Firm hired to assess police videos replaced

Concerns raised about previous issues with company in N.M.

The firm hired to investigate allegations Albuquerque police officers deleted portions of police shooting videos has withdrawn from the contract amid concerns about the firm’s prior work in New Mexico and been replaced.

City Attorney Jessica Hernandez said the city is finalizing a new contract with Elijah, a Chicago-based computer forensic firm, that is expected to complete the investigation by the end of the month. The investigation will probably cost about $50,000, she said.

The change in firms came after the state auditor raised questions about Eide Bailly, the first company hired by the city. Eide Bailly, headquartered in Fargo, N.D., was once banned from doing government audits in this state because some significant problems were discovered when the firm audited Miners’ Colfax Hospital in the 2014 fiscal year. The company was able to get its ban lifted but still is facing restrictions when working in New Mexico, according to the Office of the State Auditor.

Hernandez said during a City Council meeting on Monday that she chose a new company so that the public would trust the outcome of the investigation.

“This is too important of an issue, too important of an investigation to have those types of questions or concerns,” Hernandez said.

The city wants an outside firm to do an investigation into allegations by Reynaldo Chavez, who said in a sworn affidavit that police deleted portions of police videos that captured the fatal shootings of 19-year-old Mary Hawkes and Jeremy Robertson, 31. Both shootings were in 2014 and led to lawsuits.

Police officials have denied Chavez’s allegations.

They’ve said the department edits videos to clarify them but does not tamper with or try to hide evidence. They also said the department maintains original versions of all video evidence.

The Department of Justice has confirmed that it also is investigating Chavez’s allegations against the police department.

Joanne Fine, a member of the Police Oversight Board, said members of the police oversight groups in Albuquerque are more concerned with the outcome of the federal investigation into the matter.

“When it comes to tampering with evidence (allegations), we want the highest power to tell us ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” she said. “The FBI is all we need.”