your research. The only ones telling it like it is are the ones who are shedding light on the dirt. Seems like someone struck a nerve.
Project Guardian?!? Huh?, why do they keep repackaging old shitvand trying to sell at as new stuff. It's just a hazard on the 20. Geez next thing you know they'll say "APD cops now carry liquid weapons".
@ May 7, 2012 12:40:00 PM MDT
You say STFU and blast 34's with profane language when a valid point is made and supported by facts, why is that? Maybe because you are not speaking from a citizen's perspective but rather from the perspective of those within the admin that are being scrutinized. You are merely trying to "bait" frustrated and honorable 34's into an obscene exchange so that the "real citizens" might read the responses and side with you (5th/11th floor). You have the stink of the likes of TJ within the words you speak. A pathetic individual. But, as long as there are guys on the dept who have been here long enuff to "know" there will always be a challenge made to the 5th/11th floor when they continue to infringe on the morals and ethics that law enforcement as a whole is founded. LE is an institution that goes far beyond the ivory tower that is APD. And why would we dissent and make these challenges? Well YOU might say APD 34's are a bunch of crybabies or whatever, but you couldn't be more wrong!!! There is honor and pride instilled in 34's and we can't be faulted when we try to correct the wrongs within the dept. It is an absolute embarrassment what APD has become and YOU are trying to protect it by going after 34's instead of those who are destroying it and the trust that our citizens have in us. It is always EZest to place blame on those @ the bottom of the heap, especially when it is those at the top who are at fault and merely deflecting. And if YOU think that your stance is defending the "here and now." I'll take you back in time (way back) with other specific instances of immoral and unethical conduct (to say the least), as well as other blatant improprieties by former and CURRENT personnel that were "swept under the rug" that led to the "here and now" and instilled APD with its' inherent problems. The lack of accountability by the admin and the recent changes in policy and promotions are evident of perpetuating a BROKEN CYCLE.
But go ahead and blame those of us who are trying to fix it. Our 34's deserve better and so do the citizen's that we serve.
Rayboy Schmuck rides again, this time with Project Nimrod. From the Journal story today, APD was wrong to chase a violent, fleeing felon and respond with appropriate force. In this case it happened to be deadly force. So now he'll try to neuter APD some more.
If APD won't chase violent, fleeing felons in the act of committing violent crime, what use is APD to Gotham City?!
I suppose the new civillian director of the Academy will teach such wonderful descalation and negotiation skills that officers can just call every bad guy on the phone and coax them to walk themselves to jail. The cops can then do stationary patrol from home and not worry about running out of camera time on their lapel cams, or wasting time tagging them at the sub at the end of the shift. All this would be great if it weren't for the Kool-aid I had to drink to believe this B.S. is the truth.
Hey 5th floor leave the eye alone, your gonna get hairy palms!
"Minstrels of misinformation" that is frkn brilliant. And funny. And true.
DON'T DRINK THE KOOL AIDE.
With all things being considered (w/intended sarcasm)...
Why is it that the dept doesn't just require that all 34's utilize their PRD's from beginning to end of shift. It would be well within reason considering the PRD's are issued equipment and we are on-duty with absolutely no idea or warning as to when a citizen might complain or when we might be forced into action leading to some level force being used. 34's have no credibility and it's all for CYA it seems isn't it??? Rather that than have a 34 get killed or injured while trying to fumble around with the PRD as the shit is hitting the fan.
Oh I know, I know... because if 34's did that they would then be in violation of the SOP... "recording a supervisor." Imagine if it was done though. Supervisors and those all the way up the chain would be made accountable to their actions, statements, and compotency. And maybe, just maybe, the persisting problems @ APD would start to repair from the inside -> out.
Of course it would suck as we would really have to mind our time management as well as our P's & Q's during our shift. But then WE wouldn't be the only ones being watched, right?
Just a thought.
Mark Garcia? seriously???? is he still even on the department? Oh thats right if he retires he wont get any more girlfriends. Promoting him any further than he is would be like starting over with Ray.
Even with the hazards on mentally ill folks for the officers there will still be shootings by police. The family members of mentally ill NEVER are involved in their lives until they are dead and then all of a sudden he/she WAS A GOOD PERSON. People call the police for help and then turn on them once force is used. Face it we live in violent times and at times force is needed to curb that violence. All the lapel cameras, tape recorders, fancy camera pens ETC will not stop any of it... We will now all get up close and personal views of the SH&T the officers have to put up with prior to using any force necessary. Those videos will then be played by the media to boost ratings just like when they insist on broadcasting 911 calls... Be safe all...
As a retired 34 I can say I am shocked at the promotions. Record every contact you have on the streets ? We already have so many lazy cops not doing a damn thing. Now it will be worse. I guarantee that nobody will do traffic stops and do proactive police work. Why should they ? Oh,,and on a better note,,it's good to be gone. Have fun boys and watch your six. Ray might want that to.
Ref 10:01. Yeah my bad, I was flustered when wrote that about Garcia...he does suck really bad and has no business being a watch commander never mind a supervisor.
To 9:58,
Your boy got arrested last night. Your house of cards is falling apart. You must be shitting pineapples and pinecones. Give us all a break with the spin and return fire. It is weak to say the least. This chief schultz takes care of his boys, ignores allegations of the embezzlement of a quarter million dollars, and now his cohort proves he is a criminal. Birds of a feather flock together. The best thing the vice president can do now is cut a deal and save his own ass. Certain doom is coming. Berry will not be reelected, the chief will leave in disgrace just like his doll of a lying DCOP and hopefully justice comes swift as the karma has. It couldn't of happened to a more deserving cretin. ANYONE who lays a hand on a woman is a coward.
Anyone who is friends with a woman beater is a coward. You are the compant you keep.
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