Scathing Report Released on Albuquerque’s Police Department

For some time, Albuquerque’s Police Department has been under scrutiny for perceived excesses in force. There was enough evidence to warrant a federal investigation by the Department of Justice, and the findings of that investigation are shocking. The report found that the “APD engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.” Specifically, the DOJ found that Albuquerque’s police too often use excessive and even deadly force against people who pose little or no risk, or are passively resisting. Perhaps more disturbingly, it found a pattern of police using excessive force against people with mental illnesses, with little or no follow-up investigation in such instances. “Public Trust has been broken in Albuquerque, but it can be repaired through this process,” Acting Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels said …