When I served as this city's Mayor from 1998-2002 I was concerned with the training regime at the Police Academy. It was more Marine Corps boot camp that an academy for turning out public servants and police officers. I attempted to change it and it so riled some Academy Drill officers that they would refuse to even shake hands with me on the street. So, if Mayor Berry wants to find out why so many police shootings have taken place over the last few years, and why social media statements are outrageous, then go look at the training program.
Ask a few questions of cadets who have fallen out of the program. Ask for comments from newly sworn officers and how the academy is functioning in their view. Have an outside expert come in review the curriculum. And do it soon. Do not put Darren White, the city's chief public safety officer, in charge of this. It would actually be unfair to him and the citizens. And finally, there are a lot of good officers out there and I appreciate them.
3 comments:
Yes, hire an outside consultant who knows what they're doing. Oops, maybe not! Don't want to stir up controversy like Skandera did hiring outside consultants to deal with NM's education mess!
Outside doesn't necessarily mean outside New Mexico, which is where the unconfirmed Sect of Ed has gone for advice. But it does mean outside of APD and BSCO. But seriously, how about someone from El Paso. You'd think with the violence in Juarez, El Paso would also be caught up in it, but the crime rate in El Paso (or Tucson for that matter) are significantly lower than they are here in ABQ. Darren White is a @!$^&@#! and should be looking for a real job.
How are the comments made by one cop indicative of a real problem in APD? I keep hearing/reading that comment and have to say it really makes no sense. Way to much projection is being given to this single incident. Given that IA has found a few other cops with distasteful Facebook posting still doesn't suggest a huge problem.
Now, should these officers be disciplined? Absolutely and harshly--these idiot cops make the jobs of honest real cops much more difficult. But to suggest that there's a real problem at APD because of these isolated cases is foolish. To be sure, APD does have some massive problems. Some that are truly significant, but the rantings of a few rag tag officers is not one of them, nor reflective of them...
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