FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 22, 2016

CONTACT: Micah McCoy, (505) 266-5915 x1003 or [email protected]

ALBUQUERQUE, NM--Today, the APD Forward coalition released its analysis of the second status report issued by Independent Federal Monitor Dr. James Ginger earlier this month. APD Forward’s analysis highlights the Albuquerque Police Department’s continuing struggles to revise and rewrite policies, delaying systemic reform . The analysis also highlights one particular incident from the monitor’s report in which APD supervisors repeatedly mismanaged their investigation into an officer who deployed pepper spray in the face of a driver, almost causing him to run over an innocent bystander.  

“While we continue to see improvements in areas like the use of special units, the pepper-spray incident illustrates that APD’s supervision of use of force by its officers still needs substantial improvement,”said APD Forward Spokesperson Taina Colón, Criminal Justice Advocate for the ACLU of New Mexico. “That, combined with ongoing problems in basic policy development, puts the Albuquerque Police Department significantly behind where it should be at this point.”

APD Forward’s analysis shows that several crucial policies are still pending approval more than a year into the reform process, including:

• On-Body Recording Devices

• Response to Demonstrations

• Investigations of Officer Involved Lethal Use of Force and In-Custody Deaths

• Investigative Response Team

• Internal Affairs Division

• Force Review Board

• Hostage, Suicidal, Barricaded Subject, and Sniper Situations

• Response to Mental Illness

A full copy of APD Forward’s analysis is available at: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/apdforward/pages/33/attachments/original/1458664383/Second_Monitor_Report_Analysis.pdf?1458664383

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