In
April the Department of Justice (DOJ)
announced it had found “reasonable cause to believe” members of
the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) engaged in a pattern and
practice of excessive force and other civil rights violations.
Among the reasons for the DOJ to initiate the review was the
staggering number of police shootings in the city; 41 in the last
five years, 27 fatal. It comes out to an annual rate of 1.5 per
100,000. Compare that to the 2012 murder rate: 7.3 per 100,000. The
population from which perpetrators of police shootings come from is
a lot smaller than the population from which murderers in
Albuquerque come from.
The DOJ and the city of Albuquerque entered negotiations earlier
this year over reforms to address the review of the police
department, and have reportedly come to an agreement that will
involve an independent monitor and new training and procedures for
investigating police shootings. The AP
reports:
Attorney General Eric Holder said the agreement will transform
the culture and practices of the Albuquerque Police Department,
“And I am confident that, with the cooperation of city leaders and
brave law enforcement officials, we will take significant steps to
restore trust with local citizens and build for Albuquerque’s
residents the stronger, safer, and more secure communities that all
Americans deserve.”
The agreement with Albuquerque is the DOJ’s 16th since 2010. The
Albuquerque city council is expected to vote on the agreement next
week. The Albuquerque police union hasn’t
appeared interested in reform. The city has had a
long history of trouble with cops.
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