DOJ: APD has ‘culture of aggression’
Current, past officers acknowledge problems with internal controls
The Department of Justice called it a “culture of aggression.”
And federal lawyers tied it to many other problems they uncovered during their 16-month investigation of the Albuquerque Pol ice Department.
“A disconnect exists between officers and residents about the perception of overly aggressive conduct by officers,” the report says. “We observed that many officers were dismissive of community concerns” and that officers tended to blame news media for whipping up criticism.
“This culture is manifested in the routine nature of excessive force and the lack of corrective actions taken by the department’s leadership to address force incidents,” the report says, and ties into department failures in leadership, internal affairs investigations, discipline, training and recruitment.
Out-of-state consultants hired by Mayor Richard Berry told the Journal that better training coupled with strong oversight and accountability should be able change the culture.
Former APD Lt. Steve Tate agreed all those elements are needed.
“Those problems are tied as much to discipline and Internal Affairs as training,” he said. “A lot of this is linked together.”
Tom Streicher, a former Cincinnati police chief hired by Berry to help carry out reforms here, said it’s possible to change the culture of a police force without waiting for a new generation of officers to come up.
But it takes really effective training and oversight, he said, not just for cadets but also for officers already working in the field.
Training “can change the agency very quickly,” Streicher said.
Scott Greenwood, a civil rights lawyer hired by Berry to negotiate with the Department of Justice, agreed that training will be a key to changing APD.
“Training should be like a religion,” Greenwood said. It must be a “part of who you are.”
Streicher said he’s found that officers who make up less than 5 percent of a police force typically account for 100 percent of the “most serious misconduct” in a department.
“Most of the cops out there know who the problem children are in the department,” he said.
Tate said, “Everyone knows who the knuckleheads are, but officers get discouraged when
that group is not disciplined and even gets promoted.”
The DOJ report found that when officers complete their training they are allowed to carry non-standard weapons. Officers purchase expensive high-powered guns using their own money. The guns become “status symbols,” and officers interviewed by the DOJ said this fondness for powerful weaponry illustrates the problem.
The culture was evident, according to DOJ, in many of the use of force reports federal investigators reviewed and go beyond the use of Tasers on people who are not resisting arrest. The use of Mace and physical force against people either complying with officers or who presented no threat to officers were also flagged by federal investigators.
“The lack of accountability in the use of excessive force promotes an acceptance of disproportionate and aggressive behavior towards residents,” the report states.
Among the findings about the culture of aggression:
APD’s training is focused so heavily on weaponry and force scenarios that officers do not get essential tools to engage in effective de-escalation methods.
Sergeants do not address problems in the use of nonlethal force by officers in the use of Tasers, for instance.
Sergeants complained they did not receive support from the department leadership when they attempted to address problem conduct.
Evidence of this culture was overwhelmingly available to the department’s leadership from reports and videos.
“Sergeants used to be allpowerful,” Tate said. “That is in the past. They are not supported by the chain of command.”
Tate, who retired seven years ago, headed the department’s academy, internal affairs and other units during his career.
“Line supervisors don’t get support so they are no longer setting an example and that goes all the way up to the highest levels,” he said. “The sergeants no longer set the tone for the department.”
Other current and retired officers the Journal spoke with concurred with many of Tate’s observations.
According to DOJ, the department’s lack of internal oversight has allowed a culture of aggression to develop. “This culture is manifested in the routine nature of excessive force and the lack of corrective actions taken by the leadership to address force incidents.”
Tate said that, over the years, Internal Affairs has become less independent and officers feel targeted for what they believe are internal political reasons.
“The culture makes people more afraid to speak out about the problems,” he said.