Ex-treasurer will oversee police reform
Mayor Tim Keller announced Sunday that former state treasurer James Lewis has been appointed to oversee police reform and help implement community policing.
As senior advisor for public safety, Lewis will “bring civilian perspectives to the table as our police department works to implement the (Department of Justice) reforms,” Keller said in a news release.
Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said that means Lewis will ensure that APD is in compliance “and put them on the right path if they’re falling short.”
Gallegos said Lewis will also work with the department as it formulates a community policing plan.
“He’s going to make sure that we really involve as many communities as possible, make sure it’s very diverse — small businesses, neighborhoods, different groups,” Gallegos said. “Making sure police are interacting with those communities on a regular basis.”
Lewis has worked in federal, state and local government for nearly four decades.
He spent three terms as state treasurer and two terms as treasurer for Bernalillo County.
Lewis also worked as assistant secretary of the federal Department of Energy, where he oversaw the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. He served as chief of staff to Governor Bruce King in the early 1990s and as Albuquerque’s chief administrative officer under Mayor Martin Chavez.
Keller said Lewis is a trusted community leader who “will work closely with Deputy Chief Eric Garcia and the DOJ compliance bureau to bring effective community policing to our streets to tackle the crime epidemic.”