On July 5, the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) reported that New Mexico’s suicide rate is the highest in the nation based on the raw numbers of suicides in 2018. The New Mexico Department of Health disputes the number one ranking but nonetheless reports that based on its own calculations New Mexico’s suicide rate is the second highest in the country.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the AAS uses raw data to analyze suicide rates, while the New Mexico Department of Health’s method for comparing suicide among different populations is to use “age-adjusted rates.” Looking at age-adjusted death rates in 2018, the New Mexico Department of Health found that New Mexico had the second highest rate of suicide of 24.95 suicides per 100,000 residents, behind Wyoming, which had 25.23 deaths per 100,000 residents.

The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 535 New Mexico residents committed suicide in 2018. The year 2018 is the most recent year for which nationwide data is available for comparison and includes increases in more than half of the age categories. The comparison includes both male and female populations, and across other demographics.

According to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the national average for suicides is 14.8 suicides per 100,000 people.

In 2017, New Mexico was 4th in the nation with 491 suicides which is a rate of 23.5 suicides for 100,000 residents. New Mexico was behind Montana, Wyoming and Alaska at the time.

In 2018, New Mexico had a 9% increase in the number of suicides. The number of suicides in the state went from 491 to 535 in one year. The increase in suicides in the state for the year resulted in the state being listed as number one in the country with a suicide rate of 25.6 suicides per 100,000 people.

The American Association of Suicidology reported one more suicide in New Mexico than New Mexico’s Department of Health. According to the association’s data, Wyoming in 2018 was second in suicides in the country with 147 suicides resulting in 25.4 suicides per 100,000 people.

The 3 other top contenders for highest suicide rates , like New Mexico with small populations, had substantial drops in suicides from 2017 to 2018. Montana saw 46 fewer suicides, Wyoming saw 10 fewer, and Alaska saw 16 fewer. The reduction in suicides in the other states is in sharp contrast to New Mexico, which had its highest number of suicides since the state began keeping track of suicides in 1999.

SUICIDE METHODS IDENTIFIED

The New Mexico Department of Health has identified 4 major categories for the commission of suicide: fall, firearm, poisoning, and suffocation. The statistics released by the New Mexico Department of Health showed that every category defining the cause of death increased, but interestingly, made up the same percentage as the year before.

In both the years of 2017 and 2018 a firearm was used in a little more than half of the suicides. Suffocation was the cause of death in just under 30%. Poisoning was the cause of death in 13% to 14% of deaths. Falls made up less than 2% of the suicides reported.

MALES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SUICIDE RATES

The statistics released by the New Mexico Department of Public Health (DOH) for 2018 are summarized as follows:

The number of suicides rose in 5 of the 9 age groups. Three-quarters of the New Mexico residents who killed themselves were male.

The number of women who died by suicide increased 22% from 109 in 2017 to 133 in 2018.

The number of men who died by suicide increased 5% from 382 in 2017 to 402 in 2018.

For youth ages 5 to 14 the suicide rate increased 88% from 2.5 deaths per 100,000 to 4.7. The hard numbers remain small with 7 suicides in this age group in 2017 and 13 in 2018. The state’s rates of suicide jumping in the youngest age group is also nationwide trend.

For people ages 25 to 34, the rate increased 25% from 29.6 to 37.9 deaths per 100,000. In 2017 there were 84 suicides in this age group, and there were 108 in 2018.

For people ages 35 to 44, the rate increased 13% from 27.1 to 30.6 deaths per 100,000. In 2017 there were 67 suicides, and there were 77 in 2018.

For people ages 55 to 64, the rate increased 49% from 19.5 per 100,000 to 29.1. There were 54 suicides in 2017 and 80 in 2018.

For people ages 65 to 74, the rate increased 9% from 29.7 to 32.5 deaths per 100,000. There were 63 suicides in 2017 and 71 in 2018.

The four remaining age groups had a decrease in the rate of suicides.

There was a substantial increase in the number of suicides among Native Americans. In 2017 there were 47 suicides reflecting a rate of 24.6 per 100,000. In 2018 there were 67 suicides reflecting a rate of 37.9 per 100,000.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/report-new-mexicorsquos-suicide-rate-is-highest-in-the-nation/5783023/

INADEQUATE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES

New Mexico Department of Health spokesman David Morgan explained that studies have found that in New Mexico there are 2 major contributing factors to high suicide rates:

1. New Mexico’s has a high rate of “adverse childhood experiences” that are associated with depression and higher rates of self-harm and suicide.

2. Limited access to behavioral health services. Behavioral health services are especially unavailable in the more rural parts of New Mexico.

Studies have found that New Mexico’s relatively lax firearm laws and higher rate of gun ownership are reflected in the state’s suicide rates. In 2017, 261 people killed themselves with a firearm and in 2018, 280 people used a firearm to take their own life.

According to Morgan, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) reestablished a coalition of advocates and organizations who will meet and discuss how to address suicide. The first meeting of the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition occurred in October, 2019. Attending were upwards of 60 people from across the state from state and county agencies, nonprofits, higher education and behavioral health groups. The group discussed suicide awareness, prevention, intervention, post-vention, crisis services and surveillance.

The DOH is also working with emergency departments in various hospitals to implement a “secondary suicide prevention program” to provide treatment and support for patients who can be discharged and go home.

In an email to the Albuquerque Journal, DOH spokesman Morgan had this to say:

“The intervention includes a safety intervention plan that is patient centered, includes discussion on limiting access to lethal means, connects the patient to a crisis response center, and provides a quick referral to a behavioral health clinician. the intervention also provides support post discharge in the form of caring phone calls and/or letters to express concern to the suicide attempt survivor.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1472695/new-mexicos-suicide-rate-is-highest-in-us.html

DESTRUCTION OF NEW MEXICO’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM

It should come as absolutely no surprise that behavioral health services in New Mexico are limited and are especially unavailable in the more rural parts of New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) is no doubt reluctant to talk about the biggest reason for poor behavioral health care in New Mexico and suicide prevention efforts. All New Mexico residents can give a big thanks and shout out to our former Republican Governor “She Who Shall Not Be Named” who was in office for a full 8 years and who almost single handedly destroyed New Mexico’s behavioral health care system.

The single cruelest thing that former Republican Governor “She Who Shall Not Be Named” did was when she ordered an “audit” of mental health services provided by nonprofits in New Mexico. She did so based on questionable information. The audit eventually devastated New Mexico’s behavioral health care system.

In June 2013, under the direction of the former Republican Governor, the Human Services Department (HSD) cut off Medicaid funding to 15 behavioral health nonprofits operating in New Mexico. In 2014, more than 160,000 New Mexicans received behavioral health services, with most of those services funded by Medicaid. After the audits were completed, the former Republican Administration said that the outside audit showed more than $36 million in over billing, as well as mismanagement and possible fraud. Under the orders of the Republican Governor, Human Services Department agency brought in 5 Arizona providers to take over from New Mexico providers.

In early 2016, following exhaustive investigations, the Attorney General cleared all 15 of the healthcare providers of any wrongdoing and exonerated all of them of fraud. Even though the New Mexico Attorney General found no fraud and cleared the nonprofits of fraud, the damage had been done to the nonprofits. With the Medicaid funding freeze, many of the 15 nonprofits could not continue and just went out of business leaving many patients without a behavioral health service provider especially in rural New Mexico. Lawsuits against the state were initiated by the mental health care providers.

Three of the five Arizona providers brought in by the previous Republican Administration in 2013 to replace the New Mexico nonprofits pulled out of the state. New Mexico’s mental health system is still struggling to recover.

https://www.abqjournal.com/749923/third-arizona-behavioral-health-provider-to-pull-out-of-state.html

BERNALILLO COUNTY’S EFFORTS TO REBUILDING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE

There is grounds for hope to address New Mexico’s high suicide rates and its happening in Bernalillo County. On Feb. 26, 2015, the Bernalillo County Commission approved a 1/8 % gross receipts tax increase on a 3-2 vote to fund new behavioral and mental health services to improve access to mental and behavioral health care services in the county. The tax generates approximately $20 million annually. The intent of the tax is to invest the funding “in proven ways to better manage the high cost of addiction, homelessness and mental health problems”. According to a county commission announcement, “these issues impact families throughout the community and drive up the cost of public services, especially at the Metropolitan Detention Center.” The gross receipts tax costs shoppers one cent on a $10 purchase of goods and services.

https://www.bernco.gov/uploads/files/BH%20news%20release%20PDF.pdf

The 1/8th% gross receipts tax is be used for the purpose of providing more mental and behavioral health services for adults and children in the Albuquerque and Bernalillo County area. The intent is to provide a safety net system for those in need of mental health not otherwise funded in New Mexico.

Since enactment of the tax in 2015, the tax has generated $91.6 million. The county has spent $20 million of the money but has earmarked the bulk of what it amassed for one-time expenditures. Those expenditures include $30 million for a new crisis triage center, $12 million for supportive housing and $4 million for the Bernalillo County CARE campus, formerly known as the Metropolitan Assessment and Treatment Services center, or MATS. The renovations to the CARE campus when complete will create an outpatient behavioral health clinic and living room space for peer-to-peer counseling sessions.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1401895/county-detox-center-evolving.html

GUEST COLUMN BY COUNTY MANAGER AND CAO OF UNM HOSPITALS

On July 25, the Albuquerque Journal published a guest column authored by Bernalillo County Manager Julie Morgas Baca and Chief Executive Officer for UNM Hospitals Kate Becker. The guest column addressed the $20 million-a-year gross receipts tax dedicated to funding behavioral health services in Bernalillo County passed by county voters in 2014.

Following are edited excerpts from the column:

“… Bernalillo County and its community partners on a daily basis are … delivering the caliber of crisis triage services the tax was intended to support: a broad suite of behavioral health services to meet community needs … and a crisis triage center. These community-based programs, funded to the tune of $24 million over the past three years, have already benefited more than 80,000 people who were not otherwise being served.

The mobile crisis teams
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
The Resource Reentry Program
Community Connections supportive housing
Youth Transitional Living services
Reduction of Adverse Childhood Experiences,
Suicide prevention [efforts]
Behavioral health training and education
Peer Case Management
Peer Support Drop-In Centers and most recently
The Crisis Stabilization Unit located on the CARE Campus

(EDITORS NOTE: For a listing of 9 projects and funding from the Bernalillo County Behavioral Health tax see postscript to this blog article.)

These services provide the full continuum of support required to meet community behavioral health needs. Unfortunately, many of these needs went unmet after the state’s behavioral health safety network was realigned in 2013, and it has taken considerable time to rebuild needed resources.

Going forward we will not rest on our laurels, and we will never lose sight of our overarching goal: to improve lives and serve the people of Bernalillo County.

The link to the guest column is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1479350/bernco-made-good-on-behavioral-crisis-promise.html

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

It is a very difficult for any elected official or for that matter any New Mexico resident to acknowledge and make an effort to solve the state’s high suicide rates given that the state is confronted with so many other serious problems it is dealing with including poverty, high crime rates, drug addiction, high unemployment and a poorly performing educational system just to mention a few.

According to the most recent state rankings compiled by US News and World Reports, New Mexico is at the bottom in many of the rankings:

#34 in Health Care
#49 in Education
#47 in Economy
#48 in Opportunity
#47 in Fiscal Stability
#49 in Crime & Corrections
#50 in Child Welfare (Last place for a third year in a row according to Kids Count 2020 Data Book measuring economic well-being, education, health and
family and community)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-mexico

The County Commission has available millions in tax revenues generated from the behavioral tax assessed. In 2015, when the Bernalillo County Commission approved the tax, it did not develop a plan on how all the money would be used, including not identifying services to be provides, location of facilities and qualifiers to obtain the services offered. Approved programming should eventually cost the county $18.9 million annually, but more than $70 million in tax revenue has accumulated and the amount is growing. The County Commission has now enacted “Request For Approval” (RFP) plan to solicit plans from health care providers and others.

Notwithstanding all the rankings, Bernalillo County’s efforts for behavioral health programs is critical to addressing the city and counties behavioral health care needs and in turn the state’s. For that reason alone, Bernalillo County needs to explore expansion far more outreach programs, especially with our youth to deal with high suicide rates. Such programs need to include working with the city and the Albuquerque Public Schools to offer counseling services to our youth.

_______________________________

POSTSCRIPT

According to the Bernalillo County “Public Health Projects” webs site, link provided below, 9 projects that have been approved and committed annual funding of each of those projects are as follows:

1. Transition Planning and Re-entry Resource Center – $1,341,188 in year one; $1,041,188 annually thereafter.

“On a daily basis, the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) releases individuals back to the community who suffer from a variety of mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, among other complications. The lack of a system for coordinated care as incarcerated individuals’ transition from jail to community contributes to recidivism and impedes efforts to generate more positive health outcomes for these individuals. The project includes funding transition planners at MDC and creating a Re-entry Resource Center (RRC) for an effective front door into a network of services.

2. Mobile Crisis Teams – $1 million BC/$340,000 ABQ

“The mobile crisis teams will respond to individuals experiencing a nonviolent behavioral health crisis that necessitates a 911-response Crisis Intervention teams are to be dispatched and will consist of a crisis intervention unit deputy paired with a masters’ level, behavioral health clinician.”

3. Expansion of the County’s Community Connections Supportive Housing Program – not to exceed $1 million.

“This expansion will focus on individuals with behavioral health issues residing in the community who are homeless or precariously housed and is estimated to provide a minimum of 55 housing vouchers with case management service.”

4. Community Connections Re-entry Supportive Housing – $1.3 million from Bernalillo County; $503,000 from City of ABQ

“This project provides intensive case management and services linked with scattered site housing to a target population of homeless or precariously housed persons with mental illness or co-occurring disorders or other disabilities and whose lack of community-based services have resulted in criminal justice system involvement.”

5. Community Engagement Team

“Community Engagement Teams (CET) help people and their families voluntarily cope with the effects of mental illness and substance abuse disorders, whether individual or co-occurring, in the comfort and familiarity of their homes and communities. The CET helps individuals avoid the criminal justice system and emergency mental health systems whenever possible. The CET in Bernalillo County requires an individualized, recovery-focused approach that promotes wellness, self-management, personal recovery, natural supports, coping skills, self-advocacy and the development of independent living skills. CETs can be considered part of a continuum of services rendered outside institution walls that include assertive community treatment, the crisis intervention unit, crisis outreach and support team, public inebriate intervention, and law enforcement response.”

6. Youth Transitional Living Proposal – not to exceed $650,000

“This is a new service intended for at-risk youth who are precariously housed or homeless with a mental health or addiction diagnosis. The funding provides youth transitional living services for clients with behavioral health diagnosis who are not currently under any state Children Youth and Families Department, Bernalillo County or other third party-funded program. This funding is available for non-third-party reimbursement.”

7. Reduction of “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACES) – not to exceed $3 million

“Bernalillo County is seeking to develop a cohesive system that utilizes all available resources to assist children who have been identified as at-risk by using adverse childhood experiences (ACE) scoring methodology. The goal is to develop a system that maintains a strong collaboration of professionals who work with children across the full continuum of services for at-risk children and families including primary prevention, identification, early intervention, support and treatment, harm reduction, outreach, and services in children’s homes and within communities. The funding is to pay for services and family supports not currently reimbursed by Medicaid or third-party payers.”

8. Behavioral Health Advisor – up to $140,000 per year

“The behavioral health advisor will provide guidance on the development and implementation of the behavioral health initiative.

9. UNM’s Institute for Social Research (UNM/ISR) Contract – not to exceed $246,553 per year.

“Bernalillo County seeks to implement a behavioral health system that measures the effectiveness of implemented programs and constantly strives to improve the performance of programs

https://www.bernco.gov/health-and-public-safety/behavioral-health-approved-projects.aspx

A link to a related blog article is here:

New Mexico’s Disgraceful Legacy Of Being Dead Last In Child Well Being Continues, Despite Gov. MLG’s Pledge To End Child Poverty Within One Year; New Child Well Being Agency Major Step To End The Disgrace

Sheriff Manny Gonzales was born and raised in the South Valley and attended Albuquerque public schools. He is married and he and his wife Elaine are both life-long residents of Albuquerque. The couple are raising their three teenage children, two sons and one daughter, in the same community where they were raised in the South Valley. Gonzales is a United States veteran, having served honorably in the United States Marine Corps.

EDUCATION AND BACKGROUND

Sheriff Gonzales has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Central New Mexico Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management with two Minors (Occupational Education/ Specialization in Law Enforcement). His Law Enforcement Executive Development consists of FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development – Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives, Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, Western States Sheriff’s Association – Leadership, The Southern Police Institute- Chief Executive Leadership Course, The National Sheriff’s Institute – Executive Level Management Education and Training, and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Executive

LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER

Sheriff Gonzales began his law enforcement career on August 14th, 1989 with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Over the span of 24 years, Sheriff Gonzales served in all divisions, commands, and shifts within the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. He worked his way through the ranks of the department and was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain.

On November 30th, 2009 Sheriff Gonzales was unanimously appointed Sheriff by the Bernalillo County Commission, when the sitting Sheriff resigned. He has been Sheriff for six years. Sheriff Gonzales was elected Sheriff on November 6, 2018 with 54.7% of the vote and garnering 126,606 votes county wide. His current term expires January 1, 2023.

Sheriff Manny Gonzales is very personable and well liked as evidence by the landslide vote he received in 2018. No one has any right to try and humiliate him by demanding his resignation in order to circumvent his continued service in a job he was elected, but that is what has happened to him.

HIGHER AMBITIONS BY SHERIFF MANNY GONZALES

On September 6, 2019, BCSO Sheriff Manny Gonzales upset the Mayor Tim Keller Administration when he made it known he was planning on running for Mayor against Keller in 2021. The question arose after Gonzales hired a former spokesman for Michelle Lujan Grisham’s campaign for governor. The spokesperson became embroiled with a controversy of his own accusing the Governor of sexual harassment and threatening a lawsuit.

Gonzales hedged when asked about running for Mayor and said he had not made a “formal decision” about running for mayor against Keller, but he did tell the Albuquerque Journal he had not ruled out campaigning for higher office and said:

“When I first took office, they asked me the question what are my political aspirations and this is what I voiced and I’m still the same. … I said my intentions are to run for sheriff and hopefully get reelected and I’ve done that. After my performance there I said I would look at other options and if people supported me because I did a good job then I would consider higher office. And I still stand by that. … My campaign right now and my focus is keeping people safe. … My campaign is to follow through with what I promised the people I would do.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1363025/sheriff-no-formal-decision-on-mayoral-run.html

DEMANDS FOR RESIGNATION

On Tuesday, July 21, Sheriff Gonzales announced he would be meeting with President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday, July 22. Gonzales failed to give any more information about his Washington trip, simply saying he would brief the public upon his return. Sheriff Gonzales immediately came under severe criticism from Democratic city and state elected officials for meeting with Trump.

It turned out what Gonzales attended was a White House press conference where he did not say a single word. The purpose of the Trump press conference was for Trump to announce he was sending 35 law enforcement agents to Albuquerque from various federal agencies to help deal with violent crime offenders.

SENATOR MARTIN HEINRICH DEMAND

Before the press conference, in an interview exhibiting hostility, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called for the resignation of Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales. Heinrich claimed Gonzales was inviting federal law enforcement agents to Albuquerque calling the law enforcement being sent the president’s “storm troopers”

In a statement, Heinrich said:

“I believe that it is time for Sheriff Gonzales to step aside and make room for someone who will make maintaining the peace and promoting the safety and protection of Bernalillo County residents our law enforcement’s top priority. … Instead of collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department, the Sheriff is inviting the President’s storm-troopers into Albuquerque. … If we can learn anything from Portland [Oregon], it’s that we don’t need this kind of ‘help’ from the White House. The President is currently using federal law enforcement agents like a domestic paramilitary force. That’s precisely how fascism begins and none of us should ever encourage it or accept.”

ACLU DEMAND

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Director Peter Simonson also chimed in with Senator Heinrich and demanded Sheriff Gonzales to resign. The ACLU gave sparse rational for the resignation demand. No doubt the resignation demand has most to do with the Sheriff’s opposition to lapel cameras and recent law suites the ACLU has filed against the Sheriff’s Department for racial profiling of African Americans.

Further, a settlement was announced in March for $4 million dollars involving the killing of a 28 year old mentally ill girl by two of BCSO Deputies who shot her 21 times. The lawsuit alleged the use of deadly force and also went on to allege Sheriff Gonzales has fostered a “culture of aggression” within his department. The “culture of aggression” is one that the ACLU is particularly concerned about because of its involvement as a stakeholder in the federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA) mandating sweeping reforms of APD.

MAYOR TIM KELLER

In a statement, Mayor Tim Keller said President Trump was ready to incite violence in Democratic cities and is forming a reelection strategy “built on gas lighting immigrants and people of color ”. Keller said:

“We always welcome partnerships in constitutional crime fighting that are in step with our community, but we won’t sell out our city for a bait and switch excuse to send secret police to Albuquerque. Operation Legend is not real crime fighting. It’s politics standing in the way of police work and makes us less safe. … There’s no place for Trump’s secret police in our city. … If this was more than a stunt, these politicians would support constitutional crime-fighting efforts that work for our community, not turning Albuquerque into a federal police state.”

https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/07/update-trump-announces-operation-legend-is-being-expanded-to-albuquerque

APD CHIEF MICHAEL GEIER

APD Chief Michael Geier had this to say:

“We coordinate with our federal law enforcement partners every day. … What is being described is not real crime-fighting; it’s politics standing in the way of police work.”

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PAT DAVIS

On July 21, Democrat Albuquerque City Council President Pat Davis also unloaded on Sheriff Manny Gonzales over his plans to met President Trump and had this to say:

“Now we see that the President is planning to looking at Albuquerque to send federal officers for help, we are not asking for and don’t need and now the sheriff is going to the White House to tell him all about how the president can help us in Albuquerque, and quite frankly we don’t need either of their help for this”.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/councilman-davis-puts-bcso-sheriff-on-blast-opposes-deployment-of-federal-agents-to-abq/5801886/?fbclid=IwAR0hn_tWRRxygLl_2z5VXtJlGpoZSrmzlYLLxlpK56Z3nvedbBZMC7Q18ZU#.XxfCo0ed4AU.facebook

On July 21, Davis had this to say on TWITTER:

“On the same days news reports announce the Trump’s ICE is looking to send Portland-style feds to ABQ, our Sherriff makes plans to visit Trump in-person to “update” him on ABQ NEEDS. If these feds show up here, know who to blame.”

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Thirty-five (35) law enforcement agents from various federal agencies assigned to target violent felons in Albuquerque do not constitute “Storm Troopers”, “secret police” and it is not “turning Albuquerque into a federal police state” nor is it “gaslighting immigrants and people of color”. It sure hell is not “politics standing in the way of police work”. These are all inflammatory quotes from Heinrich, Keller and Geier used before federal agents have even arrived to the city. According to New Mexico’s FBI Agent in Charge and the United States Attorney for New Mexico, the agents will be in plain clothes and will not be performing protective service of Federal Government Buildings like that in Portland, Oregon.

The offer of sending federal law enforcement agents to Albuquerque is the identical offer made back in December and Keller and Geier had no problem back then but got offended when Attorney General Barr did not invite them to his press conference with the federal agencies and the New Mexico US Attorney. In December, the program was called “Operation Relentless Pursuit” and Trump and Attorney General Barr renamed it at the press conference as “Operation Legend.”

A link to a December, 2019 blog article on Operation Relentless Pursuit is here:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2019/12/19/doj-operation-relentless-pursuit-includes-albuquerque-city-needs-to-ask-ag-barr-and-doj-to-dismiss-casa/

A link to a blog article on Operation Legend is here:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2020/07/23/devil-in-the-details-of-operation-legend-heinrichs-storm-troopers-accusation-over-the-top-trump-lies-and-albuquerque-is-not-portland-progressive/

Mayor Keller’s remarks can be dismissed with the Spanish term “envidia” by the Mayor and Chief and by not giving Sheriff Gonzales any credit for being able to secure help from the federal government to deal with the City’s high violent crime rates. High violent crime rates have plagued Keller for 3 years ever since he promised to bring down the city’s crime rates once elected Mayor which he failed to do. Mayor Keller’s and APD Chief Michael Geier’s condemnation of Gonzales is hypocrisy as both touted federal law enforcement assistance back in November of 2019 when they announced a 4th plan they called the “Violence Intervention Plan” (VIP) to deal with the cities violent crime rates. The VIP program was announced after the murder of Jacquelyn Vigil. Keller and Geier both said in a news conference that partners on the VIP program included the federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureaus of Investigation (FBI), the United States Marshal for New Mexico and Homeland Security, the very same federal agencies that are now sending law enforcement agents to the city.

A link to the news coverage is here:

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/mayor-keller-touts-new-plan-to-tackle-violent-crime/5561150/

WHITE PRIVILEGE EXPOSED

One glaring problem that was revealed by the trip Sheriff Gonzales made to the White House is that the “white privilege” progressive leadership of Heinrich, Keller and Davis within the Democratic party have a complete intolerance of anyone they perceive as not agreeing with them or who may oppose them for elective office. The problem of intolerance was on full display when Senator Martin Heinrich, Mayor Tim Keller, Albuquerque City Council President Pat Davis, APD Chief Michael Geier and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Director Peter Simonson all went after and all piled on Sheriff Gonzales with a vengeance.

Senator Martin Heinrich’s and American Civil Liberties Union Director Peter Simonson demanding the Sherriff’s resignation was just plain wrong. It is one thing to be disappointed in Sheriff Gonzales because of his support of conservative causes and even to condemn his trip to the White House to participate in a Trump photo op, but demanding the Sheriff’s resignation was ignoring his lifetime of service to the community and the country.

Senator Martin Heinrich, Mayor Tim Keller, City Council President Pat Davis and Chief Michael Geier need to be far more sensitive and get educated to what is really happening in Albuquerque when it comes to race relations, stop looking at the city through the lenses of “white privilege Democrats”. The likes of Heinrich and Davis especially need to stop acting like they are here to save us from ourselves. Both Heinrich and Davis ask for the deed to the house when people tell them “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” not knowing what is meant. We do not need saving from ourselves, especially from those who really do not understand nor who can identify with our minority communities and our city’s rich Hispanic history. The city is not in need of “saving” by those who have never experienced racial discrimination in their lifetimes.

The records of Heinrich, Keller, Geier and Pat Davis of fighting crime in the city is dubious at best and a failure. Mayor Keller’s efforts are especially a failure after all the promises he has broken on reducing the cities high crime rates and the millions he has spent on law enforcement and the expansion of APD. Pat Davis is even more of a failure seeing as the entire 5 years he has been on the City Council he has done nothing to reduce our crime rates. The state and city needs real leadership and not politicians they have revealed themselves to be as they engaged in the same type of hyperbole as Trump, but with a progressive flare and tone of self-righteousness.

WHITE PRIVILEGE COALITION ON CITY COUNCIL

City Councillor President Pat Davis is a former Washington, DC police officer who shot an African American twice, without provocation, and who as a UNM Campus Police Officer engaged in pattern of excessive force against New Mexico residents. Former UNM Campus Police Lt. Pat Davis, along with two of his fellow UNM Campus Police officers, violated people’s civil rights with unconstitutional searches of their private homes with no warrant after they coerced two woman to allow the searches and they found nothing. The New Mexico cases were settled costing New Mexico taxpayers thousands.

Former conservative Republican Pat Davis is the very same “self proclaimed progressive” who is now holding himself out as a “reformed former cop” who can change APD. The progressives wing of the Democratic party have always fondled over Pat Davis ever since he was the Executive Director of ProgressNow New Mexico. Progressives Democrats continue to fondle over Davis and say “forgive and forget, he is one of use now” and they believe all of his garbage. It was on July 17, the Albuquerque Journal published a guest column by Progressive Democrats State Senator Mimi Stewart and Representative Debbie Sarinana going to the defense of City Council President Pat Davis after ProgressNow demanded that Davis resign from the Albuquerque City Council after his extensive history of conduct and unconstitutional policing practices were revealed. You can read the entire letter to the editor at this link:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1476698/progressnow-keeps-our-eyes-on-the-wrong-prize.html

The truth is Pat Davis is now the leader of what is being referred to as the “White Privilege Coalition” on the City Council consisting of Democrats Pat Davis, Isaac Benton, Diane Gibson and Republicans Don Harris and Trudy Jones. Pat Davis has bragged about in the past of being able to work with Republicans on the city council and has even co sponsored many ordinances with Republican Don Harris. These are the very same city councilors who voted repeatedly for the ART Bus project and kept all their mouths shut and refused to hold APD accountable when the Federal Monitor issued scathing audit reports on the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA).

Prior to his death, long time City Councillor Ken Sanchez, as a native of Albuquerque, was a strong advocate for all parts of the city and would often work closely with City Councilors Klarisa Pena and Cynthia Borrego to get things done. It was common knowledge Sanchez was always thinking about running for Mayor. Democrat Ken Sanchez was considered a moderate Democrat and would often disagree with Mayor Tim Keller. Sanchez was often criticized by the progressive wing of the party as being a “corporate democrat”.

When long time City Councillor Sanchez passed away, Progressive Democrat Mayor Tim Keller took advantage of it and appointed a progressive activist to the City Council who he could rely upon for any and all support. Now that Pat Davis is City Council President, confidential sources are saying that he repeatedly marginalizes the Hispanic woman on the city council and opposes any of their initiatives. When Pat Davis marginalizes the Hispanic woman on the City Council, he relies on his “White Privilege” coalition on the city council as does Progressive Mayor Tim Keller.

SELF CREATED HURDLES TO SHERIFF GONZALES BECOMING MAYOR GONZALES

Notwithstanding the progressive wing of the Democratic Party piling on Sheriff Manny Gonzales, there are a number of very serious obstacles he himself has created to any ambitions to becoming the next Mayor of Albuquerque. Following are a few of those obstacles:

SHERIFF GONZALES OPPOSITION TO LAPEL CAMERAS

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a bill enacted during the 2020 special session mandating the use of by all law enforcement agencies in the state. Sheriff Gonzales has consistently opposed the use of lapel cameras by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s office while lapel camera usage is required of APD. Many Democrats and Republicans strongly disagree with Sheriff Gonzales’ resistance to ordering the use of lapel cameras. Last fall the Bernalillo County Commission allocated $1 million in startup money, plus $500,000 in recurring annual funds for the sheriff’s office to get dashboard cameras and lapel cameras, but Sheriff Gonzales refused and no equipment was ever purchased.

On July 15, Sheriff Gonzales, essentially ignoring the lapel camera mandate by the legislature, announced he is looking to partner with a private company so his deputies can put “smartphones” in their vests and record video instead of using body cameras. The suggestion to use “smart phones” was met with ridicule. Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, the sponsor of the mandatory use of lapel cameras by all New Mexico law enforcement, burst out laughing when told of the sheriff’s plan to use smart phones. Senator Cervantes had this to say:

“I’m pleased to see the sheriff is finally willing to adopt one of the tools of modern law enforcement. … We passed a law that requires body-worn cameras, so if he wants to do it by duct-taping iPhones on his officers’ chests, that’s his prerogative, although I think it creates the possibility of becoming a laughingstock.”

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Besieged-New-Mexico-sheriff-eyes-smartphones-as-15411944.php

A $4 MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT BY BCSO AND STILL NO LAPEL CAMERAS

On March 6, 2020, it was reported that the family of a mentally ill Elisha Lucero, 28, who was shot and killed by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies in front of her home during a misdemeanor battery call last summer, settled their lawsuit with the county for $4 million. The two Sheriff Deputies who shot and killed Elisha Lucero were not wearing lapel cameras. The two are the same deputies who were sued, along with the Sheriff, by the ACLU for racial profiling during traffic stops of African American women. (See below: RACIAL PROFILING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BCSO.)

In July, 2019, mentally ill Elisha Lucero, 28, was shot to death in front of her RV, which was parked in front of her family’s South Valley home. Deputies had responded to the home after a relative called 911 saying Lucero had hit her uncle in the face. According to the 911 call, a relative said Lucero was mentally ill, needed help, and was a threat to herself and to everybody else. Just one month prior, Lucero had called BCSO and asked to be taken to the hospital for mental health issues. According to the lawsuit, when deputies arrived, they said Lucero initially refused to come out of the home. The 4-foot-11 Lucero, naked from the waist up, ran out screaming and armed with a kitchen knife and the deputies pulled their revolvers and shot her. According to an autopsy report, she was shot at least 21 times by the deputies.

The Lucero family civil suit states:

“the deputies created a situation where they were forced to use deadly force against Ms. Lucero or have justified their unlawful use of deadly force with the falsehood that Ms. Lucero presented a deadly threat to one or all of them.”

The Lucero lawsuit filed on January 13 alleges Sheriff Gonzales has fostered a “culture of aggression” in the department and too few deputies are trained to handle people with mental health issues. The allegation of a “culture of aggression” and the use of deadly force when dealing with the mentally ill is identical to what the Department of Justice investigation found within the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) 6 years ago resulting in the DOJ federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement. Albuquerque has paid out $5 million to $6 million for it’s most high-profile officer-involved shootings, including the shooting of mentally ill homeless camper James Boyd and mentally ill Christopher Torres prior to beginning its reform effort with the Department of Justice.

Even after the shooting of Elisha Lucero and the $4 Million settlement, Sheriff Gonzales did not change his opposition to lapel cameras. Gonzales has proclaimed his deputies do not need lapel cameras because they have audio recorders on their belts.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1428402/family-of-mentally-ill-woman-shot-by-bcso-gets-4m-settlement.html

BCSO RACIAL PROFILING CASES SETTLED

In this day and age of the Black Lives Matter movement, civil lawsuits are the norm and not the exception against any law enforcement agency and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s office is no different. There is no doubt if Sheriff Gonzales runs for Mayor, his management of BCSO will be examined as will any and all lawsuits filed against the department under his watch for systemic racial profiling.

On July 8, 2020, it was reported that two Black women from Wisconsin are suing Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales and two deputies alleging racial and religious profiling stemming from a traffic stop in July 2017. The lawsuit was filed about five months after Bernalillo County reached a $100,000 settlement with Sherese Crawford, a 38-year-old African-American who filed a lawsuit against BCSO after she was pulled over three times in 28 days by deputies Patrick Rael and Leonard Armijo, the same deputies named in the new lawsuit, in spring 2017.

The was filed by Sisters Consweyla and Cynthia Minafee, and a 5-year-old child, Yahaven Pylant, were traveling from Phoenix back to Wisconsin when they were pulled over by Rael on Interstate 40 the morning of July 7, 2017. Cynthia Minafee was Yahaven’s legal guardian at the time. According to the lawsuit, the traffic stop lasted almost an hour and included an extensive search of the vehicle with a drug dog. According to the lawsuit, Rael told the women to get out of the car and said he could smell marijuana on Cynthia. Cynthia said that she had not smoked in the car and that there was no marijuana in the vehicle. Consweyla Minafee, the driver, was not issued a traffic citation, but Cynthia Minafee was issued a citation for not having Yahaven properly restrained. The citation was dismissed in May, online court records show.

A link to the full Albuquerque Journal article is here:

https://www.abqjournal.com/1473973/two-bcso-deputies-face-second-racial-profiling-lawsuit.html

It was on December 6, 2017 that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico filed a lawsuit on behalf of Sherese Crawford, a 38-year-old African-American woman on temporary assignment in New Mexico as an Immigration and Customs Agent (ICE) deportation officer. The lawsuit alleged that Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies racially profiled her by pulling her over three times, twice by the same deputy, within a month with no probable cause or reasonable suspicion that she was breaking the law. None of the three times she was pulled over was she given a warning or a citation.

ACLU of New Mexico Staff Attorney Kristin Greer Love had this to say at the time:

“Our client is an accomplished federal agent who was targeted for driving while black … BCSO unlawfully and repeatedly stopped her because she fit a racial profile. Targeting people because of the color of their skin is unconstitutional and bad policing. Racial discrimination has no place in New Mexico, and BCSO must take immediate action to ensure that this behavior does not continue.”

https://www.aclu-nm.org/en/press-releases/aclu-files-racial-profiling-lawsuit-against-bcso

SHERIFF GONZALES AND THE DOJ REFORMS

On April 10, 2014, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, submitted a scathing 46-page investigation report on an 18-month civil rights investigation of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). A link to the entire report is here:

https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2014/04/10/apd_findings_4-10-14.pdf

Based on the investigation and the review of excessive use of force and deadly force cases, the DOJ found that a “culture of aggression” existed within APD. The DOJ found “reasonable cause to believe that APD engage[d] in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment … . A significant number of the use of force cases reviewed by the DOJ involved persons suffering from acute mental illness and who were in crisis.”

The investigation found APD’s policies, training, and supervision were insufficient to ensure that officers encountering people with mental illness or in distress do so in a manner that respected their rights and in a manner that was safe for all involved.

On November 10, 2014 the City and APD entered into a federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA) mandating sweeping changes to APD policy and training on the use of force and deadly force. For the last 6 years the City and APD have been struggling to implement 176 reforms and have spent millions on the reforms.

Sheriff Gonzales has not expressed them vocally nor publicly, but it is known to many in law enforcement that he has significant reservation and disagreements with the federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA). Confidential sources say Gonzales intends to campaign for more Mayor on a platform to dismiss the federal court case and abolish all the reforms imposed upon APD and he wants the case to be dismissed.

Just a few of the DOJ reforms Sheriff Manny Gonzales is likely to find very problematic and object to as Mayor Gonzales are:

1.The new “use of force” and “use of deadly force” policies that have been written, implemented and all APD sworn have received training on.

2. The extent of the mandatory crisis management intervention training required of APD.

3. APD’s “Use of Force Review Board” that oversees all internal affairs investigations of use of force and deadly force by APD Officers.

4. The Internal Affairs Unit being divided into two sections, one dealing with general complaints and the other dealing with use of force incidents.

5. Sweeping changes ranging from APD’s SWAT team protocols, to banning choke-holds, to auditing the use of every Taser carried by officers.

6. The implemented and strict “Constitutional policing” practices and methods, and mandatory crisis intervention techniques an de-escalation tactics with the mentally ill that must now be used.

7. APD has adopted a new system to hold officers and supervisors accountable for all use of force incidents with personnel procedures implemented detailing how use of force cases are investigated.

8. APD has revised and updated its policies on the mandatory use of lapel cameras by all sworn police officers.

9. A new Civilian Police Oversight Agency has been created, funded, fully staffed and a director hired.

10. The Community Policing Counsels (CPCs) have been created in all area commands and the CPCs meet monthly and make recommendations to the Chief on discipline.

13. The Mental Health Advisory Committee has been implemented.

Unless a candidate for Mayor Manny Gonzales can agree with all the mandatory requirements of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and agree with 100% implementation of the reforms by APD, it is likely his election as Mayor will be a major setback to the reforms and APD will be given the leeway to return to unconstitutional policing practices.

REACHING ACROSS PARTY LINES

Democrat Bernalillo County Sheriff Gonzales did himself no favors by going to the White House to participate in a photo op with Trump. True or not, it was interpreted as an endorsement of President Trump’s policies. Sheriff Gonzales should have known better and not gone at all or have sent the Under Sheriff in his stead.

It is understandable that Sheriff Manny Gonzales has the desire to reach across party lines. But doing so in law enforcement and being the only one going and excluding the Bernalillo County District Attorney, the Mayor, the President of the City Council and the Presiding District Court Judge, all who are Democrats dealing with high crime rates, was a big mistake on many levels.

The current make up of the 9 member Albuquerque City Council is 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans with a “White Privilege” coalition in control which is not likely to change. The current makeup of the 5 member Bernalillo County Commission, who funds the Sheriff’s Office, is 4 Democrats and the one Republican who is the Chairman of the County Commission. Trying to reach across party lines when both the City Council and County Commission have super majorities of Democrats is a waste of time, especially when the City Council is controlled by a “White Privilege” coalition who no doubt would oppose a Mayor Gonzales.

New Mexico progressive, moderate and conservative Democrats all have hostility for President Trump that can be described as complete contempt. Gonzales is now faced with the prospect that he just may have ended his aspirations to being Albuquerque’s next Mayor, but it’s likely he does not feel that way. It’s likely he thinks those who disagreed with him going to Washington would not have voted for him in the first place but the problem is those people will be Democrats. Republicans are just as likely not to vote for him either if a Republican is on the ballot for Mayor.

At a minimum, any and all future opponents Sheriff Gonzales has, including Tim Keller, will likely portray him as a Trump supporter and a “Democrat In Name Only” (DINO). That is fair game in politics given his trip to the White House. For that reason alone, he should consider just changing his party affiliation to Republican before he runs for Mayor, especially if he wants to support a conservative Republican agenda or any Republican conservative causes in the future as Mayor.

A RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSIDERATION

After the negative outburst against Sheriff Gonzales by Heinrich, Keller, Davis and Geier, Sheriff Gonzales confirmed he was not deterred and is still interested in running for Mayor in 2021 which his right and he should not be intimated by anyone not to run. However, one would hope he would seriously consider the city needs him elsewhere and not in the Mayor’s office and recognize the obstacles he has created himself.

Sheriff’s Gonzales’ background and credentials are exclusively law enforcement that makes him ill-equipped to deal with serious problems as Mayor other than law enforcement and high crime rates. The state has already had a former career prosecutor and “law and order” Republican Governor as well as a “law and order” Republican Mayor concurrently for 8 years. The Republican Governor and Republican Mayor were both a disaster and both had a very warped vision of Albuquerque and the state and they simply did not know what they were doing. It will be the same with Sheriff Gonzales.

No doubt there will be those that say a Mayor hires professional staff to do all the work, but the reality of City Hall is a Mayor usually surrounds themselves with loyalists that have helped them get elected and not necessarily qualified for the jobs. In the Sheriff’s case, it will likely be people he has known over many years in law enforcement. Then there is the problem posed with a former Sheriff second guessing a new APD Chief’s management decisions and law enforcement priorities.

Gonzales is encouraged to rethink if he really wants to be Mayor given the fact that the city is faced with so many other problems and not just high crime rates. An exclusive law enforcement background such as his and bringing down high crime rates will only go so far in solving the city’s other serious problems. Those problems include poverty, the homeless, economic development, high jobless rates, a poor education system, gentrification, city deficits and the pandemic and managing a workforce of over 5,000 with 16 departments with a $1 billion budget.

WHERE SHERIFF GONZALES LEADERSHIP IS REALLY NEEDED

Throughout the country, the Black Lives Matter movement has changed dramatically how police are viewed and how law enforcement is funded and operated. The one cause that Sheriff Manny Gonzales’s expertise is desperately needed and where it could best be used and relied upon would be to advocate for defunding of both the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and create a regional law enforcement authority working with the New Mexico Legislature, the Bernalillo County Commission and the Albuquerque City Council.

CREATE ABBCO POLICE AUTHORITY

The approach taken by the New Mexico legislature creating the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority should be taken with defunding both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Assets, personnel, units, office space, area commands, emergency operations dispatching and academy training can be combined and accomplished by ordinances adopted by both the City Council and the County Commission or through a negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The New Mexico Legislature can enact enabling legislation that would include a constitutional amendment abolishing the Office of Sheriff for class “A” counties (counties with populations exceeding 500,000) and mandating the creation of Metropolitan-County Law enforcement authority.

A permanent dedicated funding source consisting of a combination of gross receipts tax and property tax taken from Municipal and County existing taxing authority would be transferred and authorized by the legislature to the authority. Municipal and County Law Enforcement Budgets would be combined and reduced where there is duplication of services. Surplus and duplicate funding from both APD and BCSO budgets would be identified and those funds invested or reallocated into social programs to address the real causes of crime.

Personnel policies, rules, regulations, standard operating procedure and internal affairs function can be developed for the authority. Most importantly, uniform police standard operating procedures and constitutional policing training and practices would be implemented, such as mandatory use of lapel cameras and de-escalations tactics along with many of the reforms mandated by the Court Approved Settlement Agreement included as policy for the authority.

A civilian governing board of 5 members for the police authority would be created. The members would be the Mayor, the City Council President, the Bernalillo County Commission Chairperson, the Bernalillo County Sheriff and the Chief or Presiding Judge of the Second Judicial District, all who would serve no more than two 4-year terms. A Police Authority Commissioner would be appointed by the civilian governing board. ABBCO Commissioner would be a contracted position that could only be terminated for cause as defined in the contract with compensation established by the governing board. The Police Authority Commissioner would have the identical or combined authority as the APD Chief and Bernalillo County Sheriff to run and operate the authority.

Both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office have way to much overlap with taxpayers in the city paying for essentially two law enforcement agencies. The City and the County have essentially combined geographically. Consolidation of both law enforcement authorities is long overdue. Both law enforcement agencies can and should be combined and streamlined into one Albuquerque and Bernalillo County Regional Law Enforcement authority or an ABBCO Police Authority.

For more on the creation of ABBCO police authority see link to July 22 blog article and the end.

CONCLUSION

If Sheriff Manny Gonzales is truly interested in long term government service that will have a long-lasting effect and leave a legacy of reform in his chosen profession of law enforcement, he would abandon his efforts and the waste of time running for Mayor. He should consider spear heading the creation of a regional law enforcement authority. Now that would require working across all philosophical and party lines.

No matter what Sheriff Gonzales finally decides, the people of Albuquerque do indeed owe him a debt of gratitude for the service he has thus far given to the community in law enforcement. Best wishes to him.

For a related blog article see:

Defund APD And BCSO; Create ABBCO Police Authority With Civilian Governing Board And ABBCO Police Authority Commissioner

On July 23, the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association (APOA) released the results of its annual “State of Policing Survey”. True to form, and not at all surprising, the APOA President Shaun Willoughby told the Albuquerque Journal in an interview:

“I think the biggest takeaway is that for this community your police officers that are out there right now, every single day, trying to keep you safe, they’re down in the dumps. Their morale is as low as I’ve seen it and they need support.”

According to Willoughby, the survey was sent out in a department wide email to all 965 sworn police with only 433 participating. This fact is interesting to note in that the 965 sworn police the survey was sent to had to include all sworn personnel when all sworn personnel are not in the police union. The union membership consists of Lieutenants, Sergeants, both part of management, and the rank and file police below that rank. All commanders and up are not part of the union.

SURVEY RESULTS IN A NUTSHELL

The highlights of the survey released are as follows:

80% of APD officers who responded have considered a new line of work in the past couple of months and of those 84% said it was due to the “current view on policing, the increased scrutiny on officers, new reform efforts and job insecurity.”

62% of sworn police officers do not feel they are being supported by Police Chief Michael Geier.

96% of sworn police do not feel supported by the City Council.

83% of sworn police do not feel supported by Mayor Tim Keller.

88% of sworn police are concerned about losing “qualified immunity”. “Qualified Immunity” is where sworn police officers are not personally held liable for anyone they injure or killed on the job. Under “qualified immunity” the city assumes full responsibility for any and all conduct, intentional or negligent, by sworn police.

68% of officers said it was “unlikely or very unlikely” that they would recommend police work as a career choice to others.

LOW MORALE THE NORM AND NOTHING NEW AT APD

Low morale among APD officers isn’t new or novel and has been low for the last six years and since the Federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA) mandating constitutional policing reforms.

The Union Surveys in 2018 and 2019 reflected sworn police officers criticizing the low pay, under-staffing of the department and officer scrutiny as reasons for their low morale.

In 2018 the union survey found that 70% of officers considered a career change.

In 2019, the number was just below 60%.

Willoughby believes the recent dip moral is coming from the national and local sentiments of the Black Lives Movement which is pushing a national trend to defund the police and ideas of civilians responding to police calls such as mental health welfare checks. Willoughby also said the small uptick in 2019 to the City Council and Keller, who “put their money where their mouth is” and gave APD their first contract in several years.

A NEW TWIST TO THE UNION SURVEY

The Police Union this year added a new twist to its survey. The survey added 405 community members asking their outlooks on local policing, crime and public safety.

The survey of community members revealed the following:

67% believed crime was getting worse.

83% wanted more officers to make the street safer.

11% believed “not enough officers” was a contributing factor to crime in Albuquerque.

KELLER ADMINISTRATION RESPONDS TO SURVEY RESULTS

APD Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos responded to the survey results this way:

“Albuquerque’s officers have been through a lot during the pandemic, keeping people safe during two dozen protests and dealing with public criticism that is part of a national debate over policing. … Obviously, we are concerned, and APD’s leadership is working to ensure officers and their families are protected against the COVID virus. The department also stepped up efforts to support officers and address mental health resources for officers who want help.”

Gallegos also criticized the union survey by saying it is:

“tailored to achieve a preconceived goal, so it’s not surprising that every few years the union’s president paints the city and the police department in the worst possible light.”

https://www.abqjournal.com/1478995/survey-apd-officers-are-down-in-the-dumps-ex-union-president-says-local-leaders-must-reflect-on-the-findings.html

2018 POLICE UNION SURVEY RECALLED

The results of the police unions 2018 annual survey is worth reviewing for comparison to the 2020 survey. The 2018 survey results were released on April 12, 2018 and once again the survey was released by APOA President Shaun Willoughby.

In 2018, 491 out of the 878 sworn officers took the survey. In 2020, 433 participated out of 965 sworn police.

In 2018, the survey found that morale was definitely low with 70% of the responding officers thinking about leaving APD in the last two years. In 2020 that figure jumped to 80% of APD officers who responded having considered a new line of work.

In 2018, the union gave the officers a multiple-choice question to pick reasons why they were considering going elsewhere and 69% said work conditions, 67% said better pay and 67% said they want a better quality of life.

Specific comments that were revealing were written by officers as to why they had considered leaving APD and include:

• “Fear of media scrutiny and criminal charges.”
• “The (Department of Justice) has no business running a police department.”
• “This town sucks as a whole. Bad schools bad crime bad housing.”
• “Family would be safer outside of ABQ where police are allowed to do their job.”
• “The clowns that get promoted to supervisor.”

In 2018, Patrol Officer’s First class were making $27.50 an hour, no matter the number of years on the force. Today, in 2020, starting pay for an APD Police Officer immediately out of the APD academy is $29 an hour or $60,320 yearly.

In 2018, when asked what could be done to increase the number of police officers, 77% of the officers said they could pay officers a more competitive salary. Three-fourths of the officers who took the survey said a competitive salary would be between $32 and $36 an hour. Today in 2020, APD police officers are paid between $30 and $35 an hour depending on rank and years of service.

In 2018, whopping 98% of responding officers said APD’s staffing level has compromised officer safety, but that is not at all surprising given that APD had only 878 sworn police with only 458 assigned to field services handling 600,000 calls for service a year. Today in 2020, there are 980 sworn police officers with 116 sworn police added in the last year alone.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1158157/survey-most-apd-officers-have-considered-leaving-department.html

2020 APD HOURLY WAGE PAY RATES

As of April 27, 2020, the average hourly wage for a Police Officer in the United States is $27.00 an hour. The range typically falls between $25 and $30. Hourly rates can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, and the number of years spent as a police officer.

https://www.salary.com/research/salary/alternate/police-officer-hourly-wages

In the 2019 annual listing of the 250 top paid city hall employees, 160 of them were employed by the Albuquerque Police Department. Those sworn police include patrol officers first class, sergeants, lieutenants, commanders the deputy chiefs, and the chief with annual pay ranging from $101,000 a year up to $192,937 a year. Far more Police Officers 1st Class are earning 6 figures under the Keller Administration than under the last year of the Berry Administration. For a comparison of salaries paid by Mayor Tim Keller and his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry see the following blog articles:

https://www.petedinelli.com/2019/02/04/100000-or-more-paid-to-all-250-top-abq-city-hall-employees/

https://www.petedinelli.com/2019/05/14/mayor-tim-keller-gives-thousands-of-raises-to-his-political-appointees-while-average-city-employee-gets-2-pay-increase/

https://www.petedinelli.com/2019/07/31/its-who-wants-to-be-millionaire-working-for-mayor-tim-keller-hypocrite-city-councilor-trudy-jones-proclaims-raises-disgraceful/

Starting pay for an APD Police Officer immediately out of the APD academy is $29 an hour or $60,320 yearly. (40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $29 paid hourly = $60,320.)

Police officers with 4 to 14 years of experience are paid $30 an hour or $62,400 yearly. (40-hour work weeks in a year X 52 weeks in a year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $30 paid hourly = $62,400.)

Senior Police Officers with 15 years or more experience are paid $31.50 an hour or $65,520 yearly. (40 hours work in a week X 52 weeks in year = 2,080 hours worked in a year X $31.50 = $65,520.)

The hourly pay rate for APD Sergeants is $35 an hour, or $72,800. (40-hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2080 hours worked in a year X $35.0 paid hourly = $72,800.)

The hourly pay rate for APD Lieutenants is $40.00 an hour or $83,200. (40 hour work week X 52 weeks in a year = 2080 hours worked in a year X $40.00 = $83,200.)

LONGEVITY PAY ADDED TO BASE PAY

In addition to the base pay rates, APD police officers are also paid longevity bonus pay added to their pay at the end of the year as follows:

For 5 years of experience: $100 are paid bi-weekly, or $2,600 yearly.

For 6 years of experience: $125 are paid bi-weekly, or $3,250 yearly.

For 7 to 9 years of experience: $225 are paid bi-weekly, or $5,800 yearly.

For 10 to 12 years of experience: $300 are paid bi-weekly, or $7,800 yearly.

For 13 to 15 years o experience: $350 are paid bi-weekly, or $9,100 yearly.

For 16 to 17 years or more: $450 are paid bi-weekly, or $11,700 yearly.

For 18 or more years of experience: $600 are paid bi-weekly, 15,600 yearly.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

A push poll or survey is loosely defined as an ostensible opinion poll in which the true objective is to sway those who take it using loaded or manipulative questions. The motivation for such a poll is use the results to gain an advantage or to support an argument needed to prevail in any discussions or negotiations. The union survey was nothing more than a push poll to be used in up coming union contract negotiations.

APOA President Shaun Willoughby told the Journal in an interview releasing the survey:

“I think the biggest takeaway is that for this community your police officers that are out there right now, every single day, trying to keep you safe, they’re down in the dumps. Their morale is as low as I’ve seen it and they need support.”

UNION’S SELF SERVING POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS UNMISTAKABLE

Willoughby’s motivation is strictly political by virtue of the fact that he did not disclose that the very lucrative 2-year union contract negotiated by the Keller Administration expired June 30. All police contract negotiations have been placed on hold. What this means is that all the terms and conditions of the expired contract governing union membership, hourly wage, time and a half wages for overtime pay, longevity pay bonuses, all remain in place and must continue to be paid until a new union contract is negotiated. Reports are that police union contract negotiations may start up again in mid-August, but there is no guarantee that union negotiations will start up only to be suspended again because of falling city gross receipts tax revenues.

What Willoughby said is simply not true when it comes to low morale and he knows it. It was Republican Mayor Berry for a full 8 years and his Republican hacks Darren White and CAO Rob Perry who destroyed one of the finest police departments in the country. It was the Republican Berry Administration that ushered in the Department of Justice (DOJ) after it found a culture of aggression and the use of excessive force and deadly force by APD costing the city upwards of $61 million in settlements. In 2009 when Berry took office, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) was the best trained, best equipped, best funded department in its history and was fully staffed with 1,100 sworn police officers.

When Berry left office in 2017, APD had only 850 sworn police and police moral was probably the lowest in its history. Mayor Berry abolished the longevity program that kept experienced police officers from retiring, unilaterally decided not to pay a 5% negotiated pay raise, abolished the APD take home car policy, eliminated sign on bonuses and mortgage down payments for new recruits and implemented a college education requirement for new recruits but did not pay college wages. Moral within APD plummeted and the mass exodus of experienced police officers began as a result of Berry’s full 8 years of gross mismanagement of APD by Chiefs Ray Scultz and Gordon Eden and Chief Public Safety Officer Darren White and CAO Rob Perry.

UNION ENDORSEMENT OF TIM KELLER

It was on September 28, 2017 that the Albuquerque Journal reported that the Albuquerque Police Union endorsed Tim Keller for Mayor. Keller actively sought the endorsement no doubt wanting the vote of rank and file police officers and to be able to say APD had his back and he their back and he would take care of APD rank and file once elected.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1067209/albuquerque-police-union-endorses-keller.html

What all the candidates for Mayor did not fully understand was that APD was and still is operating under a Department of Justice (DOJ) consent decree and mandated reforms. Under normal circumstances, union endorsements are common place, but when it comes to APD, it was and still is a department in crisis and for the first time in its history is under a Department of Justice consent decree. None of the candidates for Mayor in 2017 attended any of the Federal Court hearing on the consent decree.

In 2017, the police union went into overdrive and did everything it could to get Tim Keller elected. After the election, the union secured essentially everything it wanted from Keller and then some. The Keller Administration quickly negotiated a new police union contract increasing significantly hourly wages, increasing longevity pay, increasing benefits to the highest ever level, and increasing APD overtime budget. Today, APD because of all the raises and concessions made by the Keller Administration in the past several years, APD sworn police are the highest paid officers in the region.

The lucrative union contract Keller signed off on is not the end of it. Mayor Tim Keller, within a few months after being elected, broke a major campaign promise not to increase taxes, even for public safety, without a public vote. Keller agreed to and signed off on a city council initiated gross receipts tax for “public safety” that generates $55 million a year with the Police Union successfully lobbying the Albuquerque City Council to dedicate 70% of the new tax revenue to public safety. Keller also implemented a police department growth plan where APD is spending $88 million dollars to expand APD to 1,200 officers with another $35 million in none recurring expenditures.

Now that the police union survey that says 83% of sworn police do not feel they are supported by Mayor Tim Keller, and 62% of sworn police officers do not feel they are being supported by Keller’s appointed Police Chief Michael Geier, you got to wonder how anxious he will be to seek the union endorsement as he seeks a second term in 2021 and what concessions the union will want from him. One thing is for certain, Mayor Keller no doubt feels he has been taken advantaged of by the Police Union. In other words Mayor Keller, you have been duped. If you do not feel that way, go ahead and knock yourself out and try to get the Police Union endorsement once again, but please, please do not make any more financial concessions because the last time you did that, it cost taxpayers millions for an ungrateful police department union.

On Wednesday, July 21, President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr announced during a White House news conference that 35 federal agents are being sent to Albuquerque as part of the expansion of “Operation Legend” with other cities also being sent in a handful of cities across the United States.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales U.S. Attorney John Anderson, for the State of New Mexico, were present for the announcement, but they did not speak. Surprisingly, also in attendance were the family of 55-year-old Jacqueline Vigil, who was killed in the driveway of her West Side Albuquerque home last year, attended the news conference.

During the press announcement, President Trump said there has been a “shocking explosion” of “heinous crimes” in cities. as a result of efforts to “defund, dismantle, and dissolve” police departments. Trump boldly proclaimed assistance is being sent to cities where their leadership wants to “defund, defame or abolish” police departments. Trump severely criticized city leaders headed by Democrats throughout the country for not doing enough to combat crime and for putting the “interests of criminals” above law-abiding citizens. Trump said:

“Under Operation Legend, we will also soon send federal law enforcement to other cities that need help. … Other cities need help. They need it badly. They should call. They should want it. They’re too proud or they’re too political to do that. One of them is Albuquerque, New Mexico.”

Sam Vigil, Jacqueline’s husband, spoke emotionally and recounted during the press conference the day his wife was killed while sitting in her car about to leave for the gym. No arrests have been made in the murder, but federal authorities are offering $25,000 reward. Vigil said:

“It’s been eight months and there have been no arrests at all. … There are other victims in Albuquerque that are in the same boat.”

OVER THE TOP DEMANDS FOR RESIGNATION

In advance of the President’s announcement of “Operation Legend” targeting Albuquerque, city and state leaders denounced the plan. Sheriff Manny Gonzales came under severe criticism from city and state elected officials for attending the press conference where he did not say a single word.

Before the press conference, in an interview an exhibiting out of character expression of anger, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called for the resignation of Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales claiming Gonzales was inviting federal law enforcement agents. Heinrich called the law enforcement being sent to Albuquerque the president’s stormtroopers and said:

“I believe that it is time for Sheriff Gonzales to step aside and make room for someone who will make maintaining the peace and promoting the safety and protection of Bernalillo County residents our law enforcement’s top priority. … Instead of collaborating with the Albuquerque Police Department, the Sheriff is inviting the President’s stormtroopers into Albuquerque. … If we can learn anything from Portland [Oregon], it’s that we don’t need this kind of ‘help’ from the White House. The President is currently using federal law enforcement agents like a domestic paramilitary force. That’s precisely how fascism begins and none of us should ever encourage it or accept it.”

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/heinrich-calls-for-resignation-of-bernalillo-county-sheriff/article_874dfe04-cbb6-11ea-b40e-e7bf802ad5cf.html

The progressive city of Portland, Oregon has seen 50 consecutive days of protests with protesters staging nightly demonstrations since May in a section of downtown that includes the federal courthouse, forcing most businesses in the zone to close. Department of Homeland Security agents and others from within the agency arrived in force over the Fourth of July weekend and arrests were made by federal agents dressed in military garb and not identifying themselves.

Albuquerque was the scene of several protests in June after George Floyd was killed while in Minneapolis police custody. One protest turned violent when a man was shot. However, the protests in Albuquerque have subsided and are peaceful when they do occur.

Mayor Tim Keller cautioned that two weeks ago the Trump administration said federal officers were going to Portland to guard the courthouse. In a statement, Keller said the president is ready to incite violence in Democratic cities and is forming a reelection strategy “built on gaslighting immigrants and people of color ” and said:

“We always welcome partnerships in constitutional crime fighting that are in step with our community, but we won’t sell out our city for a bait and switch excuse to send secret police to Albuquerque. Operation Legend is not real crime fighting; it’s politics standing in the way of police work and makes us less safe. … There’s no place for Trump’s secret police in our city. … If this was more than a stunt, these politicians would support constitutional crime-fighting efforts that work for our community, not turning Albuquerque into a federal police state.”

https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/07/update-trump-announces-operation-legend-is-being-expanded-to-albuquerque

APD Chief Michael Geier said:

“We coordinate with our federal law enforcement partners every day. … What is being described is not real crime-fighting; it’s politics standing in the way of police work.”

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s remarks were far more tempered when she said that if the Trump administration really wants to assist local law enforcement with community policing activities and data-driven crime-fighting initiatives, it would welcome the conversation and said:

“If the Trump administration sincerely wishes to assist local law enforcement in our state in their regular community-policing activities, in data-driven crime-fighting initiatives, in protecting the public safety and welfare of New Mexicans, we would welcome the conversation. … If the Trump administration wishes to antagonize New Mexicans and Americans with authoritarian, unnecessary and unaccountable military-style ‘crackdowns,’ they have no business whatsoever in New Mexico.”

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/trump-announces-plans-to-expand-operation-legend-to-albuquerque/5802593/?cat=500

https://www.abqjournal.com/1478481/trump-35-agents-coming-albuquerque-for-operation-legend.html

SHERIFF MANNY GONZALES RESPONDS

In a statement, Sheriff Manny Gonzales said the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office stands by its efforts to fight crime in the area. Sheriff Gonzales also criticized Heinrich’s statement and said:

“We are proud that our efforts have significantly and positively impacted crime in Bernalillo County. … Regrettably, Senator Heinrich couldn’t be more political and out of touch with the local social problems and the great work being done by our deputies and the other first responders. BCSO continues to combat the Albuquerque crime crisis in partnership with federal agencies.”

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

According to President Trump, the Department of Justice will provide $61 million in grants to hire more police officers in cities that are part of Operation Legend. Albuquerque’s portion of the money will go toward hiring 40 more police officers and the Bernalillo County Sherriff’s Office will be able to hire five more officers with the money.

Attorney General Barr said 35 federal agents will come from other agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the United States Marshal’s Office. and Homeland Security. AG Barr said the federal government will offer a reward to help find out who killed Jacqueline Vigil.

Attorney General Barr emphasized that “Operation Legend” will not look like it does in Portland, where federal agents have faced off with protesters. He said this will be classic crime-fighting.

Immediately after President Trump’s press conference, U.S. Attorney for New Mexico John Anderson, who was present, said the goal of the operation is to reduce gun violence in Albuquerque and had this to say:

“Any effort to compare Operation Legend to what’s going on in Portland is baseless and misguided. … There is no connection between those two. The federal law enforcement resources that are being deployed are directed at reducing gun violence; they are not directed at arresting or controlling protesters; they are not being directed at restricting anyone’s right to protest. … They are not being directed at immigration enforcement, and they are not being directed at protecting statues. It’s limited to the exclusive goal of eliminating the scourge of gun violence.”

Jim Langenberg, the FBI special agent in charge of the Albuquerque Division, also had this to say:

“There’s a lot of confusion between what we’re doing here in Albuquerque and what’s going on in Portland. It’s apples and oranges. … Agents are not coming to Albuquerque to investigate local crimes such as speeding”.

FBI Special Agent Langenberg added that if there’s a crime, there has to be a federal link like firearms, carjacking, drugs or gang structure. In other words, there must be a federal crime What was made clear is the law enforcement personnel will not be attending local protests dressed in military garb as is the case in Portland Oregon.

The FBI also said federal agents will be working in plainclothes alongside APD and BCSO for pre-existing task forces. Those task forces could be the joint task force “Operation Relentless Pursuit,” which aims to take high-profiled criminals off the streets. It’s an initiative U.S. Attorney General William Barr established in Albuquerque in 2019.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/new-information-on-federal-officers-role-in-operation-legend-in-albuquerque/

It was reported that the federal agents will not be dispatched to Albuquerque until mid-October, a mere few weeks before the general election.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/trump-announces-plans-to-expand-operation-legend-to-albuquerque/5802593/?cat=500

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Trump’s photo op press conference would be so laughable if it was not so damn pathetic with Trump just plain lying when he says Albuquerque leadership wants to “defund, defame or abolish” its law enforcement. It seems that Trump and his United State Attorney Barr are totally ignorant to the fact that it’s Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) that Barr heads that has it thumb on APD because of the Federal Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA).

For the past 6 years, APD has been struggling to implement 176 APD reforms. Further, the city of Albuquerque is spending $88 million dollars over 4 years to grow and expand the APD from 850 sworn officers to 1,200 and is also spending an addtional $35 million for non-recurring expenses for expansion, recruitment and training.

The two fools of Trump and Barr actually think 35 more sworn law enforcement are going to make a difference which is an absolute joke. APD has 980 sworn police and the BCSO has 300 sworn police, for a total of 1,280 sworn police, with city’s crime rates being some of the highest in the country for the last 10 years, 8 years under Republican Mayor RJ Berry and for 2 years getting even worse under Democrat Mayor Keller. Keller himself is saying APD alone needs at least 200 more cops. Further, the city is not under a protest siege as is Portland, Oregon.

One conflicting report is that the law enforcement personnel will be arriving in mid October, and if that is indeed the case, it means anything could happen, and always does happen with Trump pulling those officers back should he loose Albuquerque in a landslide, which is likely at this point.

USING VICTIMS OF CRIMES AS POLITICAL PROPS

The murder of Jacqueline Vigil was without a doubt was one of the most vile and heinous murders seen in Albuquerque in recent memory. However, there is absolutely nothing more disgusting than a politician and prosecutor such as Trump and Barr to use victims of crime or their family’s as props to score political points, especially for a President of the United States exposing them to the glare of the national media.

Trump and Barr have no decency. It is doubted that their “white privilege” allows them to truly identify and understand the pain Jacquelin Vigils family is going through. Exposing the Vigil family to the national news spotlight at the White House, having them recount the murder of a love one to announce funding is just plain cruel.

ABQ REPORTS ARTICLE ON WHITE PRIVILEGE PROGRESSIVES

Democrats of all types, progressive, moderates and conservative, are extremely hostile to President Trump. It is common knowledge that Sheriff Gonzales is planning to run for Mayor next year, and its likely his White House visit will be remembered, especially by white privilege progressive Mayor Tim Keller and all of his white progressive supporters as he seeks a second term.

Sheriff Gonzales is known for his opposition to police lapel cameras and sanctuary city policies, both priorities of progressives in Albuquerque. Unless one passes the progressive test on any and all issues, a candidate for office is not likely to get any votes from progressives. The Sheriff is now returning “persona non gratis” to deal with the fire storm for supporting Trump’s decision to send federal authorities to the city.

One glaring problem that was highlighted by the White House visit is when “white privilege” progressives such as Senator Martin Heinrich, Mayor Tim Keller and APD Chief Michael Geier went after Sheriff Gonzales with a vengeance. Senator Martin Heinrich’s and the ACLU going as far as to demand his resignation was over the top. It is one thing to be disappointed in Sheriff Gonzales because of his support of conservative causes and a trip to the White House to participate in a Trump photo op, but to be demanding his resignation is another.

Thirty five (35) law enforcement agents from various federal agencies assigned to target violent felons in Albuquerque do not constitute “Storm Troopers”, “secret police” and it is not “turning Albuquerque into a federal police state” nor is it “politics standing in the way of police work”. It sure hell is not “gaslighting immigrants and people of color”. These are all inflammatory quoted terms used by Heinrich, Keller and Geier.

Heinrich, Keller and Geier comments appear to have backfired on them and exposing them to the accusations of “white privilege” against a native New Mexico Hispanic who has served his country as a Marine and has a lengthy career in law enforcement.

THE ABQ REPORTS ARTICLE

On July 22, the on line ABQReports, known for its hard-hitting commentary on “waste, fraud and abuse” and its government watch dog reports, published a scathing article entitled “White supremacy! White liberal carpetbagger senator orders Hispanic sheriff in New Mexico to resign”. The article was written by ABQReports Editor Dennis Domrzalski and retired former APD Sergeant Dan Klein. Following is the article in full with the link at the end:

“You’ve got to give it to today’s liberals and progressives. They engage in doublespeak, triple and quadruple speak, and they are hypocrites to the umpteenth power. But they go about their hypocrisy—and their pursuit of absolute power—and double and triple standards without a bit of shame, embarrassment, remorse or guilt.

Manny, refuse to go back to the chile fields. Continue to disagree with your whiter-than-white overseer, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich. Just say, “White male privilege has driven New Mexico and Albuquerque into the dust long enough. You privileged white males do not care for New Mexico and the people of this state. You only care about your white privilege, your white power and your white wealth. That changes today!”

The link to the ABQ Report column is here:

https://www.abqreport.com/single-post/2020/07/22/White-supremacy-White-liberal-carpetbagger-senator-orders-Hispanic-sheriff-in-New-Mexico-to-resign

FINAL COMMENT

In the meantime, Democrat Bernalillo County Sheriff Gonzales did himself no favors by going to the White House to participate in a photo op. He should have known better. New Mexico Democrats, progressive, moderates and conservative, all have absolute hostility for President Trump. Gonzales is now faced with the prospect that he just may have ended his aspirations to being Albuquerque’s next Mayor. At a minimum, any future opponents the Sheriff has, including Tim Keller, will likely portray him as a Trump supporter and a Democrat In Name Only (DINO) and for that reason he should consider changing his party affiliation if he wants to support Trump and any conservative causes.

It is understandable that Sheriff Gonzales had the desire to reach across party lines, but doing so in law enforcement and being the only one and excluding the DA, APD and local courts was a big mistake. Gonzales is encouraged to rethink if he really wants to be Mayor given the fact that the city is faced with so many other problems and not just high crime rates. A law enforcement background and bringing down high crime rates will only go so far in solving the city’s other serious problems such as poverty, the homeless, economic development, high jobless rates, a poor education system, gentrification, city deficits and the pandemic and managing a workforce of over 5,000 with 16 departments with a $1 billion budget. The state has already had a “law and order” Republican Governor as well as a “law and order” Republican Mayor for 8 years and both were a disaster and both had a very warped vision of Albuquerque and they simply did not know what they were doing. It will be the same with Sheriff Gonzlaes.

It would be wise for Senator Martin Heinrich, Mayor Tim Keller, Chief Michael Geier and Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis to be far more sensitive to what is really happening in Albuquerque when it comes to race relations, stop looking at the city through the lenses of white privilege and stop acting like they are here to save us from ourselves. Their own records of fighting crime in the city is dubious at best and a failure, especially Mayor Keller’s efforts after all the promises he has broken on reducing the cities high crime rates. The state and city needs real leadership and not politicians as they are that are engaged in the same type of hyperbole as Trump, but with a progressive flare and tone of self righteousness.

Disbanding entire police departments has happened before in the United States cities. In 2012, with crime rampant in Camden, New Jersey, the city disbanded its entire police department and replaced it with a new force that covered Camden County. Compton, California, took the same step in 2000, shifting its policing to Los Angeles County.

On Jun 15, 2020, in response to the murder of African American George Floyd by a police officer, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution intending to disband their police department and create a new model of public safety. The resolution states the council will start the year-long process of research and community engagement to discover a replacement. the Minneapolis 2020 budget allocated $193 million to its police department, which the resolution said was more than double the amount allocated for affordable housing and violence prevention. The city’s total adopted budget was about $1.5 billion.

The same thing needs to happen in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. It needs to done by the New Mexico Legislature with the creation of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Police Authority (ABBCO Police Authority). If the legislature won’t to it, the Bernalillo County Commission and the City Council can do it with the negotiation of a “memorandum of understanding” or a consolidation contract. Such an action is ripe for implementation because of, and would take advantage of, the “defund the police” movement.

MEANING OF “DEFUND THE POLICE”

A Black Lives Movement is now sweeping cities across the country. It is referred to as “defund the police” and is not what it sounds like. The movement has emerged in the wake of the killing of African American George Floyd, 46, who was killed by Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck to subdue him. “Defund the Police” can be defined in simple terms as meaning taking funding away from police forces and invest or reallocate those funds into social programs to address the real causes of crime.

Advocates of “Defund the Police” insist that it is not about eliminating police departments or stripping police agencies of all of their money. What they do say is that it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the United States need such as housing, education and economic development and job growth.

The “defund the police” movement can be defined in simple terms as meaning taking funding away from police forces and invest or reallocate those funds into social programs to address the real causes of crime. Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement put it this way:

Advocates of “Defund the Police” insist that it is not about eliminating police departments or stripping police agencies of all of their money. What they do say is that it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the United States need such as housing, education and economic development and job growth.

Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, pu it this way:

“It’s not just about taking away money from the police, it’s about reinvesting those dollars into [minority] communities. Communities that have been deeply divested from, communities that, some have never felt the impact of having true resources. And so we have to reconsider what we’re resourcing. I’ve been saying we have an economy of punishment over an economy of care.”
Links to related news coverage is here:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/08/what-does-defund-police-mean-george-floyd-black-lives-matter/5317240002/

https://hosted.ap.org/dailytimes/article/157539e98d2b6a546ca5ecdf4f88f098/when-protesters-cry-defund-police-what-does-it-mean

OPTIONS TO COMBINE POLICE SERVICES

In May 2003, the International Association of Chiefs of Police released a planning approach for the consolidation of police services. Although the report was released in 2003, it is still used by researchers as a major reference on the options available to deliver law enforcement services to communities. A few edited portions of the report are worth quoting:

“Consolidation can be an appealing idea for many reasons … . Jurisdictions undertaking consolidation activities may anticipate an outcome that will produce a higher volume of police services, lower response time, reduce overtime, duplication of effort, and lower overall operating costs. Consolidation proponents also assume increased agency status, resources, and capacity.

a) senior, supervisory, and line officers alike may be threatened by consolidation and aggressively resist change;
b) consolidation is likely to increase costs, particularly because of the start-up costs of reorganization, planning, and standardizing equipment, and possible need for a new building to house the combined agencies; and
c) officers in line for promotion or advanced assignment in one agency may find they are outranked for these opportunities by their peers in the other agency.”

https://it.ojp.gov/documents/IACP_Consolidating_Police_Services.pdf

LARGE v. MEDIUM

Large regional area agencies are a rarity. Consolidation involving the total merger of two or more police departments has proven to be problematic and have not lived up to expectations.

Outdated research from the University of Indiana (1976) suggested that there is no evidence that large departments are more effective or more efficient. But with the passage of time , this is no longer a major problem because advances in forensics, science and technology and communications system.

Another criticism of large departments is that they often lose personal contact with their communities tending to severely reduce citizen willingness to cooperate with police. In response to this, community base policing began to take hold in the 1990’s which encourages more interaction and involvement with the communities served. Decentralization of police field services in an effort to reestablish community contact became a trend. Decentralization is one of the major reasons Albuquerque has six area commands with 3 shifts of police officers known as “field services.” The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office also has 3 separate area command.

The most common approach to consolidations involves support functions, such as communications, forensic services, planning, training, and records keeping. What is very common is that larger law enforcement departments contracts to provide these services to smaller surrounding departments. The advantage of partial consolidation is that it does not seriously affecting the independence of local departments while still enabling them to benefit from a wide array of back-up services to increase their effectiveness.

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/34700NCJRS.pdf

APD AND BCSO RESOURCES

When discussing any level of combining the functions of APD and BCSO, a review of both departments and how they are structured is in order. There are many similarities as well as overlap in services and duplication effort in a number of areas. There is also one single defining difference between the two law enforcement agencies. Bernalillo County is the most populous county in the State of New Mexico with approximately 750,000 residents. Bernalillo County encompasses the greater Albuquerque area. The entire area population essentially has two separate law enforcement agencies that overlap with law enforcement services. Duplication of effort is the norm and not the exception.

APD AND BCSO COMPARED IN A NUTSHELL

A quick comparison of both law enforcement departments is in order.

BUDGETS:

APD’s annual budget is $207,877,000

BCSO annual budget is $53,030,000 with a $4,509,000 Non-General fund budget.

FUNDING SOURCE AND TAXATION

The gross receipts tax revenues collected by the State and distributed to the City and Bernalillo County Governments are the number one funding source for essential services. The gross receipts tax rate for City of Albuquerque is 7.8750%. The gross receipts tax rate for all remaining taxing authority governments within Bernalillo County is 6.4375%.

APD is funded by the City Of Albuquerque general fund which derives its finances from gross receipts tax revenues, property taxes and general obligation bonds, with the primary source of revenue derived from city taxpayers who live, do business, work and own property within the city limits.

BCSO is funded by the Bernalillo County Commission which derives its finances from gross receipts tax revenues, property taxes and general obligation bonds, with the primary source of revenue derived from city and county taxpayers who live, work and own property, and do business in within the city and county.

City of Albuquerque resident and taxpayers are paying to fund both the APD and the BCSO, while Bernalillo County residents who do not reside in the city essentially pay only for BCSO.

STAFFING:

APD employs 980 full time sworn police, 640 assigned to field service and the others assigned to specialized units and command staff. Total staffing with civilian is approximately 1,400.

BCSO employs 300 sworn deputies, with 121 other staffing for a total of 421

AREA COMMANDS:

Both the APD and the BCSO main offices, housing thier respective high commands of Sheriff and Chief, are located in the same downtown office building.

APD has 6 area commands: Foothills Area Command, Northeast Area Command, Northwest Area Command, Southeast Area Command, Southwest Area Command,Valley Area Command.

BCSO has 3 area commands: The North Valley Area Command, The South Valley Area Command, The East Mountains Area Command

MAJOR DIVISIONS

APD has 5 major divisions or bureaus: Field Services Bureau, Investigative Bureau, The Compliance Bureau, The Administrative Support Bureau, The Support Services Bureau.

BCSO has 3 major divisions or bureaus: BCSO Administrative Services (ASD), Criminal Investigations (CID), BCSO Field Services (FSD), Criminal Investigations (CID).

INVESTIGATIONS

APD has 7 Detective Units: Violent Crime Unit (Armed Robbery, Homicide, Sex Crimes, Crimes Against Children), Property Crime Unit (Burglary, Auto Theft, White Collar Crimes) , Special Investigations Unit (Narcotics, Vice and Gangs), Crime Scene Investigations, Traffic Investigations (Motor Unit, DWI, Air Support), Tactical Unit (SWAT, K-9,, Mounted Horse Patrol, Bomb Squad) Training (Basic Training, Advance Training, Recruiting and Background)

BCSO has 5 Detective Units: Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit, Special Victims Unit, White Collar Crimes Unit, Auto Theft Unit, Property Crimes Unit

DETAILS OF APD MANAGEMENT, FUNDING AND STRUCTURE

Following is a breakdown of APD management, funding and structure:

APD Mission Statement:

The mission of the Albuquerque Police Department is to preserve the peace and protect our community through community-oriented policing, with fairness, integrity, pride and respect.

APD Vision Statement:

The Albuquerque Police Department envisions a safe, secure community where the rights, history and culture of each citizen is valued and respected. We will achieve this vision by pro-actively collaborating with the community to identify and solve public safety concerns and improve the quality of life in Albuquerque.

https://www.krqe.com/news/apd-rewrites-mission-vision-statement-with-community-input/#:~:text=Mission%20Statement,%2C%20integrity%2C%20pride%20and%20respect.

DETAILS OF APD STRUCTURE AND FUNDING

The Chief of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council and serves at the pleasure of the Mayor. APD has 4 Deputy Chiefs who are at will employees and who are appointed by the Chief and the Chief and Deputy Chief’s in the Chain of Command also report to the Mayor.

The Albuquerque Police Department (APD ) has five major bureaus:

1. The Field Services Bureau
2. Investigative Bureau
3. The Compliance Bureau
4. The Administrative Support Bureau
5. The Support Services Bureau

Each bureau has a Deputy Chief appointed by the APD Chief of Police with the approval of the Mayor.

APD divides the city into six geographical areas called “area commands.” Each area command is managed by an APD Commander (formerly called Captains) and staffed with between 82 and 119 officers, depending on size of the area command and level of calls for service. All officers are dispatched through the police communications operators by calling (505) 242-COPS for non-emergency calls or 911 in an emergency.

https://www.cabq.gov/police/contact-the-police/area-commands

On August 1, 2019, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued what it entitled “Staffing Snapshot” providing a report on the number of sworn police officers APD has and where they have been assigned.

According to the report, APD has a total of 972 sworn officers with 600 officers in the field patrolling 6 area commands and neighborhoods in 3 separate shifts. Last year’s 2018-2019 fiscal year budget provided for increasing APD funding from 1,000 sworn police to 1,040. This year’s 2019-2020 fiscal year budget has funding for 1,040 sworn police

Since December 1, 2017, APD has added 116 sworn police officers to the force. APD’s goal is to spend $88 million dollars starting in the 2018-2019 fiscal year, over a four-year period, with $32 million dollars of recurring expenditures, to hire 322 sworn officers and expand APD from 878 sworn police officers to 1,200 officers. The massive investment is being done to full fill Mayor Tim Keller’s 2017 campaign promise to increase the size of APD return to community-based policing as a means to reduce the city’s high crime rates and to implement the Department of Justice mandated reforms under the Court Approved Settlement Agreement (CASA).

APD 2020-2021 OPERATING BUDGET

On March 16, 2020, the Albuquerque City Council enacted the 2020-2021 Albuquerque Police Department (APD) “abbreviated” line item budget without any budget hearings:

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: $18,835,000. This funding is presumably for the Administrative Support Bureau which includes case management reports, clerical staff, the forensic lab and police dispatch (911).

INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES: $45,622,000. This funding is presumably for the Investigative Bureau and various specialized detective units.

NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING: $104,730,000. The funding is presumably for the Field Services Bureau and 640 sworn police, assigned to 3 shifts and the 6 area commands for community-based policing

OFF-DUTY POLICE OVERTIME: $2,225,000. This funding is to pay for police overtime and for years the actual funding has always exceeded budget and has approached $10 to $14 Million a year.

PRISONER TRANSPORT: $2,423,000. This funding is used to transport all arrestees to the Westside Jail and presumably part of the Support Services Bureau.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY: $34,042,000. This funding is essentially funding for the Compliance Bureau and the 5 divisions it consists of and includes APD Academy training associated with the Department of Justice Consent Decree reforms and enforcement.

TOTAL APD OPERATING BUDGET: $207,877,000

DETAILS OF BCSO MANAGEMENT, FUNDING AND STRUCTURE

Following is a breakdwon of of BCSO management, funding and structure:

BCSO MISSION STATEMENT

The mission statement of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) includes the protection of life and property, the resolution of conflict, creating and maintaining a feeling of security in the community, pro-actively reducing the opportunities for the commission of crime, identification, apprehension and prosecution of offenders of the laws and the preservation of peace. BCSO accepts as part of its mission the responsibility to provide for a quality of life in the community.

DETAILS OF BCSO STRUCTURE AND FUNDING

The Bernalillo County Government has a total adjusted budget of $713.5 million for fiscal year 2019-2020. The general fund comprises 47.4% of the total adjusted budget of $713.5. The non-general fund consists of restricted funds that are used for specific purposes. Public Safety represents 31% of the total county budget consisting of Emergency Communications, Fire and Rescue, Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and the Adult and Juvenile Detention Centers.
The link to the Bernalillo County Budget is here:

https://www.bernco.gov/uploads/FileLinks/15af42e02f1f44668c58ac302354e09d/Budget_in_Brief_2019.pdf

The Bernalillo County Sherriff is a New Mexico Constitution created position. The Bernalillo County Sheriff and is an elected position and allows for 2 four-year terms. The current Bernalillo County Sheriff is Sheriff Manny Gonzales. Sherriff Gonzales was unanimously appointed Sheriff on November 30th, 2009 by the Bernalillo County Commission, when the sitting Sheriff resigned and Sheriff Gonzales subsequently ran and succeeded in being elected to two terms. Sheriff Gonzales began his career on August 14th, 1989. Over the span of twenty-four years, Sheriff Gonzales served in all divisions, commands, and shifts within the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. He worked his way through the ranks of the department and was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is a “full-service law enforcement agency”, responsible for the policing of the unincorporated Bernalillo County area. The elected Bernalillo County Sheriff and the Office is included in the Bernalillo County Government budget.

TOTAL BCSO OPERATING BUDGET AND PERSONNEL

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s 2019-2020 Adjusted General Fund Budget was $53,030,000 with a $4,509,000 Non-General fund budget. According to 2019-2020 budget, the Sherriff has 421 full time positions. BCSO is staffed with just over 300 sworn law enforcement professionals.

DIVISIONS OF BCSO

BCSO is comprised of three major divisions, each offering a different service component of law enforcement. The divisions are:

BCSO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES (ASD)

Administrative Services (ASD) is the smallest division by work force within BCSO. The responsibility of the Administrative Services Division is widespread. Judicial Operations falls under the ASD, and they are not only responsible for the security of the District and Juvenile courthouses, but also responsible for the service of legal paperwork in regards to civil actions taken in court. In addition, the ASD oversees the BCSO academy and training divisions, including the civilian academy. ASD is also responsible for our new record management system, allowing BCSO to provide police report services to the public, separate from the Albuquerque Police Department.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS (CID)

Criminal Investigations (CID) is responsible for the follow up in investigations to a wide variety of crimes. It is in this division where detectives work to provide dedicated focus to solving crimes that have already occurred.

The Detective Units within CID are:

Homicide and Violent Crimes Unit
Special Victims Unit
White Collar Crimes Unit
Auto Theft Unit
Property Crimes Unit

Detectives working in CID report to their chain of command on the progress they make on their cases.

BCSO FIELD SERVICES (FSD)

The Field Services Division (FSD) is the largest of the three divisions within BCSO. The FSD provides the type of service most typically associated with uniformed service. Deputies assigned to FSD work in various assignments including patrol, DWI Unit, Traffic Investigations Unit (Motorcycles), K-9 and School Resource Officers.

BCSO is comprised of three area commands: The North Valley Area Command, The South Valley Area Command, The East Mountains Area Command.

Each of these area commands are overseen by a Captain and provide 24-hour service to the community with squads of deputies, reporting to a Sergeant and Lieutenant on each shift. These are the deputies that respond to calls for service when you call 911 or the non-emergency number (798-7000.)

http://www.bernalillocountysheriff.com/bernalillo-county-sheriff/divisions.aspx

DEFINING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APD AND BCSO

When you examine the budgets and personnel of both APD and the BCSO, it is clear they both have the same mission statement, serve essentially the same constituency that funds both departments through taxation.

The biggest difference between APD and the BCSO is the extent of civilian control and oversight they have or do not have.

The APD Chief of Police is an appointed position and appointed by the Mayor, subject to city counsel approval, the Chief serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and in turn subject to civilian oversight. The Albuquerque City Counsel reviews and approves the APD budget.

The Sheriff is an elected official on equal footing to the County Commission. The Sheriff’s Office is a stand-alone department run by an elected official with very little or no civilian oversight except the Bernalillo County Commission has authority over budget. The Bernalillo County Sheriff is not subject to the management and control of the County Manager nor the County Commission. Other than budget matters, and the County Commission cannot dictate the law enforcement priorities and policies of the Sheriff. A good example of the County Commission unable to give directives to the Sheriff is mandating the use of lapel cameras.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Proposing consolidation of Bernalillo County Government and the Albuquerque Municipal Government has been around for decades. In fact, it is controversial, has been voted on by voters and rejected by voters decades ago. Under existing law, consolidation of City and government is allowed only with voter approval and there has to be voter approval by both governments. Bernalillo County Government has consistently opposed such efforts as has Albuquerque City Hall.

It is easier to consolidate functions and services than entire governments. There has been a major success in consolidating government functions between Albuquerque and Bernalillo County that can be used as the approach to law enforcement. That success is the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWA). With an annual operating budget of more than $170 million, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority it is the largest water utility in New Mexico.

In January 2003, the New Mexico Legislature approved Senate Bill 887 which transferred the municipal Water and Wastewater Utility to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (Water Authority). Senate Bill 887 became law in June 2003 (NMSA 1978 § 72-1-10).

In December 2003, the Water Authority, the City and County of Bernalillo entered into an operations and maintenance agreement to continue the day-to-day management of the water utility under the City. The Water Authority completed full transition of administering the water and wastewater utility in July 2007. During the 2005 New Mexico Legislative Session, Senate Bill 879 was passed which provided the Water Authority the statutory powers provided to all public water and wastewater utilities in the state.

The Water Authority has:

600 + employees
200,000 + customer accounts, representing some 606,780 water users
3,000 + miles of water supply pipeline
2,400 + miles of sewer collector pipeline
$5 billion + in assets

https://www.abcwua.org/Your_Water_Authority.aspx

CREATE ABBCO POLICE AUTHORITY

Throughout the country, the Black Lives Matter movement has changed dramatically how police are viewed and how law enforcement is funded and operated.

The approach taken by the New Mexico legislature creating the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Authority should be taken with defunding both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Assets, personnel, units, office space, area commands, emergency operations dispatching and academy training can be combined and accomplished by ordinances adopted by both the City Council and the County Commission or through a negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The New Mexico Legislature can enact enabling legislation that would include a constitutional amendment abolishing the Office of Sheriff for class “A” counties (counties with populations exceeding 500,000) and mandating the creation of ABQ-County Law enforcement authority.

A permanent dedicated funding source consisting of a combination of gross receipts tax and property tax taken from Municipal and County existing taxing authority would be transferred and authorized by the legislature to the authority. Municipal and County Law Enforcement Budgets would be combined but reduced where there is duplication of services. Funding from both APD and BCSO budgets would be identified as surplus and those funds invested or reallocation of those funds into social programs to address the real causes of crime.

Personnel policies, rules, regulations, standard operating procedure and internal affairs function can be developed for the authority. Most importantly, uniform police standard operating procedures and constitutional policing training and practices would be implemented, such as mandatory use of lapel cameras and de-escalations tactics.

A police authority would be created, with civilian governing board of 5 members. The members would be the Mayor, the City Council President, the Bernalillo County Commission Chairperson, the Bernalillo County Sheriff and the Chief or Presiding Judge of the Second Judicial District, all who would serve no more than two 4 year terms. A Police Authority Commissioner would be appointed by the civilian governing board. ABBCO Commissioner would be a contracted position that could only be terminated for cause as defined in the contract with compensation established by the governing board. The Police Authority Commissioner would have the identical or combined authority as the APD Chief and Bernalillo County Sheriff to run and operate the authority.

Both the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has way to much overlap with taxpayers in the city paying for essentially two law enforcement agencies. The City and the County have essentially combined geographically. Consolidation of both law enforcement authorities is long overdue. Both law enforcement agencies can and should be combined and streamlined into one Albuquerque and Bernalillo County Regional Law Enforcement authority or an ABBCO Police Authority.

A Plan To Reform And Restructure APD: Appoint Police Commissioner and Abolish APD Internal Affairs

Create Department Of Public Safety; Abolish APD Internal Affairs; Create Salary Structure

It has been reported that Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales will be meeting with President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr at the White House Wednesday, July 22. According to the news report, they will be discussing how the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has been combating crime as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit.

Operation Relentless Pursuit was announced last December where seven cities would split $71 million for law enforcement efforts. During a press conference in Albuquerque, U.S. Attorney for New Mexico John Anderson explained what the money meant for Albuquerque:

“We are committed to bringing the weight of federal charges against the most dangerous violent criminals plaguing our city. We will deploy all the tools at our disposal to bring an end to the plight of gun violence in our city.”

Albuquerque was one of seven cities selected for Operation Relentless Pursuit because it has a higher than average violent crime rate. According to Bernalillo County Sherriff’s Office, Attorney General Barr had invited Sheriff Manny Gonzales to the White House to meet with Trump. Sheriff Gonzales said he will update the residents of Bernalillo County about the public safety meeting with the president upon his return to New Mexico.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/bcso-sheriff-gonzales-to-meet-with-trump-at-white-house-/5801144/?
fbclid=IwAR0_7fOdEcMuldR9domU_EZWyktl87dqznQj5BDYLonctkyyhMQ1q85qaA0

President Trump has sent troops Portland, Oregon to quell demonstrations. Authorities from several federal agencies were sent to Portland to quell protests around the federal courthouse, but the presence of federal officers led to violent clashes leading to Oregon officials asking them to leave the city. CBS News has obtained a memo showing that the Trump administration is planning to send 175 federal officers to assist local police departments in Chicago, with Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Kansas City, Missouri, possibly next.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-federal-officers-portland-great-job-send-officers-other-cities/?fbclid=IwAR1x76_PywR3-HYn01Y9MVQNstlXCep-xgeK6n5nBFUInuuOVQK8Cpe4urU

News of the potential deployment of federal resources to Albuquerque has been met with strong rebukes from top Albuquerque city officials. Democrat U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich called for Sheriff Gonzales’ resignation saying in part, “the Sheriff is inviting the President’s stormtroopers into Albuquerque.”

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/trump-admin-considers-sending-more-federal-officers-to-albuquerque/

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

Sheriff Gonzales is making a very, very big mistake meeting with President Trump and AG Barr at the White House without other law enforcement officials such as the New Mexico US Attorney, the District Attorney and the APD Chief and perhaps the County Manager and the City’s CAO. The meeting may garner favor with staunch Republican voters in Albuquerque as he seeks to run for mayor next year, but it sure will wind up upsetting many Democrats of all strips (progressive, moderate and conservatives) not to mention Independents.

Sheriff Manny Gonzales opposition to lapel cameras, red flag laws and sanctuary city policies does not help much either. Trump is already ordering undercover troops, like he has in Portland, to other Democratic controlled cities and the last thing the City of Albuquerque needs is for a Bernalillo County Sheriff to go rogue and invite the Federal Government into Albuquerque and assuring Trump of his Sheriff Department’s cooperation.

It is not at all likely Trump will be wanting to just sit there and not want something in return from Sheriff Gonzales. Perhaps an endorsement for his re election from a prominent Hispanic Official from a Blue State? Its common knowledge that Sheriff Gonzales is planning to run for Mayor next year against Tim Keller who is viewed as weakened because of the city’s high violent crime rates he promised but has failed to bring down violent crime despite all of his efforts. Sheriff Gonzales might as well change his party affiliation to Republican before he runs for Mayor. This is one invitation Sheriff Manny Gonzales should have turned down because it’s likely voters will now turn him down when he runs for Mayor next year.