The Albuquerque Police Department’s newly-created Community Policing Councils are seeking UNM students to help them better facilitate communication between APD and the community.
CPCs were one of the requirements included in the 2014 settlement agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice and APD, as a result of the DOJ’s investigation of APD’s use of excessive force.
In light of its findings, the DOJ mandated that the city establish CPCs in each of the six area commands that APD divides the city into: the foothills, the valley, the northwest, northeast, southeast and southwest commands.
The goal of the CPCs is to streamline communication between APD and the community, as well as to identify concerns and issues and recommend changes to APD policy.
According to the settlement agreement, CPCs are required to have “a representative cross-section of community members and APD officers.”
CPCs do not have the same role as the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, as the CPOA is an official authority with the power to conduct investigations into APD.
The CPC is seeking to recruit members from a multitude of facets across the city, including senior centers, religious leaders, APS teachers, hospitals and clinics, veterans; organizations, neighborhood associations and the Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
As far as on-campus organizations, APD Community Outreach Director Celina Espinoza said CPC is reaching out to the Black Student Union, student government, political groups, fraternities and sororities, asking them to attend meetings or even become voting members.
To be a voting member on the CPC, applicants must pass a background check and complete the Citizen’s Police Academy, as well as a two-week APD program including a ride-along and classroom instruction from various police divisions.
CPC members are volunteers. Voting members must reside in or have businesses within the boundaries of their area command for at least the last three years.
Voting members of the CPC have the advantage of helping to decide what recommendations should be made to APD. Recommendations are initially sent to APD representatives, then directly to Police Chief Gordon Eden.
APD is supposed to respond to CPC recommendations within 30 days. Paul Watson, a voting member of the north valley CPC area command, said APD response has not always been timely, but is improving.
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Thus far, recommendations made to APD include a voice recognition software that would allow officers to use voice-to-text on reports, reducing time spent on paperwork.
Another recommendation made to APD was to implement “smart guns,” a technology that reduces the risk of someone stealing an officer’s gun and using it. If an officer’s gun is stolen, a sensor prevents the gun from being shot within a certain distance from the owner.
This was recommended as a way to minimize officers’ fear of having their guns taken.
They have also recommended that APD provide adequate response to statements made to the Albuquerque Journal by James Ginger, the federal agent put in place by the DOJ to monitor APD’s mandated reforms.
Ginger told the Journal that the issues highlighted in the DOJ’s report are not being adequately addressed by APD..
Watson said there could be better communication between Ginger’s office and APD.
APD is required to work with the CPCs as part of the DOJ settlement agreement, though police officers are not allowed to be voting members of the councils.
CPCs are required to meet every six months, but area commands meet once a month for roughly two hours. The meetings are open to the public and anyone can submit recommendations and participate in discussion.
Watson said the councils haven’t garnered the membership they would like. The voting board mainly consists of Caucasians, he said.
Watson said poor attendance could be attributed to the misperception by some portions of the community that CPCs are “just cheerleaders for the cops.” CPC is working to correct that, he said.
CPC makes recommendations for changes in policies and procedures, but “we’re also supposed to be healing the damaged relationship that currently exists between APD and the community,” Watson said.
Sara MacNeil is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @sara_macneil.
