Self Destruction Part II: More of the Same but Worse Unless We Decide It's NOT OK

One thing I forgot to include in the above overview: In May of 2006 an APD probationary police officer, driving inappropriately, crashes into the backyard of a home off 53^rd street killing an elderly grandmother.  This probationary officer is suspended by Ray Schultz, but not terminated.  The Bernalillo County DA refuses to indict, why?  This APD officer is later promoted.  Again there appears to be a failure in the system.  Killing a citizen while driving in appropriately (and on probation) should lead to termination and to criminal charges (remember Adam Casaus).  Yet in this case the probationary officer was retained and the District Attorney did nothing.  The family sued and the city paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Again elected officials failed in their jobs and the police chief failed in his duty.  The community should demand that the Bernalillo District Attorney explain why Adam Casaus fatal accident is different from Zachariah Floyd.  Why was Casaus charged and Floyd not.  Why did Schultz not terminate him?  Why indeed.  The appearance of a very cozy relationship between APD Command Staff (Ray Schulz) and Bernalillo County DA Brandenburg begins and is confirmed and gets worse because once a top official lets a bad act go unchecked, how can they undo it?

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/462191metro05-22-06.htm

http://www.abqjournal.com/182505/news/breaking-apd-sergeant-charged-with-vehicular-homicide.html

2010 to Present

The decline at APD picks up steam with Richard Berry as mayor. It's obvious that whatever controls were in place under Martin Chavez, are now truly gone and the floodgates of misconduct open. Berry's hands off style puts Schultz in total charge with no one supervising him.  He has dodged the Costales bullet and now he seems to be bullet proof and culminates in way until that defies belief with the flooding of a crime scene by White, Banks, Perry, Wilham, Paiz, Feist, and scores of other top APD officials involving the suspicious death of one of the city’s biggest adversaries: Mary Han.

When have we ever seen such a gathering of top leaders at crime scene? Not even at the Christopher Chase shooting last Fall. Not at the West Mesa mass grave. Not at the killings of APD officers Rick Smith and Mike King. In fact, never. Think about what that means.

APD shootings skyrocket prompting numerous lawsuits and widespread and open citizen protest.  City council meetings are flooded with citizens demanding change and accountability at APD.  The City Council responds to these issues and votes to ask the Department of Justice to investigate APD, which they agree to do (2012). Remember, Schultz himself when asked about this actually blamed city council for doing this.

Berry and Schultz bring back the college requirement that didn’t work under Galvin / Baca.  APD recruiting plummets.

Darren White quits as public safety director in July 2011 after allegations arise that he spirited his wife away from a potential DUI accident.  Prior to his resigning, APD Chief Schultz and CAO Rob Perry defend White at one of the weirdest press conferences in city history.  Schultz, White and Perry attempt to intimidate the media into leaving the White issue alone.  The media doesn’t and White quits for a higher paying job at the Downs of Albuquerque.  Berry begins his MO of disappearing during bad news. 

Once again we have a failure in checks and balances when it comes to the people in charge.  This seems to be the moral of the APD story; no one demands accountability from the top people.   

Albuquerque Police have many scandals during this time.  They include:

• $10,000,000 judgment for the Ellis shooting (Schultz announces his retirement afterward).  The city has now settled this for $8,000,000 and promoted the officer involved. 
• Mitschlen shooting costs the city $300,000.  Media reports that the officer involved was not qualified to carry the firearm used in the shooting.  Officer has a Facebook page where he refers to himself as a “human waste disposal”
•  APD SWAT Lt is accused of bullying and threatening his SWAT officers.  No charges filed. 
•  the arrest of APD officer Matt Kindle while he wags his wiener while on duty 
• the arrest of APD officer Begaye for possession of child porn 
• Schulz gets his revenge on APD officer Ahrensfeld for obstruction of justice when it seems the entire case is built on the testimony of a convicted felon 
• the loss of over 300 APD officers leaving to a staffing crisis 
• November 2010, Civil Rights attorney Mary Han is found dead in her home.  The action of APD and officials from Albuquerque City Hall at the crime scene has led to national attention and a lawsuit by the Han family.  
• The October 2013 shooting of 4 law enforcement officers in Albuquerque points out one huge problem at APD.  Why were there no command staff officers working?  Why do lieutenants only work Monday through Friday (mostly dayshift hours) and none are permanently assigned weekends?  Albuquerque is a large metro police department, yet it is still run like Mayberry.  The higher up in rank you go the less accountability and responsibility you have; while making a lot more money. 
• Berry sets aside the APOA contract and reduces officers pay. 
• Berry gives a select few of his already high paid friends (Rob Perry) double digit raises, while officers APD officers what amounts to a 1% pay raise. 
• February 2013 the Journal exposes that Ray Schultz is spending more time out of town going to conferences paid for by Albuquerque taxpayers than he is actually working in Albuquerque as chief.  Many of these conferences he is accompanied by questionable civilian police employees.  
• March 2013, Ray Schultz announces his retirement but doesn’t say when.  Berry does NOT start a new search for a police chief. 
• August 2013, Ray Schultz finally retires but is allowed to work under contract for $10,000 for one month. 
• August 2013, when asked about infidelity at APD Ray Schultz makes his famous, “Nature at Play” quote, which brings APD into national embarrassment.  Berry still does nothing. 
• October 2013 Berry is re-elected in one of the lowest turnout elections in the history of Albuquerque. 
• October 2013 Judge Whitaker dismisses charges against a murder suspect because of the APD homicide detective destruction of the murder weapon.  This did not come out until trial and the detective accused the district attorneys of telling him to lie on the stand.  Banks does nothing and the District Attorney does nothing.  A murder walks free. 
• Perry / Wheeler from City Attorney office get into a dispute at a city council meeting where they try to interfere with a citizen’s free speech.  Berry does nothing. 
• January 2014, the media exposes that during Schultz’s last months at APD he worked diligently to violate the spirit of the Return to Work Repeal, by providing contracts to three APD civilian female employees. 
• Allen Banks is named interim chief after Schultz goes on his $10,000 per month city contract.  APD has five more shootings during his tenure. 
• December 2013 Omaree Varela is murdered by his mother.  In the next weeks APD and Chief Banks refuse all comment after it is discovered that in October 2012 an APD officer was called to Omaree’s school regarding allegations of abuse.  From the officer’s report it appears she knew Omaree was in danger but did not remove him.  She said she sent the report to the Bernalillo DA but the DA never received it (does this sound familiar?).  Further investigation shows another incident in June 2012 where APD officers do not listen to the 911 call, do not write a report and do nothing.  For weeks Banks / Berry went into hiding over this and refused to speak publicly.  Berry finally makes one statement where he says Omaree’s death is the problem of the entire state.  He promises to put a task force together to work on CYFD issues.  He attempts to distance himself and APD from accountability. 
• December 2013 an Internal Affairs complaint is filed against the entire APD Academy staff.  It is quashed a day later by Banks.  APD refuses to disclose the nature of the complaint.  Allegations arise that the Academy director has been having an affair with a subordinate.  The Polygraph Unit is moved to a different chain of command and nothing else happens. 
• February 2014 it is reported that some APD Academy instructors do not have the correct certification to train officers and cadets.  This may impact the certifications of all APD officers. 
• Gordon Eden is named Albuquerque Chief of Police after a dubious nationwide search for a chief (remember Schultz announced he was leaving a year earlier).  This comes weeks after Allen Banks announces he is leaving for Round Rock, Texas. 
• APD Academy is still only graduating a handful of cadets at a time because of the ridiculous college requirement put in by Berry.  February 2014 APD has lost over 300 officers and now has less than 900 full time sworn police officers.  This includes officers on injury time, vacation, sick time, military time, discipline etc.  Berry still refuses to change this horrible policy.  Questions arise as to an increase in 911 call response times and a lack of officers as first responders.  The answer from Berry?  Silence.
• And in August 2013, the state's Attorney General issues a scathing review and criticisim of APD's handling of the Han death scene. Again, APD makes national news.

I know this is not a complete history of the mess APD has become.  If the reader wishes to add incidents please do so.  What I do hope the reader will take away from this article is the following. 

When the people in charge are not held accountable, when the checks and balances disappear, that is when a police department breaks down and fails their community. 

Albuquerque has witnessed a historic breakdown of its public safety.  The police chief, the mayor, the district attorney and the state attorney general, they all have vacated their authority for their own benefit.  This is a textbook example of how a police department loses the faith of the community they serve and the ability to operate.

John Toland (Pulitzer winner) wrote this in his history of the Korean War.  I believe it holds true for the Albuquerque Police Department:

……It is human nature that repeats itself, not history.  We often lean more about the past from the present than the reverse.  I also discovered that a vile person can occasionally tell the truth and a noble person tell a lie; and that men don’t make history as often as history makes men……….   

A day before taking over APD, Gordon Eden remarked when asked about the spike of shootings APD that it probably had something to do with increased assaults on officers. The thing is Gordon, if you look at the department's own PERF report, not only have assaults against APD officers been on a downward trend, but so has the trend of other form of force by APD officers.

In his first few moments, Gordon confirms he is more of the same. 

I hope the readers decide to make a difference and make the Albuquerque Police Department back into the best police department in the nation.  The choice is yours. And it begins by holding people at the top accountable.

Cincinnatus

2014

Self Destruction: How We got to Where We Are. Part I

Self-Destruction

The Disintegration and Decay of The Albuquerque Police Department since 2000

--Cincinnatus--

Where, when, why and who is to blame for the meltdown that we now call the Albuquerque Police Department?

In this short article I hope to explore what I believe started the decay and why it continues today.  I would hope this critique creates a debate within the city of Albuquerque, its’ citizens and police force as to what has happened in the past and what the future holds for Albuquerque.  This article will be short and concise.  If the reader wishes to dig deeper into certain events I (or the Eye) will direct them to the specific reporting from local & national media and direct sources of information.

1998

Jerry Galvin is named Albuquerque Police Chief by Mayor Jim Baca.  During his tenure, Albuquerque has a staffing of 849 sworn police officers.  A college requirement of 60 college credit hours was implemented which caused APD to have a severe reduction in force because APD could not recruit enough qualified candidates. 

2001

Mayor Martin Chavez wins the mayoral election and promptly dismisses Jerry Galvin and names retired national FOP President (and retired Albuquerque Police officer) Gilbert Gallegos his new chief of police.  The college requirement is removed but APD continues to struggle to hire and retain enough officers. 

Rumblings over major corruption and scandal in the Albuquerque Police Department Evidence Room begin to surface.

2003

APD Deputy Chief Ray Schultz retires in December and in January 2004 takes a position with Scottsdale, Arizona police.  It appears he gets out just in time as the Evidence Room Scandal is being exposed by APD officers who are trying to do right.  Schultz is an APD Deputy Chief in direct oversight of the evidence room and crime lab when in August 2003 APD Detective Cindy Orr attempts to notify the APD command staff of the Evidence Room corruption only to be targeted by that same command staff. 

What did Schultz know and what did he do?  No one ever asks, but he was deputy chief.

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/326229metro03-19-05.htm

2004

APOA officers led by President Jeff Remington stage a sit in protest on Albuquerque Civic Plaza for several days.  After threats by Mayor Chavez the protest is ended but it leads to better wages and working conditions for APD officers.  APD begins to increase sworn officer staffing after this protest.

Also in 2004 the first signs of a major breakdown in the leadership and command staff of APD are exposed as the Evidence Room Scandal unfolds in the media.  During this time the media reports of APD Command Staff retiring from the city with large, six figure cash-outs.  The first real documented signs of upper level corruption because the Command Staff remains silent to Evidence Room Corruption, so they can retire with their large bonuses.  Scandal involving APD Command Staff and Mayor Marty Chavez is also exposed, but nothing happens.  With no one in command (past or present) at APD being held accountable for what is at best gross misconduct, and at worst major federal crimes, APD begins a headlong spiral into the abyss.

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/158084metro03-29-04.htm

2005

The Evidence Room Scandal explodes on the APD Command Staff.  APD Captain Sisi Miranda motions the APOA for a vote of no confidence in DCOP Ed Sauer for his current running of the Evidence Room.  This action takes an issue that the Command Staff at APD had ignored since 2001 (and before) into the spotlight.  The exposure of corruption that this APOA vote exposes causes Mayor Chavez to fire Gil Gallegos.  For a brief period of time it is hoped that those in command at APD who knew but did nothing and those who took an active role in covering up the Evidence Room Scandal would be held accountable for their actions. Yet no other member of the APD Command Staff, past or present, is held accountable.  

Gallegos is offered up as a sacrificial lamb, which is correct he is the chief, yet not one member of his current or past command staff (remember who retired in December 2003) is held accountable.  Chavez brings in former BCSO Sheriff Jim Bowdich to run APD in the interim while they figure out who to put in place as APD’s new chief.

April 2005 Ray Schultz is wooed back from Scottsdale and hired as Chief of Police by Mayor Chavez.  This compounds the problems in the command staff at APD as it shows the elected mayor did not know that he should have held all members of the command staff since 2000 accountable for the Evidence Room Scandal.  It sends a message that the command staff can be inept leaders and still receive six figure salaries and cash-outs.  At the time of Schultz’s return, the Deputy Chiefs of Police included: Paul Chavez, Ed Sauer, and Fowler Johnson. The first non-APD officer also becomes the president of the APOA: Lawrence Torres when APD officer Jeff Remington resigns. Torres is later given a high paying job by mayor Chavez where he is now representing the city against the very union he “led.”

Later in 2005 the New Mexico Attorney General and Bernalillo County District Attorney do nothing regarding corruption at APD’s Evidence Room even with the facts that money, guns, and drugs have been stolen.  This starts a very cozy relationship between the new chief of APD and those law enforcement agencies that the public depend upon to be checks and balances.  APD command staff begins to act without any concern that the NMAG or Bernalillo District Attorney will investigate their practices.  It is clear there is no longer a local or state check and balance of the command staff at APD. 

I want to pause one moment and let this sink in for the reader.  The elected highest law enforcement officers in the state and in the county refused to act regarding the corruption at the highest level of the Albuquerque Police Department.  This lack of action sets in motion the current Department of Justice Investigation that we have today.  Had the NM AG or the Bernalillo County DA opened an investigation things today would be dramatically different at APD.  These two agencies failed in their duty to be a check and balance.  For APD to reach the low point it is in today this perfect storm of corruption at the highest level of APD and inaction by the two law enforcement agencies that could have stopped it, was necessary.  Where APD is today did not happen just upon the election of RJ Berry, it started before then. RJ Berry just helped confirm the department’s destruction by continuing a path of NOT holding his chief administrators accountable, if not simply providing them cover.

August 2005, five Albuquerque residents are murdered including two APD officers by a mentally ill suspect.  This sad day gets revisited in the upcoming years as numerous mentally ill individuals are killed by APD officers.  In most of these shooting cases the blame is placed at the feet of the frontline APD officer who did the shooting but this is incorrect.  The blame for these shootings falls squarely on the politicians of Albuquerque and New Mexico who then and now continue to provide little or no assistance for the mentally ill.  Police officers come into most of these situations at the traumatic end of the crisis where violence is occurring.  The lawmakers in Albuquerque and New Mexico could intervene early by enacting policies for helping the mentally ill like other states have.  The lawmakers do nothing, leaving it up to a young police officer to act in defense of their life or someone else’s at a moment that took years for everyone to arrive at.  The lawmakers bear huge responsibility but it is the low level APD officer who is blamed.  Don’t get me wrong there does appear to be some shootings that should be questioned, but the majority of shootings would never have occurred had our state and city done more to intervene early with the mentally ill.  This also points to questionable activity between the Bernalillo County DA and APD as not one police shooting is deemed inappropriate.

2006 to 2009

Under Mayor Chavez and Chief Ray Schultz APD staffing goes over 1,100 sworn officers.  There is scandal as the Albuquerque Journal exposes that some retired rehires were not vetted in the rush to hire them back.  One was found to have a criminal history (and was terminated) and another was hired before a drug test, which he failed (again terminated).  Also hired were many lateral officers with questionable backgrounds, yet the Command Staff at APD approved their hiring even when lower level APD officers brought it to their attention.  Several of these lateral officers have been a black eye on APD (Levi Chavez for example), yet the command staff does not order a review to the practice of hiring laterals.  It appears that Schultz / Chavez want numbers; Albuquerque will pay for this in the years to come. 

Pete Dwyer takes a brief tenure as APOA president but he too resigns because of allegations of corruption. APD fails again to order an investigation and Ron Olivas takes over as APOA president. Dwyer is later fired for comments on his Facebook page and his name comes up in the Levi Chavez case because of suspicious circumstances surrounding Levi’s stolen truck. Nothing is followed up of course.

During this time period several suicides of women who are associated with APD officers, supervisors and command staff occur.  Yet even when affairs are exposed nothing happens to those involved.  In one example the offending sergeant is promoted to lieutenant after the female APD officer he was having an affair with committed suicide.  The command staff turns a blind eye, why?  One speculation is because the command staff is having their own affairs and to discipline someone for this would open a can of worms. 

Also in 2009 the West Mesa murders mass burial ground are discovered.  No one has ever been named as the murderer.  This killing field is presented as a “surprise” to community by Schultz and crime lab chief Paul Feist when in reality scores of officers had been reporting and documenting the disappearance of prostitutes since as early as 2006. I should know, I wrote one of the memos expressing concern that there was a killer preying on street girls.

Several lawsuits against APD for false arrest are filed and even more stunning, APD officers are suing their own department.  The Gonzales case (2006) costs taxpayers $1,300,000 for the 2 year false incarceration of a mentally ill adult for a murder / rape he did not commit.  Court documents state that months after Gonzales arrest and confession DNA evidence cleared him.  Yet APD did not disclose this to the court or defense and Gonzales, a mentally ill man, remained in solitary confinement at MDC for almost 2 years.  Two years, a million dollars for false arrest and Schultz does not order an internal investigation.  The Bernalillo DA does not order any investigation. 

In 2009 the Clifton Bloomfield murders cause many lawsuits against APD.  Some filed by Bloomfield’s victims who stated shoddy police work caused their loved ones to be murdered.  Two other lawsuits filed by two men who were falsely accused of some of the murders.  They were held at MDC for over 15 months even after DNA evidence excluded them.  Again this evidence was withheld and once the defense and judge found out they released these two men immediately.  Again Ray Schultz does nothing.  Again the Bernalillo County DA does nothing.  So far these lawsuits have cost us over a million dollars

In October of 2009 in Federal Court in Santa Fe the city of Albuquerque, after trial, reaches an agreement with retired APD officer Samson Costales regarding allegations of civil rights violations directly against APD Chief Ray Schultz.  This is the beginning of officers and citizens seeking recourse for actions by APD Command Staff through court filings.  Since officers and citizens can no longer depend upon the NM AG and the Bernalillo County DA to monitor APD actions they start suing……… and winning.  Costales was awarded almost $1,000,000 for civil rights violations filed against Schultz. 

Richard Berry is elected Mayor of Albuquerque during this time in the Fall of 2009.  A chance for the elected mayor of Albuquerque to do his job and hold city employees at all levels accountable.  Yet Berry decides to keep Schultz as chief of police and he names Darren White as Public Safety Director.  This is another example of an elected official who is there as a check and balance who fails to do his duty for the citizens.  In any other public or private sector job Schultz would have been fired for costing the taxpayer $1,000,000 but not in Albuquerque.  The elected officials keep failing to do their jobs.

Former APOA president Ron Olivas “leaks” information to APD officer Brad Ahrensfield.  And while there has been rampant corruption and misconduct by high ranking APD officials since the evidence room scandal with little or no scrutiny, Ahrensfield endures the full pressure of the FBI and US Attorney’s office because of allegations made by a convicted felon. APD detective Ryan Buckner and Schultz’s directing spearheads and investigation which ultimately leads to Ahrensfield’s conviction and incarceration. APOA President Joey Sigala is accused of stealing APOA funds. Schultz tries to keep the investigation internal but is forced to refer the matter to the NMSP when APD detectives try to intimidate retired APD sergeant Paul Heh.  NMSP finds that while money was inappropriately spent it did not rise to the level of a criminal offense. Sigala becomes the first APOA executive board member who is investigated for criminal conduct. He later resigns and then is arrested for DV charges and is subsequently fired. Sigala is not sentenced to any prison time or ordered to pay any restitution....

Part II to come later this week.

Joe Wolf: LIAR

We updated our Eye Project chart. Joe Wolf has been added to it because as the director of APD's police academy he has a giant duty to be transparent and honest. But because of his conduct by concealing the status of recruiting, his alleged conduct with academy personnel, his interfering with an internal investigation, he gets the recognition he deserves: Liar by omission.

Could you imagine being a cadet in this environment?

We have a special two-part series commencing tomorrow from a guest contributor....all we can say is wow.....


The Eye

Invalid Training by Uncertified Instructors: APD TRAINING DISASTER

With the highly touted Chief Administrator of the Police Department (CAPD) days away from picking up not only where politically placed Allen Banks abandons his post as interim chief but also having to deal with the giant mess created by disgraced former chief Ray Schultz, we wanted to alert Mr. Eden that we are aware of yet another mess he already has his hands in....

You see, in order to be a certified police officer in this state, you must satisfy the requirements put forward by the state's Law Enforcement Training Act, NMSA 29-7-1. In general, the act requires that officer candidates complete a state defined training academy. And what constitutes a "training academy?" Well, none other than the Law Enforcement Academy Board, as put forward by NMSA 29-7-4 (you know the board that includes Kaufman's West owner Nate Korn). And buried within all these laws are requirements that state in order to become a certified peace officer, you have to received specific instruction from certified general instructors and specialized instructors. And who certifies these instructors? Well, certified "master" instructors. And who certifies these certified master instructors? The director of the NM Law Enforcement Academy.

Well, our Eyes have been busy over the last few weeks, and now your loveable Eye has some unfortunate news. You see, there are only a handful of "master" instructors in the state. And of those that have gained such status, even fewer are active and have satisfied the lengthy legal requirements. What does this mean? It means that there are even fewer legitimate certified or specialized instructors.  Think of this certification as a driver's license. It has to be maintained and renewed, and if one doesn't do this, it expires and is invalid. And with that expiration goes away all the authority that it grants.

Authority, like certifying police cadets have completed state required blocks of instruction. Like defensive tactics. Like firearms training.

You see, our Eyes tell us that for the last few years, cadets graduating from APD's police academy have not received valid training because APD has not maintained the certification of those providing the instruction. As the above letter shows an APD officer, representing themselves as a master instructor, asserted to the NM LEA director that they provided some instructor training. However, our Eyes tell us, this letter was not written by that officer, but was in fact written by APD's training director and employee sexual fraternization expert Joe Wolf. We also have learned that when the officer refused to sign this letter they were threatened with discipline.

Threatening an employee with discipline when they refuse to follow an unlawful order? Now we know this information is accurate because only the brain trust running APD things those kind of shenanigans are acceptable. 

( BTW: Our Eyes also tell us that none other than APD's own runaway bride apprehension expert Sgt. Trish Hoffman is a self described defensive tactics instructor.)

With Mr. Edens oversight of the NM LEA, we would like to think he is well aware of this issue. But of course since this is the department of obscurity, pardon us if we simply don't trust anybody associated with Berry/Perry. Or anybody friends with Schultz.

Hmmm, police officers who hold invalid certifications while they are making arrests, using force, and causing injury and harm to citizens. And we're sure there are endless incidents of falsified public records. Talk about an onion in an onion....And we haven't even discussed the allegations of invalid instruction going on at APD's range...

Sounds like something Mr. Eden should put on the top of his list above some of the other things he's been talking about as he tries to preempt DOJ's pre-liminary findings report.

Our Eyes also tell us, all is not well up in Santa Fe, at the NM LEA because of the mess here at APD's academy.  Funny, there's a code of ethics that applies to all officers. Maybe, just maybe, somebody will step up and say, "this conduct is NOT OK, here's the problem, and this is what they did when we brought it to our attention."

We know a lot of lawyers read this blog but most of them don't really "get it" so we'll step it out for you:

Officer A, was once Cadet A who received certification by completing required courses taught by Instructors B & C. But Instructors B & C aren't valid instructors because either their certification lapsed OR they never earned certification because the officer who was allegedly a master instructor who trained them wasn't a master instructor. But don't take our word for it, IPRA/Subpoena all of the training records of the people involved in your case. And be sure to check with the NM LEA because they are supposed to hold the actual records of all certified instructors in the state.

Welcome to your new assignment Mr. Eden.....let's see if you'll do the right thing, or if you'll maintain the status quo.

COPS, Sheriff Houston, Berry, Transparency....Oh My!!!

 For those that were around in the 90s, APD used to have regular appearances on the Fox-TV show "Cops." For many of us, it was a source of pride because we got to see how well APD officers stood up against their counterparts in other, but much larger, cities such as Dallas, Phoenix, and Memphis. Not surprisingly, APD officers held their own, were very professional, and were a source of pride for the community and New Mexico.  Then of course the politicians got into it and were threatened by the show's, and APD's, popularity and terminated any more episodes showing APD cops at work. The excuse back in 2004 was that it cast Albuquerque in a poor light and threatened the city's economy.

Well, here we are 10 years later and we can see that plan failed because what was a good economy is now in shambles. But in support of his troops, Sheriff Houston has invited the producers of COPS to come back and start filming segments with his deputies. While we know many of our readers have issues with Sheriff Houston, we think a department leader who is willing to let the public see what his deputies do on a regular day-day basis should be applauded. After all, what's the harm in showing the public what public servants are up to?

Well, in the land known as Berryquerque, all that should be right is treated as wrong. While the city's mayor continues to SAY the city of Albuquerque is the most transparent it has ever been, we know their ACTIONS are far from agreement with his statements. In fact, from hiding lapel videos, police reports, financial disclosures, contract agreements, and employee perks, it seems everything and anything touched by Berry/Perry is tainted with fabrication or omission.

And they definitely don't like the idea of outside videographers filming their police force.

Why is that we wonder?

Why would the mayor of the state's largest police force NOT want the country to see his police department in action? After all, now many times has he said he's so gollee gee proud of his officers and his chiefs? One would think that with the new Chief Administrator of the Police Department (let's be real, Mr. Eden hasn't been a cop for quite a long time) this would be a great opportunity to show off how fine the department is operating?

And besides, Albuquerque's reputation as one of the most violent and cruel cities in the country has all but been confirmed since Berry/Perry took over. 

Anyways, we digress.  Bravo to you Sheriff Houston, we hope you don't yield to the pressure of Berry and his cronies. And we look forward to seeing the hardworking deputies of BCSO on a COPS broadcast soon....

But as a reminder Sheriff, we all know how quick Berry likes to take the stage with you...

100 Days starting...

With announcement of Albuquerque mayor RJ Berry's "selection" of Gordon Eden as the new chief for APD, our 5th Floor and 11th Floor friends have been busy spinning some interesting representations.  In a search that seemed to be never ending, until Banks was forced to come out and admit he lied about wanting the job and is fleeing the state, suddenly the search wrapped up and we now have Mr. Eden and his 100 day plan. (Our Eyes tell us Banks ran to the cameras only because Texas news stations were running the story with their announcement. Way to lead Allen).

In interviews since Friday, Mr. Eden expressed the following as the top 3 things APD needs attention on:

1. Recruiting and retention; "The biggest deficiency is the numbers."

2. Community engagement; "Restore what we've lost."

3. Leadership voids and gaps; "I really don’t want them stuck in an office, that’s not where they belong. Where they belong is out in the field, working side by side, supporting our officers"

Among other concerns expressed by Mr. Eden is the operations of APD's internal affairs unit. He stated it seems to operate too slowly, and wondered if it needs more personnel, new systems, or new training.

Funny how all of these things were given an "A" by disgraced former chief Ray Schultz back on September 12, 2012. And more recently concerns about these very items were refuted by mayoral candidate RJ Berry during the election when he boasted about APD's strong employment numbers, its great leaders, and its strong and healthy relationship with the community.

Given Mr. Eden's prior professional relationship with Ray Schultz, while we like what we've heard, because let's face it we've been saying the same thing for years now, we will believe Mr. Eden when we see it.

Mr. Eden's resume speaks loudly of his accomplishments here in New Mexico. And while under most circumstances that would be a good thing, we know that all is not well in the Land of Enchantment and to be able to persevere in NM means one must make deals. Given Mr. Eden's radio spots when he openly stumped for candidate Susana Martinez, to say Mr. Eden is above the fray of politics is inaccurate at best and deceptive at worst.

If Mr. Eden follows through with his representations then indeed there will be some major changes going on behind the scenes. However, if Mr. Eden truly walks his talk, then he will be left with no option but to hold the people who have created this mess accountable. And that includes his employers Rob Perry and RJ Berry. 

Does Mr. Eden have the fortitude to do what's right regardless of who it effects. Or will he follow the model set by his predecessor Ray Schultz and do what's right only when it's convenient.

Remember, we did not get to the crisis we have overnight. It occurred over several years and is the results of a pattern and practice of department leaders concealing information, destroying evidence, stealing evidence, covering up crime scenes, covering up criminal conduct, fabricating situation, unfair personnel treatment, nepotism, cronyism, financial self-dealing, perjury, labeling, discrimination, and lying.

One last bit of advice, Mr. Eden. During Friday's press conference, a pictorial representation of "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer" could not have been better composed. Flanking you were two people that obviously are hiding things. Behind you were three people that are terrified.

Good luck Mr. Eden, you'll need it.

Hey let's all squeeze together and say "Cheese!"

P.S. Don't think we don't smell a play being made RJ. We know you like your football metaphors, and we also know what screen is.  If selecting a former DOJ employee as your chief gets you out from under the scrutiny of the current DOJ, we'll see....