A message of hope

I just received this message from activist and Vietnam Veteran, Silvio Dell'Angela:


Over the many, many months we have become a growing family who have been working very hard to make this a better and safer City.  Hopefully in 2012 we will begin to see the results of our work. 

Our City leaders likely believe that they have convinced the US DOJ not to come here-that now all is well in APD.   We know that it is not.  We must continue to speak out until there is finally justice. 

Silvio

The Burque Blotter wishes everyone a safe and festive holiday.  

Pilar Armstrong

MLK group never asked City for "free" lunch

Jewel Hall, the president of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Task Force, vehemently denies requesting any monetary support from the City of Albuquerque for it's annual celebration much less sponsoring a full meal for the event. The celebration, held on Jan. 16, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, honors high school students by awarding individual $1000 college scholarships. Students compete for the scholarships by entering an essay contest sponsored by the MLK group. The City recently withdrew it's support of the event claiming that they could not meet the groups demands for sponsoring a full meal for the event and that they were going to start "bundling 'black events'". Hall claims her organization never made any monetary demands whatsoever on the City or  the Mayor's office.
"In previous years there was a liaison from the City named Joyce Pullian who helped coordinate the "Unsung Heroes" (an award given to outstanding unrecognized community heroes) portion of the program," explained Hall.

Last June the organization received a letter from Pullian stating that she was resigning as City liaison and would no longer be participating in the event. Pullian retired shortly afterward. Hall called Tito Madrid, Constituent Services Director to Mayor Berry, and asked who would be taking Pullian's place.
"He said, 'No one as long as Renetta Torres is on the Board of Directors'," claims Hall.
Torres, who's been on the board of directors for 20 years, has had a successful relationship with the City until her son Christopher Torres was shot in the back three times by Albuquerque Police Officers last April. APD claims that the two APD officers involved in the shooting, were in the process of serving Christopher a warrant for road rage. An altercation ensued in the backyard of  the Torres house in which Christopher allegedly reached  for one of the officers guns. Hall alleges that the information she received from the Torres family stated that Christopher was first handcuffed, laid face down on the ground, and shot in the back three times until dead.
The grieving family promptly filed suit against the City and filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Hall claims Renetta even offered to resign from the board so that the City would continue it's sponsorship of the event.
"I said, 'No! You've been on the board for 20 years!'", says Hall.

In a phone interview, Madrid stated that Hall expected for the City to foot the bill for the MLK celebration's lunch. "They wanted more than just a snack tray and we weren't prepared to do that,".
Hall firmly states that all the organization asked was that the City provide program folders, a welcome letter from Mayor Berry, letters of recognition for the 29 scholarship recipients, and help serve refreshments.

According to Hall, Madrid's replacement, Doug Luzt informed her that the city would be "Taking care of all of the 'black events' in one bundle.". When asked what was meant by 'bundling black events' and if the City was going to start "bundling" "Mexican or Hispanic events" both Gardner and Madrid were at a loss for words.
"We are a multicultural group, not just a 'black group'", exclaimed Hall, "This celebration is about community and coming together to celebrate cultural diversity.".

At a recent City Council Meeting, the city awarded a group run by former city employee, Catherine McGill and "New Mexico Need to Know" Journalist, Gene Grant, $10,000 to promote Black History Month.

The City is currently embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit filed by the Albuquerque Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

This year's Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will be held on Jan. 16, 2012, from 1 to 3:00p.m., at Congregational Albert on 3800 Louisiana NE. Admission is free.

Activists demand City Council refuse Deaton's new contract

By Pilar Armstrong

In the wake of the 22 police shootings civil rights activists are demanding that Albuquerque's City Councilors not renew Independent Review Officer, William Deaton's contract with the City. Activists originally asked for Deaton's resignation from the Independent Review Office of the Police Oversight Commission. However, after Deaton was a no show at two City Council meetings activists are now demanding that Deaton's contract be nixed. The new proposed contract adds and additional $50,000 to Deaton's current salary of $98,440. Deaton, who was hired in 2007, is listed under the City's 250 highest paid employee's. Deaton is considered a part-time employee. 

The POC deemed all 22 shootings justifiable by APD. In contrast, many of the families of the shooting victims have filed civil lawsuits against the City and won large judgments because judges have ruled the shootings unjustifiable. Both Civil Rights groups and independent citizens have blamed the complacency of the POC on it's current leadership and are also asking that Chairperson Bambi Folk resign. 

"Grieving family members and many other citizens have repeatedly seen the IRO's and POC's routine excusal of all APD's abuses based solely on lies told by APD to internal affairs," claims activist Silvio Dell' Angela.

Dell'Angela and several family members of the shooting victims allege that the City's record's department also plays a part in complacency by denying them access to written records and tapes related to the shootings. The records office claims that the recordings either were unavailable, reorders weren't turned on or were malfunctioning or a combination of all three.  In an 2010 article featured in the Albuquerque Journal, APD officers claim that the new Scorpion Recorders are not as efficient as expected because they only offer 20 minutes of recording time and that it's too difficult to download data onto computers. However, after visiting a website that sold the same Scorpion recorders that APD purchased, it was discovered that the recorders actually offer over two hours of recording time and come with a complete owners manual. 

POC meetings are held the second Thur. of each month at 4:00p.m., in the City Council Chambers on the lower level of One Civic Plaza NW. The next City Council meeting will be held this Mon., Dec. 19, 2011 at 5:00p.m. at One Civil Plaza NW. Activists are asking for community support in demanding the resignation of Bambi Folk and the refusal of Deaton's contract at the Dec. 19th meeting. 

Road closures in Albuquerque

Traffic on I-40 at Eubank has been closed as well as West bound traffic on I-40 at 98th street.

Update in garbage and green waste pickup

The City of Albuquerque's Solid Waste Department sent out a "recall" on the previous press release stating that there would be delays in Green Waste and garbage pickup. Bobby Sisneros, Marketing Manager for the Solid Waste Department, affirmed that all garbage in Albuquerque should be picked up by the end of the day. The City will send out additional updates if necessary.

Green waste and garbage delays in ABQ

• Green Waste pickup in ABQ is on one day delay.
• Garbage pickup in ABQ is on two hour delay, if your garbage is missed today it will be picked up tomorrow.

Oh snowy day! Delays and closures in ABQ

The following are a list of  closures and delays in Albuquerque due to the wind and snow:

• APS schools are currently closed until weather improves
• UNM is on a two hour delay
• The Metropolitan Court House will be open at 10:00a.m.
• The Bernalillo County District Court House is on two hour delay
• ABQ Ride Buses are experiencing some delays due to icy road conditions on the West and East side of town, log onto www.myabqride.com
• All City of Albuquerque Offices are currently open

Response to APD car article

 

Personally I think that it is ludicrous for Schultz and Berry to be  focused on buying new vehicles and asking for input on the color of the new cars, when both of them are sticking their heads in the sand as to all of the police murders, and Berry cannot even spend a full minute to watch the complete video of his 2 cops beating a subject who was handcuffed and already subdued.