The Albuquerque Police Department is a vast public institution composed of nearly 1000 sworn officers and an annual operating budget of over $160 Million. Since Ray Schultz took the department over in 2005 as its police chief, the department has changed dramatically in its appearance, personnel, mission, policing style, and effectiveness. Chief Schultz came in after Chief Gil Gallegos resigned as elements of the “Evidence Room” scandal reached his office. (See Albuquerque Journal, March 19, 2005, "Evidence Room Supervisor Claims Cover-up" by TJ Wilhelm.) The evidence scandal involved the theft of money, drugs, and guns by evidence room personnel and the subsequent cover-up of those thefts by high ranking department supervisors. This cover-up occurred despite the efforts of, then, APD Capt. Marie Miranda and Capt. Ron Paiz as they tried to bring honest investigations into what had occurred and the misconduct of other higher ranking APD personnel. As the allegations of official misconduct continued to climb higher and higher, Chief Gil Gallegos resigned and current APD Chief, Ray Schultz, was ushered in from Arizona to lead APD. “We were this close,” pinching his index finger to his thumb “to being ordered to operate under a federal consent decree,” Chief Schultz once remarked in 2010.
Now, in June of 2012, APD and actions of its officers and department executives are being investigated and scrutinized by federal officials from the US Department of Justice, the US Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The previous president and vice president (and others our Eyes tell us) of the Albuquerque Police Officer’s Association are being investigated for financial crimes by the New Mexico State Police. In the midst of all these investigations, our Eyes tell us, APD contracted with a company named Matrix Consulting Group (www.matrixcg.net) several months ago to assess and analyze the department’s operational efficiency.
Despite the fact the obvious answer is APD is grossly inefficient, is in a critical state of gross mismanagement, and such an analysis is most definitely needed, it seems Chief Schultz continues to mislead the press and the public. A few days ago a story broke in the Albuquerque Journal stating the department had contracted with Matrix to do a $200,000 operational analysis. Our Eyes tell us this study has already been done and is already in the hands of the mayor’s chief. We know from Chief Schultz’s past actions anything he can use to his benefit is usually paraded out in public as fast as it comes in. This leads us to believe the report is not positive. In fact, given there are as many officers patrolling the city as there were ten years ago despite a $30 Million bump in the budget one does not need to spend $200,000 on a report that will tell you there are inefficiencies. Given the department is in the midst of scandals of much greater magnitude than what Chief Schultz walked into back in 2005, one does not need to be told the department is in crisis. While we know Chief Schultz would never say “the buck stops here” with him, we find it disturbingly ironic that while the evidence thefts occurred, the crime lab was under the management of the deputy chief of investigations, who at that time was none other than Deputy Chief Ray Schultz. The problematic pattern created by Schultz dates back prior in time to when he was named chief.
An objective report detailing operational inefficiencies of APD is very much welcomed and perhaps it will be a starting point for a new chief. Our Eyes tell us that the data collected by Matrix are limited to personnel and simple numbers. No watch commanders or supervisors have been interviewed and personnel from Matrix have not gone on the ground to witness (observe and evaluate) the operations of APD. Perhaps, the chief meant to say “an additional $200,000” is being spent on such a report and we will then find out how to improve things. Give us a break. With the remaining deputy chiefs and majority of commanders in APD who simply mirror Chief Schultz’s thinking, and/or are unqualified for their positions, it is unlikely there will be any true or meaningful changes that APD so desperately needs. Of the three deputy chief, one was caught lying in sworn testimony (among other things), one has a confirmed conviction of excessive force, and the last was found to have unlawfully terminated two officers. The three Stooges have a better record than APD’s current three deputy chiefs. Oddly enough, the Three Stooges were only actors whereas APD’s deputy chiefs are not actors.
Our Eyes tell us the DOJ is deeply looking into the practices of the department and there are indeed demands that may only be satisfied by outside federal intervention. In almost ten years of apparent mismanagement, Chief Schultz can boast and make one claim to whoever takes over the department: he leaves it much worse than how he found it. Here at the Eye, we are sure, Chief Schultz put the best possible spin to the folks at Matrix. If Matrix is as thorough of a company it represents itself to be on its website, they might like to hear about what really is going on in APD besides what Chief Schultz presented. Just to make sure, here is Mr. Richard Brady, the president of Matrix, email address: rbrady@matrixcg.net. Perhaps, Matrix will be willing to release the report they prepared to the people who paid for it: you, Mr. and Ms. Taxpayer.
