Mayor and police chief request public opinion on new car style

APD is considering retiring it's red, white, and blue fleet of Crown Victoria's for a sportier new black and white Dodge Charger and wants public input. People are encouraged to visit cabq.gov and vote on the two designs. The new prototype was revealed at a press conference hosted by Mayor Berry and APD today, Nov. 30, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in Albuquerque's Civic Plaza. According to Chief Ray Schultz, Ford will cease production of the Crown Victoria Police Cruiser at the end of 2011. This prompted APD to look at new style and a new color scheme. The City has been using the current model, color scheme, and graphics since 1994.
"The black and white design would allow for more consistency (in style) with BCSD and State Trooper cars," stated Schultz. The chief also claims that the new "look" would make it easier for people to identify law enforcement vehicles when officers pull up behind them. APD has also considered the Ford Taurus to replace fleet vehicles. However, design issues were found with the interior of the car.
The Charger has a full sized spare tire in the trunk area of the car which enables officers to change a flat tire and continue using the car throughout their shift instead of having to leave it at the garage. Chief Schultz also heralded to ease of cleaning out the back of the cars when people (who are detained) have "accidents".
"The rear containment module is completely self contained. Police officers can easily hose out the back of the car,".
According to Schultz, the Dodge Chargers are also cheaper than the traditional Crown Victoria's. Prices of the new cars were not discussed at the press conference. The City expects to purchase approximately 60 new cars with Capital Improvements Plan funding to replace existing fleet cars in 2012. The majority of the cars will be marked vehicles.
Additional Comment:
When asked by The Burque Blotter if a GPS tracking system would be installed in the new vehicles Schultz replied, "No, but with our ongoing efforts to keep up with technology eventually they will be,". In my humble opinion  all government vehicles should have GPS tracking installed to keep track of employee use. Recent discoveries of misuse of city vehicles have been documented in the media. Therefore, it is imperative that APD utilize GPS tracking devices in all of it's vehicles as part of it's "Smart Policing Policy".

APD successfully takes cat killer into custody

SWAT and APD Crisis Intervention Officers responded to a call on the 300 block of General Marshall NE, in the international district of Albuquerque, on Nov. 21, last night, at 7:36p.m. "The subject was having a mental health episode," informed Officer Robert Gibbs, who was also on duty at the scene. Officers were responding to a 911 call made by the family of a person suffering from mental illness who had allegedly killed the family cat with a knife. Additional information regarding the incident was obtained in a phone conversation with APD's Information Director Sargent Trish Hoffman.  Approximately ten to twelve police units were dispatched to the residence blocking off both ends of the street. Officers used a PA system to call the individual out of their home. "Five minutes after the (APD) units arrived on the scene the subject came out of their residence on their own accord (unarmed)," stated Hoffman. The individual was taken into custody and is currently undergoing a psychological analysis. Officers stayed behind to take additional information from family members. The incident was peacefully resolved without any use of force by APD. "The subjects mental health issues will be addressed first then we will address the issue with the animal," stated Hoffman. The Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA) prevents the disclosure of the name of the individual and the nature of their mental illness. 

They Didn't Have to Die Video

Activists remain hopeful despite DOJ delay

On Monday, Nov. 7, at 6:00 pm, approximately 100 civil rights activists of varied ethnic and economic backgrounds, family members of APD shooting victims, and concerned citizens gathered for some long awaited answers from the US Department of Justice. US DOJ attorneys Michael Hoses and Ruth Keegan introduced themselves and explained the role of the DOJ in the impending investigation on Albuquerque's Police Department. The attorneys explained that while they did not have a definitive answer as to whether or not the DOJ would be proceeding with the civil rights investigation they were in the process of reviewing all of the complaints. According to Jewel Hall, President of the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Center Task Force on Social Justice for Public Safety, hundreds of complaints have been submitted. Activists at the meeting stated that they expect more complaints expected  in in the following days to come. However, many complainants are afraid to come forward in fear of retaliation from APD. "I meet one man (in the South Valley) who had been beaten 37 times by police officers. He showed me a letter that had been  notarized saying 'I'm a US citizen. Please don't beat me'.", said Silvia Fuentes, mother of APD shooting victim Lenny Fuentes. The MLK Task Force has set up a form on it's new website in which citizens can submit information anonymously as long as there are dates relating to the incident, badge numbers and names of officers involved in the alleged incidents are also useful information. Ken Ellis, father of purple heart, shooting victim Ken Ellis Jr., has purchased an additional cell phone in order to receive information from the community. "We will win," stated Hall triumphantly, "We have the numbers and there's power in numbers". Despite the group's proactive stance there were members of the crowd who expressed their displeasure with the DOJ's delayed response. "I've been a victim of police brutality all of my life. I just recently got beat up. When is it going to stop?", stated Gilbert Elizondo, board of director's member for Vecinos United angrily. Information about police misconduct and brutality from APD, The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department, and New Mexico State Police can be sent by regular mail or or email. The web address for the new MLK Task Force website will be posted shortly.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center Board
PO Box 40306
Albuquerque, NM 87196
jcyrus6@msn.com

The MLK Task Force is also in need of donations of any monetary amount which can be sent to the above mail address.

How transparent is the City?

A little over a month ago I introduced myself to Albuquerque's City Council at a city council meeting, informing city councilors that I would be conducting an information audit on the City of Albuquerque and other government entities. One might ask what the heck is an information audit? An information audit is an audit that can be conducted by a private citizen or a large media outlet on a government entity in order to test the accessibly of information. The first step taken in this process was to ask to be placed on the city's press release list. Initially the Director of Information had hesitations on whether or not to place me on the list since I am currently a freelance journalist and blogger. After pleading my case for three weeks I was placed on the list. In the interim I succeeded on being placed on press release lists from The City of Santa Fe to U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. The average wait time to be placed on these lists ranged from five to ten minutes. I also found difficulty accessing information form the city's official website. Most city websites have a link to the city council agenda's on the home page. The City of Santa Fe emails the agenda after you sign up to be on their media release list. In order to access the City of Albuquerque's council meeting agenda I had to run several queries to access the link. Ironically the website received a transparency award. The Mayor's office will be hosting a "Chat with the  Mayor" event at the Cesar Chavez Community Center at 7505 Katheryn SE, tomorrow Oct. 27 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. For more information call 505-768-3000. 

A Community Call to Action

They Didn't Have to Die
A COMMUNITY CALL TO ACTION

Monday, November 7, 2011

6:00 p.m.

Don Newton /Taylor Ranch Community Center
4900 Kachina NW
Albuquerque, NM 87120
505-768-6006

Speakers U. S. Department of Justice:
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Michael Hoses
Ruth Fuess Keegan
District of New Mexico

PUBLIC MEETING

• U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Patterns and Practices of Profiling, Excessive Use of Force and Deadly Force within the Albuquerque Police Department
•
• Information and an overview of the September 30, 2011 meeting between U.S. Department of Justice and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center Task Force on Social Justice for Public Safety.
•
• The MLKMC Task Force on Social Justice for Public Safety continues its efforts to bring the United States Department of Justice to Albuquerque to conduct an investigation into the patterns and practices of profiling, excessive use of force and deadly force within the Albuquerque Police Department.

Email response to recent City Council Meeting

Below is an email received by The Burque Blotter, written by activist Silvio Dell'Angela, in response to the recent City Council Meeting on Monday.


Councilor Garduno seemed to be the only one committed to calling for a DOJ
investigation but the "compromise" he felt he somehow had to agree to wasn't
a compromise at all but a surrender to the other four and this Mayor.  What
did they give up?  Nothing.

The Mayor vetoed the original bill claiming it wasn't properly announced to
the public and the amendment changed the purpose of the original resolution.
Well the "compromise" amendment last night did the same thing and yet nobody
cared.

Both the Mayor and the Council will be obligated to support a DOJ
investigation should one occur so this passed resolution accomplished
nothing.

Politics as usual in Albuquerque.

More on this later.

Silvio