Justice Department Issues Joint Statement of Principles with City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Reform Albuquerque Police Department
The City of Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Justice Department signed a joint statement of principles that reflects the “good-faith intent” of both sides to enter into a court-enforceable agreement to reform the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), according to the DOJ
The joint statement publicly specifies the measures that the DoJ and the city are undertaking in order to resolve the findings resulting from the investigation into use of force by APD. On April 10, 2014, following an extensive investigation, the DoJ found reasonable cause to believe that APD engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including unreasonable deadly force.
The city is to be commended for engaging in good-faith negotiations to reach a court-enforceable agreement that will ensure sustainable reforms of APD, according to Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The joint statement of principles provides the community with our commitment to work expeditiously with the city to craft a durable agreement that will resolve our findings and will ensure that APD provides effective and constitutional policing to the people of Albuquerque.”
“Since the release of DOJ’s findings letter, we have asked for and received valuable ideas and insights from officers, members of the community, representatives of many organizations, and others who have a stake in the future of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez for the District of New Mexico. “We are thankful to everyone who has spoken to us. The anticipated final court-enforceable agreement, which we hope to enter into with the city of Albuquerque, is already stronger because of the input we have received.”
The department and city have released the joint statement of principles to inform APD officers and the Albuquerque community that their concerns and ideas have been heard and that their ongoing participation will be critical to achieving sustainable reform. Specifically, the joint statement of principles announces that the department and the city expect to develop reforms in the eight areas outlined in the department’s findings letter: use of force policies, interactions with individuals with mental illness and other disabilities, tactical units, training, internal investigations and civilian complaints, management and supervision, recruitment and selection of officers, and community engagement and oversight. The joint statement of principles also indicates that the goal is to reach a court-enforceable agreement that will be overseen by an independent monitor.