{"id":2341,"date":"2014-04-10T18:30:47","date_gmt":"2014-04-11T01:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=2341"},"modified":"2014-04-15T19:09:54","modified_gmt":"2014-04-16T02:09:54","slug":"justice-department-issues-scathing-report-albuquerque-police-department","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=2341","title":{"rendered":"Justice Department Issues Scathing Report on Albuquerque Police Department"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Justice Department released a report that torched the Albuquerque Police Department saying the department has engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force that violates the constitution and federal law.<\/p>\n

Albuquerque police responded to threats with bullets, killing 23 people and injuring 14 others in the last four years, according to published reports.<\/p>\n

Officers acted violently by kicking, punching and restraining nonthreatening people, and seldom were the officers reprimanded. Many of the victims suffered from mental illnesses, and some were disabled, elderly or drunk, according to the the 16-month investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

We reviewed all fatal shootings by\u00a0officers between 2009 and 2012 \u00a0and found that officers were not justified under federal law in\u00a0using deadly force in the majority of those incidents. This level of unjustified, deadly force by\u00a0the police poses unacceptable risks to the Albuquerque community.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Read the full report: \u00a0<\/span>U.S. Justice Department Report<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The department delivered a letter setting forth these findings to Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry and Police Chief Gorden Eden this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very concerned by the results of our investigation and look forward to working with the city of Albuquerque to develop a set of robust and durable reforms,\u201d said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. \u201cOur work to assist police departments around the nation is intended to advance important principles. Holding police accountable for constitutional practices improves public confidence, promotes public safety and makes the job of providing police services safer, easier and more effective. Public trust has been broken in Albuquerque, but it can be repaired through this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement, Stephanie Lopez, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, said that her organization welcomed the recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cChange is hard for everyone,\u201d she said, adding that the police force \u201clooks forward to learning and advancing\u201d and making improvements.<\/p>\n

The investigation was launched on Nov. 27, 2012, and was conducted jointly by the department\u2019s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the District of New Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. Justice Department found reasonable cause to believe that APD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The department specifically found three patterns of excessive force:<\/span><\/p>\n