Pooof! It's 2016!

2015 is now history and our politicians will tell you all is just fine with Albuquerque. 

Fine for the top administration who just keep getting fatter off the work of the rest of us. Fat paychecks for all from a Mayor who gets caught in one lie after another to a Police Chief who can't even hold a press conference and has to have spokeperson hold them for him.

Good for top administration at the Police Department who took money away from the rank and file officers to feather their own overpaid nest.  It is a good year for Raymond Schultz that was never held accountable for Taser by the do nothing City Council.

For all of us nobodies, 2015 was not so good.  Violent crime has risen 10% while we have a shooting almost an a nightly basis.  People being murdered in their driveway trying to protect their property, or children being murdered in road rage or sitting in a home watching their friends play cards.  Children being abducted in car jacking and left alone in a cold parking lot. People being robbed while at shopping centers. Police Officers being shot while protecting us, such as Officer Golson. Police Officers murdered while protecting us such as Officer Webster (AND WE STILL WANT TO KNOW WHERE HIS BACKUP WAS ). 

Police Officers shot by his fellow Officer such as Officer Grant.  Officer Grant forced to file a lawsuit against The City to make them do the right thing to take care of his injuries.  Of course The City Attorney will tell you it was Officer Grant's fault.  We are number two in drug overdose death in the nation. In 2014 we were 49th in the nation for the economy, violent crime and jobs. In 2015 we improved by politician standards we dropped to number 50 in the nation.   There are not enough Police Officers on the street to protect us or to handle calls with seventy retiring now at the beginning of 2015.  Lies keep on coming from the politicians from a murder at a skate park that the video finally released shows a very different story from the one the politicians made up.  Lets not forget Renaldo Chavez in charge of releasing information to the media.  Mr.  Chavez was fired because he was not releasing information he was ordered not to by the politicians and he, how dare him, protested their lies and criminal actions! So now another lawsuit because the politicians are caught in yet another lie. But not to worry the politicians take care of themselves.  Look a Councilmen Winter. Appointed to take over at A.P.S. until a new top administrator was found. Now appointed Secretary Of State.  Wow what a retirement! We have heard that you're buying a home in Florida Mr. Winter. Is it true?  We have a Secretary Of State in jail, and a Governor who knows how to throw one hell of a party and is the laughing stock of the country.

Never fear all is well. We did have a hot air balloon raise a Civic Plaza to ring in 2016, but there were not hundreds in attendance as the politicians said, there were at most a few dozen. Perhaps it was the gunfire at midnight that kept people away.

duRAN!

Run Dianna Run!!!

As all of us nobodies know by now, former Secretary Of State Dianna Duran under a plea deal was allowed to run and plead guilty to six of sixty five criminal charges. 

Duran resigned, has to pay back $14,000 to political donors, and spend five years on supervised probation. Duran will escape a fine against her and will keep her State Retirement as part of the plea deal. 

What if you were accused of 65 criminal counts? Do you really think all but six be tossed out? Do you think you would get probation? Does anyone believe that Duran will sit in a waiting room for hours waiting her turn to meet with her probation officer. Does anyone believe that Duran will really pay back $14,000 donors?  

Have any of your family or friends been convicted of a crime? What happened to them?  Do you really think that if you had a State Retirement it would be protected? Ask any Police Officer that has been terminated on trumped up charges just to make the administration and lets not forget Schultz look good. Their lives have been turned upside down. They have lost everything including their retirement. Police Officers are just like the rest of us nobody's, no one to protect them or you. We at the EYE are sure Duran will receive a huge retirement, at least six figures.  

If anyone knows that number please let us know.  What about Ray Schultz?  We at the EYE know that a complaint was filed by a former Sergeant on A.P.D. regarding Taser well over a year ago with State Attorney General Office. Then another sergeant filed a LEA-90 against Schultz we are told. But nothing is coming from that we hear.

Bottom line, if your somebody, you will skate on anything. If you’re a nobody, you will get book thrown at you. Even Duran said she did a great job as Secretary Of State. What does this tell our children that when you are an office holder of one of the most important positions in the state's government and you use your office to violate the law, you get your hand slapped? Mayor Berry and his deputy Mayor Kent Walz want to blame Santa Fe for the turnstile justice of repeat offenders. Well this begins with law breakers like DuRAN, not the bottom feeders our officers deal with every day.

P.S. The Eye congratulates APD Officer Jeremy Dear for winning his appeal against the City and the Berry/Perry administration.

Watching the Watchers Watchers Part II

The Eye received the following from retired APD Captain David Gilmore. It seems Kent Walz has now put the k'bash on Mr. Gilmore as well. So much for freedom of the press when your largest account is with the administration paying you right Ken and Jerry?

"APD's usage of the lapel cameras for the often stated purpose of transparency is simply out of control. According to the Journal's story(8-27-14) the officers are spending up to 20% of each shift ,uploading and logging footage they record.  An officer working an eight hour shift or 480 minutes minus 30 minutes for lunch is now down to 450 minutes to handle calls for service.  Of those 450 minutes we can subtract the 20% or 90 minutes and find the officer is now working only 360 minutes or 6 hours of an 8 hours shift. This means he/she is spending one and a half hours of not doing what he/she is on the streets to do, protect you and me.  For argument sake let us say that 380 officers work the  streets and the minimum pay for a Patrolman 1/C is $26.00 per hour.  An officer is now tspending 7 1/2 hours a week or 375 hours a year at the cost of $195 per week or $9,750 per year to care for his videos.  Applying the hours and costs to the 380 officers on a yearly basis we end up with APD mandating the officers to spend 142,000 hours a year and $3,705,000 on "transparency tapes".  To make matters worse these figures do not include the roughly 600 other sworn officers/supervisors/command personnel that are required to utilizes the video system nor the time and cost to retrieve them for the news media and attorneys.

Unless these cameras are run from the start of the shift until the end, officers will forget to turn them on or not have time to engage them during spontaneous/threatening incidents.  We need to merely recall how Chief Schultz and Deputy Chief Banks failed to turn theirs on during their use of force at a State Fair parade.  Should APD insist on using the cameras they should fall under the same guidelines as the tape recorders of the past did.  That being they would be used for a short list of calls that were enumerated in the SOP, and the officers should be held to accountable for the recordings.

Personally I do not want to be video taped by anyone to include law enforcement.   I am sure this holds true for many citizens, witnesses and victims of crimes.  Nor do people want the inside of their homes video taped.  There are even some discussions with the criminal element better left not being taped.  The  issue of anonymity in reporting a crime has now  become a problem.   I am being told that Metro Court judges are now dismissing cases with no video, if that is the case shame on them as they should not need a video to decide guilt or innocence.   For those who insist on running these tapes from the beginning to the end of the shift consider the following.  Would you take a position that required the taping of your entire workday for 25 years?  The officers have a certain right to privacy, to be able to have personal and frank discussions between themselves, to blow off steam.   I had often wondered if APD's overly aggressive taping was the result of supervision issues? 

As for the Ferguson, Mo. shooting I am sure that the other investigative tools that have been used for decades will resolve the issue.  Let us not forget the video is only a tool and cannot relate an officers state of mind during a critical incident. Between the lapel camera issue and the "historic legislation" pertaining to the new police oversight agency that some members of the city council are so proud of is it no wonder the morale and work ethic of many APD officers continue on a downward spiral"

--David M. Gilmore (APD Captain, Retired)

Three Chiefs

It's been a year since APD's disgraced former "chief" Ray Schultz resigned from the troubled department to take his place with Taser International as he goes around hustling a product that seems to be on everybody's "don't get list." Of course, in the eight years Schultz oversaw APD, the department now mired in such a mess it overshadows the Ferguson, Missouri police department in disgraceful management, not once was there any public criticism of Schultz by the state's largest paper, the Albuquerque Journal.

Schultz was routinely praised by the paper and its chief editor Kent Walz for being "the right type of leader" or "the right man for the job." Yet, time and time again we saw Schultz publicly stumble when he was caught lying, held responsible in the courts, or even when he turned on his own officers. So finally, with the DOJ on the front porch, the brain-trust of Berry/Perry sent Schultz packing because, hey, it was an election year and nothing looks better than having a black chief.

In came Allen Banks and waddya know, as devious as Schultz was, Banks was just incompetent. His level of ineptitude grew to such proportion that he was not allowed to do any press conferences because aside from being unable to string a simple sentence together, his mouth dried up to such levels he could talk with out smacking his lips. But still, while Banks held the top chair on the 5th Floor, our pal Kent Walz continued to land endless praise on Banks for being the hometown southvalley kid that did good by taking over APD. We even had a year ending piece praising Banks by his old highschool basketball coach.  But little did we know that Banks had been traveling to Round Rock, Texas, to let his feet show what he really felt about the city he professed he so "loved."

Then came in Mr. Eden. He was chosen over at least three other command level police officers from Texas who had put in for the top job at APD. While not having been a cop for decades and not having any experience running a police department, our sturdy braintrust of Perry/Berry brought in the golden boy to take over the fix APD. But the funny thing is, since day one, our buddy Kent has really not liked Mr. Eden.  In story after story, and editorial after editorial (most recently this weekend's here: http://www.abqjournal.com/474420/opinion/its-troubling-that-eden-didnt-listen-to-sandy-tape.html) Mr. Walz has made it clear that while Schultz is the one who made a mess of APD, it is Eden who is left holding the bag.

What does this mean for Mr. Eden? Could it be that his departure is now inevtiable like our Eyes are telling us and that DCOP Bob Huntsman is soon to put on the coveted 5th star and become APD's chief? Maybe.

You see, what strikes us as funny is not so much that the paper is taking Eden to task, is that their bias is so obvious. Where was this scrutiny for Schultz and Banks? After all they created this mess! The funny thing is, in New Mexico, the truth is in the the details. And our Eyes have been busy....you see it looks like Mr. Walz was highly indebted to Schultz. It has little to do with the Southwest Cyber Companions. Rather it has a lot to do with two young fellows named Jordan and Devon. Maybe it's time their police reports are pulled because from what we've seen, it sure looks like there's been some suspiciously favored treatment. And yeah, they're Kent's adult kids.

Look folks we're not giving Eden a pass, but we are saying let's be fair and when we ask which one of these chiefs is not like the others, things are much more subtle and corrupt than they appear....

TASERgate...

TIME TO DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION INTO TASERGATE

The Department of Justice, in its forty-six page report on the abuses of the Albuquerque Police Department, devoted seven pages to Albuquerque Police abuse of the Taser.  The DoJ reviewed over 200 incidents that involved the use of Taser and found that the APD had used the Taser in an unreasonable and abusive way.

“Although we found the unreasonable uses of physical force, such as punches and kicks, the overwhelming majority of our use of force reviews involved inappropriate deployment of Tasers.  Officers engaged in a pattern of using Tasers unreasonably, including in situations that placed individuals at risk of death or serious bodily harm; against individuals experiencing mental health crises, or who, due to inebriation or inability, could not comply; against subjects requiring medical treatment; against unarmed subjects; against individuals in a punitive manner”

Why has APD used Taser, almost exclusively, in less-lethal situations?  By peeling another layer of the onion what will we find?  Will we discover who is accountable for this abuse of Taser?  Will we find a direct line from Taser to the very top of APD in the form of a multi-million dollar contract for Taser in exchange for a high paying job with Taser? 

By reading Albuquerque news and Taser press releases over the last few years we have found a very questionable connection between APD Chief of Police Ray Schultz and Taser.  Here are the dots for the reader to connect:

March 2013, Ray Schultz announces his intention to retire.  He does not give a date, saying “A major computer upgrade is scheduled for this summer (2013) that has been in the planning stages for the past two years (since 2011).  I want to ensure the success of these two very important projects.”

July 2013, Ray Schultz in his capacity as APD Chief of Police, signs a contract with Taser that costs the city of Albuquerque $1,950,000!  Taser puts forth a press release stating that this contract is the largest to date that Taser has ever signed!

September 2013, Ray Schultz, in a written document to the City of Albuquerque states his intention to retire January 1, 2014.  He further states that he will go on early retirement leave (still a city employee during this time) starting on September 7, 2013.

October 2013, Taser announces that Ray Schultz is now working for them.  Just weeks after Schultz, as APD Chief of Police, signs the largest contract in Taser history, Schultz, still a city employee, begins working for Taser.  This in violation of City Ordinance.

January 1 2014, Schultz formally retires from the City of Albuquerque. 

February 28, 2014, Schultz gives an interview to KRQE (Tina Jensen) where he admits that he has been working for Taser since October 2013. 

March 2014, Taser in a brochure announces that retired Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz will be speaking at the Taser sponsored police conference in Australia.

April 10 2014, the Department of Justice releases the report on Albuquerque Police abuses.  Specifically pointing out the abusive nature of Taser usage within APD.

Could it be that Ray Schultz, in his capacity as Chief of the Albuquerque Police Department, created a culture where APD officers were only provided Taser products, excluding other less-lethal devices?  Did Ray Schultz foster a training program where officers were to use Taser, even when in violation of the Use of Force Continuum?  Did Ray Schultz profit from his connection with Taser, while as Albuquerque Police Chief?  Did Ray Schultz purposely stay on as Albuquerque Police Chief to ensure that the $1,950,000 Taser contract was not reviewed by a new chief who may have amended or stopped it altogether?  Did Taser give Ray Schultz a position with their company as a reward (kickback) for delivering the $1,950,000 Taser contract?  Why did the City of Albuquerque (Rob Perry and Richard Berry) ignore the violation of City Ordinance that prohibits employees from working for vendors?  Why did Rob Perry, Richard Berry and the City Council ignore the violation of City Ordinance that requires Schultz to not be employed by Taser for at least 12 months from the date of his actual retirement (January 1 2014)?

If this isn't self-dealing we don't know what is!

Since the Department of Justice has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to criminally investigate at least six APD officers for their actions in six deadly force situations; I would hope the Department of Justice asks the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the Taser contract and what appears to be a kickback (in the form of a high paying job) to Ray Schultz for his delivery of the $1,950,000 Taser contract with APD.  I would hope the City Council opens an investigation into violation of City Ordinance and that the New Mexico Attorney General opens a criminal investigation into the Taser contract.

The timeline is very clear.  The dots are all in a straight line.  It is clear that Schultz benefited from the contract between Taser and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Holding those at the top accountable is the first step forward.  If the DoJ only holds the officers at the bottom criminally accountable then the system has failed Albuquerque citizens.  Pray that the Department of Justice orders sends Tasergate to the FBI for investigation.

After all, as Schultz likes to say:

I think we should get a real look, not just a second look at Schultz's conduct.
(for those interested, here's the disgraced chief's full presentation....http://www.slideshare.net/informaoz/ray-schultz)

 

DOJ Gives Berry/Perry/Schultz/Banks/Eden an "F" But....

UPDATE!!! Regarding Chief Eden, disgraced former Albuquerque 5-Star Police Director Darren White says Eden should be "scrapped!"

In an interview with the AP today, the city's worst, Darren White had the following to say

Some also want New Mexico to look at state laws on hiring officers and deputies — especially since some officers involved in the 37 Albuquerque shootings since 2010 had questionable histories at other agencies.  Darren White, a former New Mexico Secretary of Public Safety, said lawmakers should immediately scrap a law that allows departments to hire officers or deputies for a year without having them going to an academy.  "This isn't the Wild West anymore," White said. "We have to change."


Funny, Chief Gordon Eden is reported to not have his police officer certification either as it lapsed and hasn't been valid for over a decade. Let's see how Berry & Perry, Co spin this one. Will they hire another agency to hide behind just like they are hiring a Cincinnati company to "negotiate" with the DOJ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our little hat tip to some things laying on the floor from the mess known as the City of Albuquerque....

As the analysis of DOJ's report continues in the aftermath of yesterday's release, and we watch in laughter as Berry & Perry, Co. spin in the wind, let's not forget who's been endorsing the prime players of this mess: Kent Walz. Not even two years ago, Walz promoted this editorial:
(read it here: http://www.abqjournal.com/131517/opinion/schult-zsets-example-of-policing-apd-needs.html)

'Schultz Sets Example Of Policing APD Needs'

In the wake of the DOJ report, this really makes one wonder what else, and how far, Kent would go to carry the water for Berry & Perry, Co? All during the window under which DOJ scrutinized APD, it's been nothing but cheers and fandom by Berry and his buddy Walz.

Then there was the time Schultz presented a report card on APD. Remember this goody?

  

So when we here that noise coming out of Berry's mouth that says "we know more today than we did yesterday, or the week before..." is he not simply admitting how ignorant he is? It sure sounds like an open confession of idiocy. And frankly, we're sick of hearing about all the PERF reforms Berry and Schultz implemented. Sometimes it's 40 reforms, sometimes it's 60. Well, our Eyes have been working hard on that little gem. You see, the vast majority of those "reforms" were nothing more than things APD should've been doing by their own SOPs and we'll prove it in the days to come. So reporters you're on notice that when you hear that noise come from Berry's mouth about "PERF reforms" that it's nothing short of saying "yeah they reminded us we had to do these 37 things..."  Sorry, RJ, you don't get to claim credit for doing stuff you were already supposed to be doing....

And thanks to these people, the rank and file of APD are now faced with the brunt of responsibility to fix their mess.

Lastly, our Eyes correctly pointed out the citizen groups moving forward and dancing around as if APD being taken over by DOJ is a good thing. Get real please. You folks are acting like nothing more than opportunists like disgraced retired APD Lieutenant Scott Lopez. While we appreciate your effort to bring heat on the department, let's have some decorum please, because you're starting to look like this:

"yeah you watch out or we'll get big DOJ on you!"

And let's not forget what Ray Schultz said about his management of APD, and that DOJ would find that he had its "house in order." Ummmmm, not really TaserChief....

Before the U.S. Department of Justice, the "Leaders" of Albuquerque Speak....

UPDATE!!!

"However, the recent remarks by the police chief in response to the James Boyd shooting on March 16, 2014, demonstrate that more work is needed to change the culture of APD."--DOJ Report

"The pattern or practice of excessive force stems from systemic deficiencies in oversight, training, and policy."--DOJ Report

"APD has failed to abide by these fundamental policing values. We find this failure evident in the following systemic deficiencies: (1) a broken system of internal accountability; (2) inadequate training on use of force, community policing, and constitutional policing; (3) policy deficiencies; (4) an aggressive culture that undervalues civilian safety and discounts the importance of crisis intervention; and (5) insufficient leadership on tactical operations, community policing, and the importance of accountability to external oversight."--DOJ Report

"The most significant deficiency we observed in the department’s training programs is the over-emphasis on using force, especially weapons, to resolve stressful encounters, and insufficient emphasis on de-escalation techniques."--DOJ Report

"The SWAT commander had not received adequate training and appeared to lack the experience to direct a disciplined and effective SWAT unit"--DOJ Report

IN OTHER WORDS, APD'S LEADERSHIP HAS FAILED ITS OFFICERS

"Most likely the DOJ will find that APD has its house in order."--Ray Schultz, 11/27/12

"Our officers are of the highest quality, and receive excellent training."--Ray Schultz, 11/28/12

"We’ve never sat back and waited to be ordered to do something"--Ray Schultz, 9/12/12

“[Regarding DOJ] it is unnecessary in my view to produce additional requests in this regard.”People in Albuquerque, statistically, are as safe as they’ve been in 21 years,” Berry said. “I see a department doing a lot of great work.”--Richard Berry, 8/18/11

"For them to sit there and judge me or the department is wrong until (DOJ investigators) come down with findings."--Allen Banks, 12/28/13

"Everyone with this department wants to do a great job, and we’re all going to press forward to try and continue to make this community proud of us" Allen Banks, 8/4/13

"In law enforcement you’ve got young, good-looking folks that do this job. That’s our target group of employees – 20-, 30-, 40-year-old men and women. We ask them to stay in good shape. There’s nature at play."--Ray Schultz, 7/25/13

"It is apparent that these four councilors have lost their confidence in one of the finest police departments in America."--Richard Berry, 8/13/12

"They were justified."--Gordon Eden, 3/21/14

ANY QUESTIONS?

Anonymous

WE at the Eye have been saying for years that there is no better expression than "nature abhors a vacuum" to describe the risk city mayor RJ Berry, city CAO Rob Perry, and then APD chief Ray Schultz have put Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Police Department in for their unbridled abuse of power and corruption. And thanks to the local media's generally weak scrutiny of the city and it's beleaguered police department, there is a huge vacuum between how things are, and how they should be.

You see, nature has a way fixing things. It has a way of fixing the gap between what is just and unjust.

You cannot falsely justify or fabricate reasons to kill people by your police force without consequences.

You cannot cover up murders of opponents and outspoken civil rights advocates without consequences.

You cannot violate even your own police officer's civil rights and fabricate charges without
consequences.

While almost 18 months ago, the US Department of Justice announced their investigation into APD, it seems their investigation has evolved into one that includes disgraced chief Ray Schultz and the cronyism of RJ Berry and Rob Perry.

But now, an even more powerful force has entered into the fray thanks to the unbridled actions and failures of Albuquerque's leaders. Thanks to them, they have failed us. And now nature comes forward on March 30, 2014 to help make things right. The gap between what is just and unjust is about to brought to daylight.

Hello Anonymous....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuinzEynAxM&feature=share

1 Hour, 44 Minutes

On June 22, 2013 APD Officer Gil Vigil and Scott McMurrough from the Northeast Area Command were dispatched to a priority-1 call involving an in-progress event where a child was in danger. The officers were relatively new to the department and worked for Sergeant Bruce Werley on a dayshift squad.  The dispatch involved a 911 call to emergency at 1:24pm and the cell phone line was open where the dispatcher could hear and relay what was going on in the background.

The dispatcher diligently transcribed the horror she was hearing as two adults verbally and mentally abused a small boy. They taunted him. They mocked him. They cursed at him. They degenerated him. They hated him.

Because the call came in on a cell phone, the dispatcher's supervisor frantically worked to identify who the owner of the cell phone was to relay this information to the two officers dispatched to the call.

In the call the dispatcher relayed the information to the officers as it was an on-going event and she kept them updated and she updated the computerized dispatch with what she was hearing. When the officers arrived.......they did nothing.

As you know by now, this call was yet another plea for help by a young boy we know as Omaree. The dispatcher informed the on-duty sergeant of the call and he answered over the radio, "10-4" at 1:38pm. Officers Vigil and McMurrough logged their arrival at 4909 Commanche NE at 1:47pm.

And then they did nothing. They didn't say they made contact with anybody at the house. They didn't run anybody for warrants. They didn't inform their supervisor with an update. And their supervisor didn't ask.

When the dispatcher checked on them at 2:10pm, they said they were OK.

When the dispatcher checked on them again at 3:14pm, they again said they were OK.

Then the officers closed the call out at 3:31pm. They did not update the dispatcher with ANY information. They did not file ANY report about the incident.  They never said if they contacted ANY body. They never updated anybody about the WELFARE of the child.

Now of course, because APD cannot police itself, they are being forced to with a story breaking tonight on KOAT. These two officers are now on leave our Eyes tell us. And we're sure we'll hear how Rob "33K" Perry will get to the bottom of this.

Spare us please. Because it is not the bottom of this that concerns us. Sure, there are about a dozen SOP violations Vigil, McMurrough, and Werley are in violation of and are probably facing significant discipline if not termination. But this coverup, and that what it is, goes all the way up to soon to be former Chief Allen Banks.

The murder of Omaree happened on his watch. And while this incident occurred under Schultz's watch, it is Banks who hid behind IPRA requests instead of doing the honorable and right thing. The tragic history of 4909 Commanche NE is well documented in APD's records and in the minds of the neighbors.

Why would Banks keep this information concealed one asks? Maybe that is a question best asked of the city manager of Round Rock, Texas. Mr. Norwood, if you knew that a prospective candidate for your police department omitted significant information regarding a high profile child murder, would you have hired him to lead your police force? If you knew a prospective candidate put his career first and in front of justice to determine how such failures led to the death of a small child, would you still hire him to lead your police force? If you would, then you get what you deserve.

For almost two hours, Officers Vigil and McMurrough "milked" a call and did nothing. And that is what Omaree's last impressions are of the people who are supposed to come ensure safety.

Nothing. Just like what we and the business community see from the city's mayor RJ Berry. Nothing.

Obvious and Not Obvious Layers of an Onion

(Allium Cepa Albuquerquim)

Patronage, Bribes, and Milking the Bank..

Why is the Department of Justice investigating APD? How many layers of the onion's skin will they peel? Let's take a look at some layers that we've seen over the last week....

PATRONAGE

Here is one layer as reported by KRQE (Katie Kim and Jeff Proctor).

http://krqe.com/2014/01/24/abq-finds-loophole-in-double-dipping-law/

I urge everyone to read this article. It has a lot more information regarding Hammon, Padilla and Fisher and how Schultz worked to side step the law, even allowing Fisher to run her private company out of APD headquarters (apparently rent free). There is a genuine question as to whether or not Fisher is still working at APD in another loophole capacity. While the "legality" of this is unclear, we all know this doesn't pass any smell test.

KRQE reported that Ex Chief Ray Schultz spent the last few months of his career at APD trying to find a loophole in the states double dipping repeal law that would allow him to reward three female employees. Schultz knew that the spirit of this law was to end double dipping by government employees.  Yet he worked to find a way around this law so these three government employees could double dip their salaries. 

Is this what we expect from a Chief of Police? You don't like a law, you understand what it is supposed to prohibit, so you working day trying to find a loophole all at the expense of tax payer money. Really??

I am sure Schultz misses the good old days when Darren, Perry and Schultz would call a press conference and lecture the media on how professional they are and how misguided the media is. Here is why Ray misses those days, quoted from Rob Perry regarding Hammon, Padilla and Fisher, "The city wants to look at both the letter - and that's whether the law was complied with - and we think that it was in all of these cases - and the spirit of the law: what was intended to be avoided".

Let me translate Rob Perry's double cycle spin. He is saying that Schultz worked to find a loophole around the law. That Schultz knew bringing these three people back was wrong. That bus coming down Central Ave appears to be driven by Rob Perry and Ray Schultz is being tossed under it.

This blatant attempt to find loopholes and side step the spirit of the law should be of high concern for Albuquerque residents. 

First, a chief of police is supposed to support the legal system, not find ways around laws you don't like. This is part of the problem at APD. Schultz apparently felt that some laws just didn't pertain to him or his favored ones, so he would work to find loopholes around them. This is not the leadership Albuquerque wants but from Schultz it came to be the leadership we expected.

Another question is why did Schultz feel so indebted to these three women that he would work so diligently to find a way for them to double dip? Seriously, while the patronage to these three? APD is supposed to be a police department. We'd expect to see cops who have spent and risked their lives getting special gigs not three civilians.

These three women also bear responsibility also as they were public servants. They know right from wrong and all they had to do was tell Schultz, "thanks but no thanks." It didn't happen.

Is this the current state of the Albuquerque Police Department? From the chief on down it is not about following the law and setting an example, but about how to game the system and get away with it.

BRIBES

http://www.abqjournal.com/342763/news/redflex-accused-of-bribes.html

The Albuquerque Journal is reporting that RedFlex, the company who managed red light cameras in Albuquerque, is being investigated by the FBI for the "bestowed gifts and bribes" in cities in New Mexico and other states. City Councilor Dan Lewis is calling for the City Inspector General and other auditors to investigate.

Hmmmmmmmmmm who brought Red Flex to Albuquerque to begin with? Look below for your answer:

Albuquerque Journal, Colleen Heild, December 18, 2007.

The red light program operated by the Scottsdale-based company (Red Flex) was the brainchild of Mayor Martin Chávez and Police Chief Ray Schultz......

Is this another layer of the onion being peeled? We won't know until an investigation into Red Flex and Albuquerque is approved and completed. Lewis is on the right track but he should remove the investigation from the City Inspector General and instead ask that the Department of Justice look into this also. Heck the DoJ are already here and the feds are already investigating Red Flex. Take this out of the city and put it into the hands of the Department of Justice.

Funny how we aren't even speaking about the onion layers that the DOJ stated they were going to look into. These two onion layers are all about corruption and losing faith in our appointed and elected leaders.

Congratulations for KRQE and the Journal in doing these reports. A free an unbiased media is the cornerstone of democracy. It seems you’re finding your way back.

MILKING

Banks Retires and what does that peel expose?

Acting Chief Banks has announced he is retiring at the end of February 2014.  While much is being made of this by the asleep at the wheel city council and the APOA president, his retirement really doesn't matter.  People come and go; it is what we expect.  APD is not about one man (did you hear that Ray???).   But there are three glaring issues citizens of Albuquerque should be concerned with:

1. The inability for R J Berry to make ANY hard decision.  Berry knew since March 2013, when Schultz announced his retirement, that he needed to bring in a new chief.  With the the DoJ investigation, leadership of the department is very important to getting APD back on track.  Yet it is now almost one year later and still no chief for APD.  Berry can't make a hard decision, no amount of his spin will change his failure.

2.  The city council and APOA are crying about Banks leaving.  Why?  Banks is just one person.  Why don't they show the same concern for the citizens coughing up $300,000 for the "human waste disposal killing".  Where is the outrage over $8,000,000 settlement for the Ellis killing?  What about Banks's involvement with the Mary Han death scene? The concern should be for the community and the department, not for one individual.  This is where our city and union leadership fail us.  They are more loyal to an individual than to their police department and community.

3.  Banks will leave with a cashout of over $160,000!  Schultz had a huge cashout in 2004 and then again in 2013.  Many APD command staff and City Directors leave with huge amounts of unused sick and vacation.  I must say these leaders at APD and City Hall are extraordinarily healthy.  Their families are very healthy too.  Because normally when a family member is ill people take off.  This never seems to happen in the City of Albuquerque.  Here is the dirty little secret that the media and city leaders ignore or miss. How many times have people come to work sick, only to be present for an hour, and then to disappear?  The possibility that there is fraud and abuse going on within the cash out program is all too confirmed by facts.  The time has come for a complete audit of Schultz and Banks and anyone else who cashes out over $50,000 from the city upon retirement.  If it shows they used ZERO or little sick time during their career a red flag should go up.  Maybe the command staff at APD and the Directors at City Hall need to have someone making sure they do show up for work everyday.  Just because you are "on call" or "on my cell" doesn't mean you are working your shift.  It appears Schultz and Banks were never sick.  Their families were never sick.  Really?  An audit needs to be done.  This is another layer of the onion that needs exposure.

So good luck to Banks, and God help Albuquerque as we are being lead by a mayor who cannot make a decision and a city council that has been asleep for years.  The onion layers have exposed elected officials who are not doing their jobs.

By the way there is one final pressing question for Albuquerque citizens, Where is Richard Berry?

-----Anonymous APD sergeant