City of Albuquerque and APD Achieves Another Major Milestone in Policing Reform Efforts

ALBUQUERQUE – United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced today that the Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque (City) filed a Joint Motion for Partial Termination, seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The motion was filed in recognition of APD’s sustained compliance with significant portions of the consent decree.

The motion represents a second major milestone APD has achieved this year following the joint motion filed in April to modify the requirements of the consent decree.

Over the last several years, APD has made consistent and sustained progress towards achieving constitutional policing and in reaching compliance with provisions of the consent decree, including:

• APD has a clear and reliable process for conducting criminal investigations of critical incidents through the Multi-Agency Task Force;
• APD significantly professionalized its SWAT team and brought its operations in line with national standards;
• APD’s investigative units operate with clarity about their scope and mission;
• through APD’s Field Training Evaluation Program, new officers receive reinforcement about APD’s values and expectations, helping to ensure that officers provide constitutional and effective policing from their first days on patrol;  
• APD and Albuquerque’s civilian oversight agency widely distribute information about filing complaints about police officers, ensuring that people across the city can easily access and submit complaint forms, and that APD and civilian oversight are aware of the issues that people are having with police officers;
• the Monitor has found that APD has set new standards in police recruiting, increasing interest in joining APD at a time when police departments across the country face challenges in recruiting; and
• APD’s Behavioral Sciences Section provides industry-standard behavioral health and wellness services to APD personnel and their families, often exceeding the requirements of the consent decree.

For many of these provisions, APD achieved compliance two or more years ago, has sustained its compliance, and is monitoring its own compliance with these provisions. Now, the parties have agreed that it is appropriate to terminate sections and sub-sections of the consent decree which APD has been in full compliance for at least two years. The motion sets out the specific paragraphs of the consent decree that the parties have moved to terminate.

The partial termination allows the parties and the Monitor to focus their efforts on the remaining areas of the consent decree where APD is still working to attain or maintain full compliance.

“This move to partial termination is yet more evidence of the City of Albuquerque’s dogged pursuit of progress,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez. “Much remains to be done, and the challenges facing us as a community are ever evolving. While we continue to work together to confront those challenges, we applaud the steady and unrelenting drive towards the type of policing that the people of Albuquerque deserve.”

“This should put to rest concerns about APD’s ability to self-monitor and continue the reform process past federal oversight,” Mayor Tim Keller said. “APD is proving the department is ready to institutionalize constitutional policing and ongoing reform on its own. Going forward we need to push past the piecemeal approval process and focus on the future beyond the CASA.”

The Justice Department is committed to supporting city leaders, community stakeholders and APD as they work together to implement lasting institutional reform and make constitutional policing a reality for the community of Albuquerque.

The District Court for the District of New Mexico entered the consent decree in June 2015.  The decree, as well as information about implementation of the consent decree, is available on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office at Investigation into Albuquerque Police Department.

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