APD in Limbo Because of the Bimbo's

With the dust still swirling around in the aftermath of Boston last week, once again we are reminded how far away from basic policing Albuquerque’s mayor and discredited police chief have led their department.

Instead of focusing and supporting the rank and file sworn Patrolmen First Class and Detectives in the department, endless gobs of money are spent in support of civilian new hires and so that even more civilians can watch CNN and web based surveillance systems.

In case people haven’t noticed, there is no APD academy running and only five officers graduated to move on into the three phases of OJT. Our eyes tell us of those five, only three are for sure to track on into APD’s patrol division. Of course, DPS and NMSP are not under investigation by the DOJ so they don’t have recruiting problems like APD. DPS is reported to have almost 60 cadets in their academy and NMSP has over 30. APD has NONE.

But that’s ok, because while there are fewer officers in APD in almost twenty years, Ray Schultz and RJ Berry’s response has been to make things not better but worse. Not only are more resources being spent on endless tech “solutions” but now we are told the city is on a recruiting campaign to hire over 60 PSA’s.

Again the double speak is stunning. Under Berry and Schultz’s direction, hiring standards were modified where candidates needed to have at least 60 college credit hours (a qualification Ray Schultz wouldn’t even pass with his diploma mill degree). And never mind that they are not sworn yet expected to process even felony crime scenes (won’t that make the citizenry happy!), we can only imagine how they will fair in court (won’t that make the attorneys happy!).

Yet according to Schultz, one can now become a PSA with a pulse and then can track into APD as a sworn officer sidestepping a state mandated academy requirement. Huh? Citizens with lots of life experience…no thanks. Teenager….please apply.

We wonder what the state’s Law Enforcement Academy Board will think of this since an abbreviated academy is in violation of state law. By statute, peace officer candidates MUST require a 600 basic academy training program. Last time the Eye checked, there is no Schultz waiver to state law as much as he tries to intimidate the LEA Board into thinking he knows all there is about policing.

So while TJ and company watch TV’s and flocks of teenagers become PSA’s, perhaps the Boston area police department’s will come to our aid when the Mexican cartels decide to wage a war here in Albuquerque. And to our friends in APD, remember that lawsuit that was filed years ago regarding unpaid wages? Don’t worry about it, it hasn’t gone anywhere. While departments across the country have WON their lawsuits for unpaid wages, you can be sure, nothing has been done to move this case forward since February 2012 by your lawyer.

Low pay

Low staffing

Low representation

Low support…

Mayor Berry and Ray Schultz and company, this is not the limbo, this is the state’s largest police department in the state’s largest city. You two bimbo's own this mess.