Lies, Manipulation, and Deceit: Welcome to Albuquerque DOJ!

****UPDATE Part II****
This just keeps getting richer and richer. Below is a copy of a receipt forwarded to us by one of our Eyes for two 5-star badges disgraced former Albuquerque Public Safety Director Darren White had made for himself. He had a regular badge and a flat wallet-style badge. Since the APD chief of police had 4-stars, we'll leave the speculation to our readers what 5-stars means....

Darren White's Super-Chief Badge, ordered 1/8/2010

Our Eyes also forwarded us the complete unreleased IRO investigation concerning Mr. White. We found some very interesting statements. Since with this badge, Mr. White is holding himself as a law-enforcement officer, why would he be so concerned about "absolutely not" using his city issued unmarked car's siren? Why would Darren now distance himself from Ray Schultz whom he considered a "good friend?" As the super chief of the city's emergency services, why would he say, "Paramedics do not transport patients, they only transport City Employees?" Why would Mr. White call a witness to the accident "in follow up?"

****UPDATE****
In today's (4/6/14) "newspaper," Kent Walz and his board of propagandists go on to list out the causes of APD's problems. They also go on to assert that, of course, RJ Berry is the answer to these problems. In it they assign a whole lot of blame (funny, barely last fall they endorsed Berry's notion that APD is fine and one of the best department's in the country) including:

It's the APOA's fault
It's Marty Chavez's fault
It's hiring of all the officers in 2009 fault
It's APD sergeant's fault.

As Paul Heh said last summer, this is "bullshit." But even more, here is Schultz in 2014 when asked about DOJ:

This is Schultz's expression when asked about DOJ.

True accountability and responsibility for this mess rests with Ray Schultz, Allen Banks, Rob Perry, Darren White, and Richard "RJ" Berry. Make no mistake about it Kent, if not for these persons, APD would not be in the place it is today. If you had any grasp of understanding or intelligence you'd know that the APOA had been all but acting under the total direction and influence of Ray Schultz and Allen Banks. That Marty Chavez has not been mayor for over five years and the rampage of shooting you go on and on about commenced under Berry and White (and we are no Chavez fans for sure). That the vast majority of officers involved in the shootings were NOT hired during the hiring binge. And APD sergeant have no impact on discipline upon the officers when it's any significant incident of misconduct....that falls on the chief.

Berry, Perry, White, Banks, Levy and Schultz created this mess, let it fester, and now that it is clear how bad it is you giving cover to these people is nothing short of disgusting and reveals how truly corrupt you are. Anything for a buck for you and your brother huh Kent...

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Ever since RJ Berry was elected mayor back in 2009, the city and it's beleaguered police department have been going from one scandal to another like a frog in festering swamp hopping from one toadstool to another.

We had Darren White from the outset letting Ray Schultz run amok while the new mayor got to test drive his new play-toy, a $1Billion dollar entity called the city of Albuquerque. And while under Schultz APD went on a rampage from unjustified shootings to historic civil rights abuses, White and new city attorney Rob Perry used the crime scene of murdered civil rights attorney Mary Han as a way to consolidate power and placate a defeated state supreme court justice and state Republican operative known as Paul Kennedy.  All while Berry's kids at APD were running and spinning things to distort the reality and conceal facts. Kids like Chris Ramirerz and TJ Wilham.

Oh Eye, that's quite a yearn you say. Surely it's not possible city officials like APD lawyer Kathy Levy and Schultz's public information officers would spin and twist truths would they. And for what reason, I mean DOJ is on our side aren't they?

Frankly, we at the Eye have a hard time "seeing" it as well. Take a look at some recent discussion that were forwarded to us involving former APD PIO Rob Gibbs and some other former APD officers including former Deputy Chief Mike Castro:

Aside from Mr. Castro's remarks aside, former Officer Gibbs (now of the Denver Police Department) confirms what we all know to the be the case. Berry and his pals don't follow rules, they do what they want and at their convenience.

And who would they be going to for guidance in this mess? How, after years of resisting the notion that APD has any problems and that DOJ is not needed because, as disgraced Ray Schulz said, "APD has its house in order" does Berry actually make the claim that DOJ needs to hurry up?

Easy, his highly paid election coordinator has been busy spinning things around. You see, Berry paid his pal Jay McCleskey almost $500,000 in just 2013 alone. You all remember Jason right?

Well between him, and his MMA cheerleader, disgraced Albuquerque Public Safety Director, Darren White they've been very busy pushing Berry this way and that way....

And let's not forget, when it comes to lying and spinning, the silly public figure that just can't do enough to carry the water for these people, is none other than deputy city attorney Kathy Levy. It seems she's been caught in yet another lie (shocking we know). While the Redwine shooting video and the APD Keith Sandy lapel camera video are hot ticket items, Levy has been busy saying she can't release the video because the FBI said no. Of course it's now come out that the FBI said no such thing. Why is it Berry is so quick to say he want's DOJ to hurry up out of one side of his mouth, yet on the other they are continuing to hide and conceal public information?  Liar Levy in a recent press conference...

Lies, spin, ommission, and deception by the leaders of the city of Albuquerque. Business as usual.....This should be an interesting week....

Zane Prevails!!

On May 12, 2012 we reported how City of Albuquerque CAO Rob Perry had terminated contract employment with nationally respected hearing officer Zane Reeves because of a recent finding Dr. Reeves had made in a case before him. (Reread the story here:http://eyeonalbuquerque.blogspot.com/2012/05/city-does-insane-to-zane.html)

You see, Mr. Perry was upset that Dr. Reeves had held the city to task for unjustly terminating then APD Officer Russell Perea. While many presume Mr. Perea covered for former officer Levi Chavez during the night of Tera Chavez's death, APD failed to prove in Mr. Perea's termination hearing that he did anything to justify his firing from APD. The primary reason the city offered for Mr. Perea's termination was that he was "unforthcoming" as APD's current Chief, and then Deputy Chief and the one responsible for Mr. Perea's termination, put it. Unforthcoming.

Well, yesterday the honorable 2nd Judicial District Court Judge Shannon Bacon found the city unforthcoming in their reasons to appeal Mr. Perea's reinstatement as ordered by the city's own Personnel Board. Where the city stated Dr. Reeves was "arbitrary and capricious," Judge Bacon found the city's own reasoning "specious." That's another way of saying the city was wrong. In fact, and even more directly, Judge Bacon wrote:

"The Court has reviewed the transcript of all three hearings—including those portions the City cites in support of its claim—and finds the City’s claim that the hearing officer acted arbitrarily is unfounded."

Where the city said Dr. Reeves considered evidence not part of the case, Judge Bacon pondered the city's reasoning when the city itself, through Kathy Levy's cohort Rebecca Wardlaw, raised the link between Mr. Perea and Mr. Chavez.

In short, Judge Bacon denied the city's appeal of the Personnel Board's order to reinstate Mr. Perea and she flat out rejected the Ms. Wardlaw's pathetic arguments that Dr. Reeves acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner. In closing, Judge Bacon ordered:

"The Court concludes: (1) the Hearing Officer’s determination is supported by substantial evidence; (2) the Hearing Officer did not act arbitrarily or capriciously; (3) the Board did not act arbitrarily or capriciously; and (4) the City has failed to demonstrate grounds for reversal. Accordingly, the decision of the City Personnel Board is AFFIRMED."

We at the Eye would like to remind our readers that the mess that will unfold because of the city's inept and illegal actions are the result of decisions made by none other than, yup the city's highest paid employee: Rob Perry.  One would think the city's CAO would know a little about contract law. Ooops, our bad.

None of this should really be surprising because if you recall, during this hearing we got a taste of the future as then DCOP Allen Banks was caught being untruthful while giving testimony under oath.  Here is an audio clip with "lowlights" from the Perea hearing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5CaJaQ61tw

In it you can also hear the poor and incompetent testimony by then DCOP Paul "Crime Scene Tampering Expert" Feist and Commander Doug "Baby Huey" West.

Folks, this is but one of many chickens that are coming home to roost. Get ready for many more....  The Eye wishes to extend a hearty congratulations to Dr. Reeves for vindication from the city and Rob Perry's despicable acts. We wish him well it whatever course of action he pursues against Mr. Perry.

UPDATE

 Thanks to one of our Eyes.....It seems back when Perry terminated Dr. Reeves's contract, he made the following statement to KRQE: "We think its basically in the city's best interest this time to terminate the contract and proceed with future personnel hearings with a different personnel officer. “We have to be assured there is an absolutely fair and neutral process in place. I’m not asking for a stacked deck, but I’m certainly asking – and the citizens expect – a fair one.”

Dr. Reeves was already scheduled to hear former APD officer Rob Woolever's appeal of his termination. As Judge Bacon confirmed in her ruling yesterday, the city's appeal was unfounded and had no merit. In other words Perry was wrong again. This entire fiasco rests upon the decision personally made by Rob Perry. Please tell us Mr. Perry how unlawfully terminating a contract involving a nationally respected hearing officer is in the city's best interest? Please tell us how intimidating other hearing officers who are sworn to be objective and are quasi-judicial personnel is in the city's best interest? Please tell us how actions such as this and the endless other justify your existence as an employee nevermind your disgusting raise of $33,000?