ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Today, the APD Forward coalition released a statement regarding a video that surfaced showing APD officers appearing to coordinate with armed civilians in advance of a planned protest on Monday, June 1st against police violence and systemic racism. The following statement can be attributed to APD Forward spokesperson Barron Jones, Senior Policy Strategist for the ACLU of New Mexico:

“To even give the impression that the Albuquerque Police Department is blessing the actions of armed, un-deputized civilians in advance of a highly charged protest is dangerous and irresponsible. Only trained professionals should be authorized to keep the peace at large demonstrations, and law enforcement should never bruise already fragile community trust by appearing to coordinate with outside armed groups, regardless of whether their intentions are noble or not.”

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