How will Albuquerque's new Mayor, most likely Tim Keller, be able to remake the command structure at the Police Department. It is not enough to rid the department of its hapless and inexperienced Chief. The house cleaning must go much deeper than that if it is to be successful. That will be a great challenge as many Captains and Deputy Chiefs will need to be reigned in or just plain fired. Firing them will be a costly and drawn-out affair, but how could it be any more expensive than the payouts from lawsuits involving department screwups.
Surely, the first order of business will be the new Mayor putting together a respectable search team for finding a modern and progressive Chief. Give them a deadline of March 1st and let them do their work. Yes, internal candidates should be considered, but most probably we need new blood with great leadership skills. Make sure the background checks are done in a timely manner for all candidates. Then present three finalists for the Mayor to sit down with to see if they are willing to work with him.
This process is not rocket science. It is a simple and effective way of getting this done.
Surely, the first order of business will be the new Mayor putting together a respectable search team for finding a modern and progressive Chief. Give them a deadline of March 1st and let them do their work. Yes, internal candidates should be considered, but most probably we need new blood with great leadership skills. Make sure the background checks are done in a timely manner for all candidates. Then present three finalists for the Mayor to sit down with to see if they are willing to work with him.
This process is not rocket science. It is a simple and effective way of getting this done.
2 comments:
Why costly? Aren’t they at will employees?
As a former City, Legislative and State employee, my assessment is this goes far beyond just APD. the police officers as well, as most citizens, are frustrated with the judicial system. It is quagmire. The crime rate is exploding. The outrage expressed with APD needs to be equally focused on the judicial system. APD needs to be restructured but that will not fix the problem. APD officers I have discussed with over the years feel they are frustrated and are leaving as soon as they can either find another job or retire early. The love of Albuquerque and the ambiance of NM is no longer enough to keep them here. My family has been in NM since the 1500s and we love it. But not so much any more.
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