Police reform proposal

Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approves bill on body cameras, unlawful use of force.

SANTA FE — The state Senate approved a proposal late Friday that would require law enforcement officers in New Mexico to wear cameras while on duty.

The legislation, Senate Bill 8, would also direct the state to revoke the law enforcement certification of any officer convicted of unlawful use of physical force.

The proposal passed the Senate on a 31-11 vote and now heads to the House for consideration.

Supporters of the bill said it would add transparency to police work and help respond to the call for police reform after the killing of George Floyd — a Black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed a knee into his neck.

Sen. Joseph Cervantes, a Las Cruces Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said it isn’t just a national problem. He cited local incidents, including the death this year of Antonio Valenzuela, who died after a Las Cruces officer used a vascular neck restraint following a foot chase.

“We have a problem,” Cervantes said as he outlined the need for transparency in policing. “This bill goes in the right direction toward beginning to solve it.”

Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, D-Albuquerque, highlighted the killing of Elisha Lucero, a 28-year-old woman shot at least 21 times by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies last year. The county settled a subsequent lawsuit for $4 million.

Albuquerque police already have body-worn cameras, though Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales has repeatedly resisted calls to require deputies to wear cameras.

Some senators said they liked the idea of requiring cameras, but worried about the cost. Others raised the prospect of unintended consequences, pointing to a section of the bill dealing with legal penalties for failing to turn on the camera.

Sen. Greg Baca, R-Belen, questioned whether it was wise to pass complex legal changes in a special session that’s been closed to the public because of the coronavirus. Police officers and sheriffs, he said, should weigh in on the proposal.

“One of the consequences of sealing out the public,” Baca said, “is we sealed out many of our experts. … I think we’re acting too rapidly.”