Never Make A Promise You Do Not Intend To Keep

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This is a link to a front-page Albuquerque Journal story that is an example that you never make promises in politics you do not intend to keep hoping the press will forget.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1258257/ag-seeks-documents-in-inquiry.html

The story involves the child abuse case brought against two adults alleging crimes against their 7-year-old for prostitution, human trafficking, and criminal sexual contact of a minor.

The case is being prosecuted by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.

This is the case where the bloody underwear of a 7 year old girl was not collected and tag into evidence by APD.

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/05/16/what-the-hell-are-they-teaching-at-the-apd-police-academy/

Initially Chief Gieir and Mayor Tim Keller said APD policy was followed.

The Attorney General Office is now saying it was left in the dark during a police internal affairs investigation into the child abuse case, potentially affecting the prosecution of the defendant charged with forcing the 7-year-old girl to work as a prostitute.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s office has notified by letter Albuquerque City Attorney Esteban Aguilar that strict discovery deadlines in the 2nd Judicial District Court could be affected by the Albuquerque Police Department’s interviews with witnesses in the case and the failure to provide the defense with the transcripts.

The Attorney General’s in May asked that it be included if police interviewed the witnesses during the internal affairs investigation.

The only communication between the city and the AG’s office about the internal affairs investigation was Wednesday of last week in a letter in which the AG’s office questioned why it wasn’t notified that the internal affairs investigation had been finished.

APD Chief Michael Geier disciplined five officers after reviewing investigations by the Civilian Police Oversight Agency (CPOA) and APD’s Internal Affairs Bureau.

Last summer, Mayor Tim Keller backtracked big time on his assertion that APD policy had been followed, order an APD Internal Affairs Investigation, met with the Journal editors and announced new policy changes with the handling of evidence in child abuse cases.

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/06/02/maybe-just-maybe-a-valuable-lesson-learned-the-hard-way/

Keller promised that the internal affairs investigation would be publicly released after it was completed.

It never was.

Last week, the Journal asked the city for a copy of the internal affairs investigation that led to the disciplinary action.

An APD police spokesman said the city was waiting on guidance from the Attorney General’s Office about whether the investigation could be released, even though APD proceeded with interviews without telling the Attorney General’s office.

These are the very type of stories that tend to destroy the credibility of APD and Mayor Tim Keller’s promise to be transparent.

You can review related blog stories at the below links:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/05/18/stand-by-you-man-song-and-dance-by-mayor-keller/

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/05/30/a-line-in-the-sand-a-stunning-admission-of-head-in-the-sand/

https://www.petedinelli.com/2018/06/05/keller-should-not-let-apds-serious-crisis-go-to-waste/

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.