During the last 4 months, APD Chief Harold Medina has been in the thicket of 3 major scandals that go directly to his credibility and his mismanagement of APD and he has faced 3 votes of no confidence by the Albuquerque City Council. This blog article is an in depth report of each of the scandals with Analysis and Commentary.
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT
On April 17 a civil lawsuit was filed in the 2nd Judicial District Court by 7 members of the Albuquerque police academy’s training staff who were dismissed from their duties last summer. The 7 plaintiffs who brought the whistleblower complaint made up the academy’s entire training staff and had more than 100 years of combined experience. They are seeking damages for lost wages, emotional distress and harm to their reputations. The lawsuit outlines allegations of nepotism and retaliation by leadership within APD, including APD Chief Harold Medina.
The whistleblower complaint centers on a requirement that male cadets shave their heads with a razor daily. One cadet, who is the son of a police commander, was found to have violated the policy and lied to training staff when asked whether he was following through with the practice. The cadet was dismissed from the academy last August following an internal affairs investigation, but the lawsuit alleges the decision was reversed in less than 24 hours. The plaintiffs allege that the commander had intervened on behalf of his son and that the 7 were then dismissed from the academy and reassigned to other positions in the field because they reported the violation.
In a letter to Police Chief Harold Medina, the plaintiffs described an abuse of authority and suggested that the commander’s intervention was inappropriate and nepotistic. In a letter to Chief Medina, the 7 said this:
“We have done nothing wrong. … We have acted to report ethical violations and to protect the public interest in ethically trained law enforcement officials, and we should not suffer retaliation for doing so.”
A month later, APD responded with a notice that an internal investigation would be initiated and it would include possible hazing of a cadet. According to the lawsuit, it was the academy commander who had instructed the training staff to reinstitute “old school” policies and a more “military” style of training at the academy.
Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told the Associated Press that the city takes hazing allegations very seriously and said this:
“Those allegations, as well as the allegations in this lawsuit, will be addressed in court.”
The lawsuit alleges that the findings of the internal investigation that followed the cadet being reinstated have yet to be shared with the plaintiffs. It was completed by a third party in December. While the plaintiffs believe it found no evidence of hazing, they were issued reprimands for “unspecified violations” of city policies.
The 7 training staff said they were given no explanation for their removal from the academy or explanation for their reassignments. They stated that the removal of officers from positions for which they apply and are tested, without explanation or notice or opportunity to be heard, is “highly unusual” and a violation of the police department’s collective bargaining agreement.
Albuquerque attorney Levi Monagle, who filed the suit said the 7 officers were unfairly punished for reporting a policy violation to their superiors. Monagle said APD retaliated against the 7 a second time by investigating the officers for hazing after they sent the letter to Chief Medina. It is alleged that the letter sent to Chief Medina was protected by the state’s Whistleblower Protection Act.
Monagle said this:
“Our clients had no role whatsoever in that actual disciplinary decision. … Their removal from the academy was the first instance of retaliation. … Basically, they feel betrayed by the department. … I mean [the 7 are saying], everything you taught us to do, everything you trained us to do, went out the window as soon as we reported the wrong person.”
All seven officers remain employed by APD, and three returned to their jobs at the APD Police Academy in January.
The suit, filed against the city of Albuquerque, seeks unspecified damages.
When asked about the whistleblower law suite, APD Chief Harold Medina told one news outlet “there are two sided to every story.”
The links to quoted and relied upon news sources are here:
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/apd-faces-lawsuit-over-nepotism-retaliation-allegations/
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-police-lawsuit-nepotism-retaliation/60535435
CHRONOLOGY OF WHISTLEBLOWER LAWSUITE
According to the civil complaint filed, the series of events that form the basis of the lawsuit began August 1, 2023 when a new class of 128 cadets entered the academy, including Joshua Vega, the son of APD Commander George Vega. Informed sources have confirmed that Commander Vega is a very close personal friend of Chief Medina and the two often go on hunting trips. Approximately at the same time, Academy Commander Joseph Viers reinstituted an “old school” policy that required cadets to razor-shave their heads every morning.
On August 16, 2023 a training officer noticed that Joshua Vega had not razor-shaved his head for several days. When confronted, Cadet Vega at first maintained that he had shaved his head, but later admitted that he had not, which was considered a “class one” violation of lying, a terminable offense. Viers terminated Vega from the academy on August 17 after an APD Internal Affairs investigation found that Vega had lied to the staff. On the evening of August 16, Commander Vega had a phone conversation with Viers.
On August 18, 2023 following a meeting between Viers and other APD leaders, Viers reversed his decision and reinstated Joshua Vega to the academy. Also on August 18, the 7 academy training officers were called to APD headquarters and informed that they were being removed from the posts at the academy and assigned to other duties. The 7 officers “were given no explanation for their removal from the Academy” according to the suite filed.
On August 24, 2023 the 7 officers sent a letter to Chief Harold Medina setting out the circumstances of Joshua Vega’s termination and reinstatement. The letter was attached as and exhibit to the civil complaint. The letter states in part:
“We believe this reinstatement was effectuated by the direct intervention of his father, Commander George Vega. … The direct intervention of Commander Vega in his son’s departmental disciplinary affairs is completely inappropriate, nepotistic, and constitutes an abuse of authority under New Mexico law.”
The letter alleges that the dismissal of the 7 officers also “would risk compromising the education and eventual certification of the entire cadet class.” The letter asked Chief Medina to intervene and rescind “this proposed punitive mass-reassignment.”
On September 25, the 7 officers received a letter from Chief Medina notifying them that they were the targets of an investigation into “alleged inappropriate conduct, to possibly include hazing, toward a cadet.”
The suit alleges that a “third-party investigation” by an Albuquerque attorney was concluded in December but never provided to the officers. The suite contends that the investigation found no evidence of hazing by any of the officers. The lawsuit requests the court to order the city to release the findings of the third-party investigation. All 7 officers “were sent letters issuing them “verbal reprimands” for unspecified violations of city policy.”
Three of the officers who filed the lawsuit, Lisa Neil, Shane Treadaway and Steve Martinez, returned to work at the APD academy in January of this year. The other plaintiffs in the suit are Tillery Stahr, Alix Emrich, James Jacoby and Kelsey Lueckenhoff.
The link to the quoted news source relied upon is here:
APD BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY TO DISMISS DWI CASES
It’s been called possibly the biggest corruption case in the Albuquerque Police Department history. On Friday January 19, it was reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants and raided 3 homes of Albuquerque Police officers and the home and the law office of prominent DWI criminal defense attorney Thomas Clear, III. All 6 are allegedly involved in a bribery and conspiracy scheme spanning a decade to dismiss DWI cases.
Chief Medina was Deputy Chief of Field Services who oversaw the DWI unit from 2017 to 2020 before becoming Chief and he says he is unaware of the actions of the officers. DA Sam Bregman ordered the dismissed 196 DWI cases because of the scandal due to the main witnesses’ credibility being called into question which in all the cases are APD officers. The Albuquerque Police Department has opened its own criminal investigation with an Internal Affairs investigation of the 5 officers. The 5 cops implicated have been identified as Officers Honorio Alba, Joshua Montaño, Nelson Ortiz, Harvey Johnson and Lt. Justin Hunt. All 5 police officers resigned from APD after being scheduled for Internal Affairs to be interviewed. No criminal charges have yet been filed.
MAYOR KELLER’S AND CHIEF MEDINA’S REACTION TO DWI DISMISSAL AND BRIBERY SCANDAL
CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA
On January 22, Chief Harold Medina appeared before the Albuquerque City Council to brief them to the extent he could on the scandal and said why he had been tight lipped about the investigation up and until then. Medina told the city council this:
“This is horrible. It was a – it was a violation of trust for victims, a violation of trust for every officer who’s out there doing the right thing. And we got to make sure we get this right.”
With at least 196 DWI cases dismissed to date, Medina said he had heard from a number of victims and understands their concerns. Medina said this:
“I am not okay with these individuals being, uh, let off of their charges, but it is the right thing to do, given the fact that these officers are accused of something that is just despicable.”
Chief Medina has told media outlets he’s been working with the FBI since October 2023, investigating allegations against officers in APD’s DWI unit. That was shortly after he found out the FBI and the Department of Justice were already looking into similar complaints of misconduct.
Media told news outlets the federal investigation surrounds accusations of officers being paid to get DWI cases dismissed. Chief Medina said he could not get that specific with the federal investigation and but said this:
“This is a very complex investigation, which is going to involve a lot of parts, a lot of different moving parts within the criminal justice system. So we’re being very cautious about how we move forward. And I have to respect my partners in this.”
Chief Medina has said APD’s Internal Affairs Unit had given notice to all 5 five officers that they are under investigation in connection to the scheme. Four were initially place on paid administrative leave with one reassigned to a different department. All 5 have since resigned after declining to be interviewed by Internal Affairs.
Chief Medina said this about the failure to detect what was going on:
“We’ve identified five ….We don’t know if it’s going to grow further from there. We don’t know where it’s going to grow from there. But we’re currently at five officers. … Not all are currently in the DWI unit. One started there in 2011 meaning this alleged misconduct may go back 13 years. … I think we’ve got to remember that they got away with it. If it was, if it was occurring, it’s something that’s occurred for over a decade. So obviously they were very good at hiding this. And, we are glad that this administration has been able to bring this to light.
Chief Medina pointed out he views this investigation as proof the current administration is committed to reform. Medina said this:
“I mean, we had [196] cases dismissed. It’s horrible. So yes, in a way there is a stain on APD, but I think that there is the general public who’s going to realize that leadership is holding individuals accountable. We’re not sweeping anything under the carpet, and we’re making sure that we fully investigate everything to the best of our ability.”
MAYOR TIM KELLER
Mayor Keller for his part said this of the scandal:
“This investigation involves a handful of long-time officers at APD, going back a decade; if true, what these individuals did is a disgrace to the badge, and erodes faith in law enforcement. APD leadership fully supports this investigation and continues to work with our partners to serve justice. Any individuals who engaged in this conduct will never work for the City again, and should be held accountable to full extent of the law. The department’s willingness to drive accountability, especially on its own, reflects how far we have come.”
“I do [have confidence in APD]. … [APD] initiated the investigation on this issue independently, before they ever knew there was a federal investigation. I think it speaks to their willingness to hold the department accountable and broadly the cost of progress has shown that, too. They’re doing the right thing in this case, but we have some bad apples, and they need to be held accountable.”
The link to quoted news sources are here:
https://www.krqe.com/news/investigations/albuquerque-police-chief-discusses-dwi-case-scandal/
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-mayor-on-police-fbi-investigation/46511444
VEHICLE CRASH CAUSED BY MEDINA
On February 17 APD Chief Harold Medina and his wife were in a city unmarked APD truck on their way to a press conference with Mayor Tim Keller. Medina decided to stop and call APD to clear a homeless encampment. Medina witnessed two people fighting, a gun was pulled and pointed at the Medina’s and one shot was fired. In response Medina fled from the scene and drove through a red light and he T-boned a 1966 Ford Mustang. Chief Medina admitted he ran a red light, admitted he did not have his lapel camera on. The other driver sustained a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, and a collapsed lung and was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he underwent 7 hours of surgery for injuries.
Medina referred the car crash to APD Internal Affairs and the Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia for investigation admitting he did not have his lapel camera on. APD Fatal Crash unit conducted an investigation, prepared a final report and forwarded it to the Crash Review Board. The report concluded that while Chief Medina “did enter an intersection failing to obey the traffic control devise (sic) without activating his emergency lights and sirens … resulting in a vehicle crash causing injury” all which are violations of APD’s standard operating procedures, the car crash was “non preventable”. The APD Crash Review Board voted unanimously to deem Medina’s crash “non-preventable.” APD has now said that Chief Medina will not be charged but he is still under investigation for violations of Standard Operating procedures.
MAYOR KELLER AND CHIEF MEDINA REACT TO VEHICLE CRASH
On February 17 during a news conference after the crash, Mayor Tim Keller reacted to the entire incident by heaping highly questionable claims and praises on Chief Medina by saying this in part:
[Chief Medina is] arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city. … [The shooting incident is an example of] why we are never quitting when it comes to trying to make our city safer. … But it’s hard. It is extremely hard. It affects everyone, including our chief of police on a Saturday morning. … This is actually him on a Saturday morning, disrupting an altercation, a shooting, trying to do what’s right, trying to make sure that folks are okay after on scene. This is above and beyond what you expect from a chief, and I’m grateful for Harold Medina.
A full week after the crash, Mayor Keller was interviewed and said the driver of the Mustang “happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time … and it was also a beautiful gold Mustang.”
APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA
On Tuesday, February 20, Chief Medina did a “Chief’s Corner” video briefing which was sent to all APD personnel. He announced that it was a “special edition” of his Chief’s corner to discuss the February 17 car crash with APD personnel. Medina said this in part:
“I was the victim of this traffic accident, and it’s a direct impact of what gun violence is doing to our community. And we need to continue to work at it. I did call out I did submit to a drug test, as any officer would.”
Medina said in the video he thought the oncoming Mustang, would pass through intersection before he got there. Medina said in his video statement:
“I looked to my left, and the intersection was cleared. … And I thought that the car was going to pass before I got there, and it did not, and unfortunately, I struck a vehicle.”
Chief Medina was not truthful when he said there was no oncoming traffic. Released surveillance video shows there was oncoming traffic, he slowly drive between 2 vehicles and then accelerates at a great speed driving through 3 lanes of traffic and t-boning the other vehicle.
EFFORTS BY CITY COUNCIL TO REMOVE APD CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA
There have been 3 attempts by the Albquerquerqu City Council calling for a “vote of no confidence” in Chief Medina and calling for his termination. The most serious attempt was when on February 14 Westside City Councilor Louie Sanchez announced the introduction of a Resolution entitled “REMOVING POLICE CHIEF HAROLD MEDINA FOR FAILURE TO LEAD THE ALBUQUERQUE POLICE DEPARTMENT”. A Chief can be terminated with 6 votes by the city council as provided by the City Charter.
The WHEREAS recital provisions of the Resolution identifies numerous and specific instances of mismanagement of APD by Chief Harold Medina as well as the ongoing federal investigation of the APD DWI Unit and the bribery and conspiracy scheme with a prominent criminal defense attorney. Absent from the resolution is any mention of the February 17 vehicle crash where Chief Medina and his wife were in an unmarked APD truck on their way to participate in a press conference with Mayor Keller and when they crashed into and totaled a 1966 Ford Mustang with the driver of the Mustang sent to the hospital in critical condition. Medina has admitted to numerous violations of standard operating procedures and has yet to be cited.
At the April 3 Albuquerque City Council meeting and during the debate on the Resolution, City Councilor Louie Sanchez said this:
“I don’t have confidence that Medina can slow down the drug trafficking in Albuquerque, because he hasn’t. These are over two years. I don’t have confidence in Medina’s subordinates will investigate his accident with total 100-percent transparency… because they work for him.”
After the city council debate, Westside Democrat City Councilor Louie Sanchez moved to withdraw his Resolution calling for a “no confidence” vote in Chief Harold Medina and removing him as APD Chief of Police. Initially, Sanchez moved that the council defer the vote on the Resolution for 2 weeks to allow him to include information presented during the meeting, but the Council voted 5-4 not defer the resolution. Whereupon Sanchez moved to withdraw the Resolution in its entirety and the city council then voted unanimously 9-0 in favor of the withdrawal of the Resolution. Sanchez said this about the withdrawal:
“I know we as city councilors have a lot of other questions that in my opinion have come up. What I heard [during this meeting] is that this needs a little bit more work. … I’m going to withdraw [the Resolution] at this time and work on it a little bit more. Based on that I would like to move that we differ this bill and try to get some of those questions answered.”
MEDINA ORDERS MANDATORY PERSONNEL MEETINGS
A few days before the city council debated and deferred the No Confidence Resolution, Chief Medina ordered all APD sworn and civilian staff to attend personnel meetings where he discussed the “No Confidence Resolution”, the APD bribery and conspiracy scandal to dismiss DWI cases and his February 17 car crash. All the meetings were held at the APD academy. According to sources, 4 meetings were ordered.
KOAT TV Target 7 obtained audio recordings of one of the meetings where Chief Harold Medina talked about the investigations into himself and the department. During the meeting Chief Medina made highly critical remarks of the city council’s attempts to remove him as Chief. He tells the assembled officers and civilian employees and makes it very clear he has no intent of going anywhere and will remain chief.
Sources have confirmed that Medina refers to himself in the third person and attacks his critics, including city councilors and even bloggers at times individually by name, and says the person “does not like Chief”.
Medina simply does not understand that it’s not an issue of people hating him as an individual, but people taking issue with his incompetency and what he has done to APD to destroy it. Medina goes so far as to say he intends to remain as Chief until December 2025 when Mayor Tim Keller’s second term.
It’s common knowledge that Mayor Tim Keller is preparing to seek a third term in 2025 and Medina will without a doubt be an issue in the race for Mayor. Mayor Tim Keller has repeatedly gone to the defense of Medina, he says Medina has done a good job and has refused to terminate Medina saying with a straight face that Chief Medina “is arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city.”
During the meeting KOAT TV reported on, Chief Medina can be heard making comments about the FBI investigation into APD’s DWI Unit. Medina said this:
“We trace it back to some of the people who have resigned who were in DWI in the early 2010s. The ongoing investigation will continue. There’s not widespread corruption within the department.”
Medina mentions concerns regarding the corruption investigation and how it will affect the DOJ consent decree and the federal oversight of the department. Medina says this:
“I worry about some paragraphs in terms of investigation, and we’ll see how this goes. ”
Chief Medina talks about his February 17 car crash. At the meeting are Internal Affairs investigators and Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia. Some of the Internal Affairs officers in attendance are assigned to investigate whether Chief Medina violated any policies when he ran a red light and crashed into another car.
Chief Medina tells his audience of rank and file this:
“Once again, one city councilor [known to be City Councilor Louie Sanchez] decides this case should be shipped off to another agency for investigation of the traffic crash. … . What are they going to discover? That I didn’t cause the accident. Like what is in dispute? We probably will send it off somewhere else so they can look at it, to appease everybody.”
The Chief then criticized the city council, which took a vote of no confidence later that week, saying he will be fine because he plans to retire soon. Medina says this:
“Am I pissed? Yes, I am pissed. But you know what? I’m fine. I’ll go through that tomorrow. I have my plan. They have their plan. We will play this game until December 2025, when I decide to retire.”
Medina then concludes by talking about how years ago Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia reprimanded him. Garcia was standing next to the chief during the meeting, he did not dispute anything the Chief was saying as if he had no problem with what Medina was saying to APD sworn. Medina jokes about how Garcia is now the Superintendent of Police Reform and is in charge of disciplining the chief. Medina said this:
“The last person to discipline me was [Eric Garcia] the day I got promoted to sergeant. Eric Garcia gave me a letter of reprimand as my lieutenant. Thanks, Eric. And hopefully, you will give me that last discipline in the course of my career.”
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
It is truly amazing and sure arrogance that Chief Medina has made it clear that he is going nowhere and that he and the city council “will play this game until December 2025, when I decide to retire.” He clearly believes he is responsible to no one. Simply put, Chief Medina is an “at will” employee who is not protected by the city personnel rules and regulations as all other city employees. Chief Medina can be terminated without any cause at any time and for whatever reasons the Mayor or City Council decide.
There are more than a few reasons APD Chief Harold Medina needs to be terminated for cause. The beleaguered Albuquerque Police department has been grappling with 3 scandalous events that have occurred in the last 4 months all involving Chief Medina directly or indirectly. All 3 undermine APD’s and APD Chief Medina’s credibility. All three of the scandals has Chief Medina front and center calling into question his management of the department and his judgment and management decisions.
APD BRIBERY AND CONSPIRACY SCANDAL
Ever since this scandal broken on January 19 with the execution of the search warrants, APD Chief Harold Medina has been in full “politcal spin cycle” mode of “pivot, deflect, take credit and lay blame” with his interviews. Medina went so far as to blame the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office and the Public Defenders Office for what happened with the Dismissals. Medina takes credit for the investigation and taking action to hold people accountable for the corruption when it was in fact the federal investigation that forced his hand after he allowed the problem to fester.
APD Chief Harold Medina has admitted that the APD bribery and conspiracy scheme has gone on the entire 6 years he has been in charge of APD both as Deputy Chief and now as Chief. As the Deputy Chief assigned Field Services by Chief Geier, Medina was directly in charge of the APD DWI unit, but Medina failed to detect what was going on with the DWI unit or if he just looked the other way. Medina is known to be a micro manager and it difficult to believe nor understand that at no time did he ever get information regarding the nefarious conduct of the DWI unit.
FEBRUARY 17 CAR CRASH
It is downright laughable that Medina would say about the car crash he caused “I was the victim of this traffic accident, and it’s a direct impact of what gun violence is doing to our community.” The real victim of the crash caused by Medina is the other driver who sustained a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, eight broken ribs, and a collapsed lung and was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he underwent 7 hours of surgery for his injuries.
Based on all the news accounts and the comments, statements and the admissions against interest and admissions of liability made by Chief Harold Medina, it is clear Medina violated one or more of APD’s Standard Operating Procedures. Medina has his wife in the vehicle as he engaged in a law enforcement call. Chief Medina has admitted that he did not have his body camera on. Medina has admitted he did not have his police radio on in his truck which is a standard operating procedure violation. Medina also admitted he did not turn his body camera on in a timely manner which is a violation APD Standard Operating procedures. At no point did Medina have any emergency equipment on during or after the event which is another violation.
It is obscene and an insult to the general public’s intelligence that the APD Crash Review Board voted unanimously to deem Chief Medina’s crash as “non-preventable.” It is an absolute farce that Chief Medina’s car crash that put another driver in the hospital in critical condition was ruled “unavoidable” by APD officers who are under his command. It’s a no brainer that an independent, outside investigation should have been ordered immediately by Mayor Tim Keller and that Medina should have been placed on administrative leave pending that investigation.
Instead, we have a sham of an investigation by police officers who work for Medina and who he is clearly influencing. Simply put, the crash was preventable and could have been avoided by simply stopping at Central, or turning right to go West on Central. Instead, Medina ran through a red light in a panic and floored the gas pedal of his vehicle and went forward.
The APD Crash Review Board voting unanimously to deem Medina’s crash “non-preventable” is nothing more than a cover up of a preventable accident that gives Chief Medina a defense and APD an excuse not to charge Medina with reckless driving. The finding will allow the City to argue the other driver was contributorily negligent as to crash responsibility.
Any other APD police officer involved in such a crash that caused serious bodily injury to another would have been charged and immediately placed on administrative leave and investigated and perhaps terminated. Any private citizen involved with such an accident would have been charged and arrested and hauled off to jail. APD Chief Harold Medina must be held 100% responsible for the car crash critically injuring another.
WHISTLEBLOWER LAWSUIT
The allegations contained in the whistle blower lawsuit are about as damning as it gets. It reflects a level of undue influence and to help the son of Chief Medina’s closes friend Commander George Vega.
MEDINA’S EFFORTS TO HOLD ON
It is downright obscene that Chief Harold Medina would have mandatory staff meetings to discuss his car crash in front of a captive audience of sworn personnel which included the very Internal Affairs officers who are investigating him as well as the Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia who stood beside the Chief during his comments which was totally inappropriate.
Before a captive audience, it is clear Medina was lobbying both the Internal Affairs Investigators and the Superintendent for Police Reform for a favorable outcome of their investigations. Their presence at the mandatory staff meeting sent the undisputable message to all APD sworn personnel and civilian staff they have the Chief’s back and that the investigations are going nowhere and neither is the Chief.
CITIZEN SASTISFACTION SURVEY
On April 16, the City’s annual Citizens Satisfaction Survey was released. With respect to APD, Albuquerque Residents gave the APD the following job performance ratings:
- 60% of city resident’s DISAGREE APD doing a good Job addressing property crime.
- 56% of city residents DISAGREE APD is doing a good job addressing violent crime.
- 51% disagree APD is ready to transition away from oversight by the federal government and operate on its own.
Chief Medina must bear the lion’s share of responsibility for APD’s poor performance in the Citizen Satisfaction Survey.
DERELICTION OF DUTY BY CITY COUNCIL
With all that has been going on with APD over the last 4 months, and considering Chief Medina’s involvement in the 3 scandals, it is difficult to understand why APD Chief Harold Medina is still Chief of Police. How much more proof or evidence is needed for Democrat City Councilors Klarissa J. Peña, Joaquín Baca, Nichole Rogers and Tammy Fiebelkorn to come to the conclusion that Chief Medina has mismanaged APD and its time for him to go? Mayor Tim Keller saying that Chief Medina is “arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city” is laughable, it does not make it true and reflects a blind loyalty with many wondering why? The Albuquerque City Council’s failure to remove Chief Medina given all that has happened over the last 4 months amounts to a dereliction of duty.