Time For Another Edition Of Reader Vox Populi: They Write Of The APD DWI Scandal With Insights And Solutions, Mississippi Beating NM To The Punch And CYFD Disarray, Also: Two Appointees And $50 Billion

The slow unraveling of the APD DWI scandal continues to draw reader interest and much comment, so we are off to another edition of Reader Vox Populi for their insights and some possible solutions. . .

Reader Don Miller this week placed blame on the ABQ police officers union for the chaos enveloping the agency:

I believe that APD is an autonomous para-military organization run by the Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association. They appear to defy the authority of the 11th floor, the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, the recent “Defund the Police” movement, and anyone else who challenges their authority.

A retired cop came with this rebuttal:

Don Miller clearly doesn’t know how dysfunctional the Albuquerque Police Officers Association is. They don’t run APD. But in the chaos we now have I fully expect union haters to find a way to blame the APOA. I am sure Chief Medina will hold another press conference and pick up Miller’s standard and blame the APOA too. Why not, he has blamed everyone else but himself and his incompetent command staff. 

THE FINGERPOINTING

Regarding the finger-pointing between DA Sam Bregman and APD Chief Medina over whose responsibility it is to notify APD when an officer fails to show for a DWI court hearing, this former officer says history leans toward Medina when he asserts it is the job of the DA but he believes the blame game can end with a simple solution:

It has been the prosecuting attorney (DA) that has always notified APD Metro Liaison of an officer missing court. It takes but a minute to call them on the phone or send them an email. This makes sense because, as officers of the court, the reason everyone is in court is because the DA has charged a suspect with a crime and subpoenaed witnesses (this includes the police officer). If someone doesn’t show up who else would know? (Sometimes the judge will notify Metro Liaison, but that is rare). 

Maybe it’s been a courtesy for the DA to inform APD, as Bregman argues, but that courtesy has been going on for decades. Maybe it’s time for APD and the DA to sign an agreement that when an officer doesn’t appear the DA will take a minute and notify APD Metro Liaison. That’s all it would take to move this forward. 

Bregman has now sent out over 30 missed court notices since the scandal became public so he is already doing this. Now meet with APD and put it in writing and let's move on. Let’s add to this agreement that the DA sends APD a quarterly report on case dismissals and conviction rates.

This week the DA's office did in fact announce a new system to track officers failing to appear for DWI cases:

The District Attorney’s Office has launched a new system to notify law enforcement agencies when an officer misses a hearing or a pre-trial interview. Joshua Boone, the chief deputy district attorney, said the DA’s Office started working on the system—essentially a Google spreadsheet that is populated when an attorney or paralegal in the office fills out a form—in the fall and began using it earlier this year. “The minute we submit this form, it automatically sends an email to the court liaison,” Boone said. “Then APD created their own separate email and it will automatically send it to that designated email.”

Nearly 200 DWI cases have been dismissed by Bregman because of the federal probe of allegations that cops got paid by an attorney not to show up for court in order to get his clients' DWI cases dismissed. 

MONITORING THE MONITOR

Ginger

What about the Federal Monitor who has been here for years as part of the Dept. of Justice consent decree to reform APD's use of force policies? Could not James Ginger and his team have played a part in uncovering the alleged bribery scheme early? A reader writes:

The Monitor has been paid millions to find and recommend solutions. He has been here during the DWI Movida yet he did not catch this Movida. What oversight did he provide? Not to blame him directly but again what did he do to change the culture of APD? 

Reforming the DWI unit is not part of Ginger's charter but when a scandal of this proportion breaks the blame game takes in a large circle and Ginger and his lucrative contract are not exempt.

DAMN SAD

Reader Robert Baroody wrties from Santa Fe:

This reader (Independent voter) 100% approves of your continuing focus on MLG’s abysmal record with CYFD. This Governor, who couldn’t help but look good in comparison to her predecessor, has combined incompetence with an innate authoritarianism that has hurt our state. Ditto for your criticisms of the legislators who, blessed with the oil and gas windfall, can’t seem to come up with effective programs to lift us out of 50th place. So damn sad! 

Also from Santa Fe, reader Chris Brown writes:

How much longer will we have Mississippi to diss? Does their Amazon coup have anything to do with their decade-long education initiative? 

Amazon.com's AWS said it plans to invest $10 billion to build two data center complexes in Mississippi, its latest capacity expansion amid growing demand for cloud services as more firms adopt new artificial intelligence technologies. Businesses are doubling down on AI development. . . 

Thanks, Chris. 

This is from the Mississippi Department of Education:

The Education Week Quality Counts report ranked Mississippi No. 2 in the nation for improvement in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Quality Counts ranked Mississippi No. 2 in 2021 for closing 4th grade reading achievement gap between students in low-income families and their wealthier peers. What is more, Mississippi's Quality Counts ranking for K-12 achievement has risen from 50th in 2013 to 35th in 2021.  

THE BOTTOM LINES

Allen Sanchez

Congrats to Allen Sanchez, President of Chi St. Joseph's Children on his appointment to the State Investment Council. That's the Council that presides over a gargantuan $50 billion in state investment funds. He was appointed by Speaker Martinez and confirmed by the Senate on a 23-15 vote. It seems GOP senators are still smarting from Sanchez's long and ultimately successful advocacy for a constitutional amendment that was approved by voters. It led to more funding for early childhood education from the $29 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund. Give them time, Allen. In a couple of years they'll love it.

 

Another solid appointment to the Council--this one by Senate President Mimi Stewart--and approved unanimously by the Senate is that of Kelly O'Donnell, an economist and public finance expert. Back in 2015 when the state was enduring economic pain and the spinners were in denial, we named O'Donnell to our list of "No BullShit Economists" for her frank analysis. We think she'll bring the same candor to her new post where reflections about how to employ the state's massive wealth to improve our dismal rankings is surely in order. Hey Kelly, how about making a motion that the Council conduct a meeting in Mississippi? A lot to learn there. 

The Wednesday blog yesterday posted later than usual. If you missed it, scroll down for the full report. 

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