More Negative National Press -- The New Yorker Describes the APD (Albuquerque: 2015, crime)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well, your article is from The New Yorker February 2, 2015 Issue...
Briefly, in April 2011 two Albuquerque Police Department detectives fatally shot Christopher Torres, a 27 year old mentally ill man attempting to serve a warrant for his arrest. You can read more from the 2011 news article: ABQJOURNAL NEWS/METRO: City Police Kill Son of County Official
A lot has happened since then, both good and bad....
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 01-28-2015 at 07:40 AM..
Yeah, but what's sad is there are probably some on the force (I'd like to think a lot) that would like the force cleaned up but don't feel they can speak out about it. The blue wall and all that stuff.
Heck, the cops are even giving the DA a hard time for her decision to prosecute (which I happen to agree with).
Whatever you think of APD or the police in general, it's pretty clear the force picked up some bad officers during Chavez's push for expansion. The officer profiled in the article isn't the only individual at APD who you'd figure would have trouble getting hired for any job, let alone a police force. Hopefully the wave of mass retirement that has hit the department since the DOJ investigation began will help weed some of the bad seeds out. From what I have read locally, new training procedures are in place at the police academy and the new, much tougher admission standards imposed by Mayor Berry are starting to attract higher-quality recruits. Not enough of them - we would need to pay our police more for that - but all the problems created by Chavez's open-door policy surely demonstrate that quality beats quantity...
Whatever you think of APD or the police in general, it's pretty clear the force picked up some bad officers during Chavez's push for expansion. The officer profiled in the article isn't the only individual at APD who you'd figure would have trouble getting hired for any job, let alone a police force. Hopefully the wave of mass retirement that has hit the department since the DOJ investigation began will help weed some of the bad seeds out. From what I have read locally, new training procedures are in place at the police academy and the new, much tougher admission standards imposed by Mayor Berry are starting to attract higher-quality recruits. Not enough of them - we would need to pay our police more for that - but all the problems created by Chavez's open-door policy surely demonstrate that quality beats quantity...
You have some facts confused....
Chavez increased requirements to enter the police academy. Berry reduced or attempted to reduce them. You are correct that new training procedures are in place. I was, still am a fan of Mayor Chavez and Mayor Berry. But the whole issue is a bit more complex than just flapping your jaws.
Chavez increased requirements to enter the police academy. Berry reduced or attempted to reduce them. You are correct that new training procedures are in place. I was, still am a fan of Mayor Chavez and Mayor Berry. But the whole issue is a bit more complex than just flapping your jaws.
Just my brief opinion...
I think in this case you're the one mistaken about the facts. Do your homework before you accuse someone of flapping their lips:
"Starting with the 108th Cadet class, which is expected to begin this fall, potential cadets will be required to have at least 60 college-level credit hours or three years military experience..."
"Now factor in that in the wake of an increasingly violent and disturbed population, Albuquerque under then-Mayor Martin Chávez pushed quantity over quality in APD’s ranks: removing the college requirement [this part is untrue; it was actually removed a few years earlier under Jim Baca]; increasing the number of cadet classes each year (which reduced one-on-one training); and pushing to recruit lateral hires from other departments. Former APD Lt. Steve Tate, who ran training at the Police Academy from 2003 to 2006, says “political pressure” caused APD to “ignore and circumvent its own policies and practices to meet a number.” Many of the officers who have been involved in shootings were hired in the push to get to 1,100 sworn officers."
Regarding those lateral hires, this comes from the New Yorker article this thread is about:
"The department accepted officers from other police forces, even if they had been disciplined or fired, and it sometimes waived the psychological exam. Steve Tate, the director of training at the Albuquerque Police Academy, said that, after the hiring push, he noticed new cadets “exhibiting some characteristics that I thought were a little strange.” “They were not in charge of their emotions,” he told me. “People were breaking down into tears.” He spoke with the head of the department’s psychological unit, and asked why so many officers seemed psychologically unstable. “I could pick up a sense of worry from her,” he said. “She described to me feeling as though they were strong-armed into seating people that they didn’t feel were ready.” Peter DiVasto, a contract psychologist for the department, said in a deposition that psychologists felt that they were supposed to “err on the side of acceptance.” He testified that “deputy chiefs had been threatened with firing unless those numbers went up.”"
The slackening in admission requirements under Chavez has been extensively reported in pretty much every in-depth article or media piece about APD over the last couple years, and is described in detail in the Department of Justice report as well. Have you read that report? I am no fan of Berry or the way he's reacted to APD's problems, but am willing to give credit where credit is due...
APD shrinking; Berry reveals incentive plan
By Dan McKay / Journal Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 12:03 am
The number of sworn officers in Albuquerque’s police force has fallen 15 percent over the last three years, according to figures provided by the city.
Mayor Richard J. Berry was sworn into office on December 1st, 2009. The claimed drops of "APD shrinking" would have begun after Mayor Berry had taken office...
Also from the reference above:
Quote:
The Berry administration reduced salaries for officers and other employees in 2010, a move Berry says was necessary to balance the budget amid a recession without raising taxes or cutting services.
End of discussion for me...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
