Proposal to Dock Pay of APD Commanders Dies

Opponents Said Accountability Bill Was Unworkable

  BY DENNIS DOMRZALSKI The Albuquerque City Council killed a proposal Monday night that would have withheld raises and retention bonuses for the police department's top brass if the city fails to comply with it settlement agreement on police reform. The proposal by Councilor Diane Gibson failed on a 6-3 vote, with opponents saying it could drive off APD's senior commanders and that it would have been hard to implement. “What will we do if we lose the people who are a year into this process? They are working hard and they are doing a good job,” Councilor Trudy Jones said in opposing the measure. Councilor Ken Sanchez echoed that opinion, saying, “I'd hate to hold the upper command staff hostage.” City Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry told councilors that bit would be difficult to actually measure compliance under the proposal. “The devil is in the details,” he said. Voting for the bill were Gibson and fellow Democrats Isaac Benton and Patrick Davis. Opposed to it were Democrats Ken Sanchez and Klarissa Peña, and Republicans Brad Winter, Dan Lewis, Don Harris and Jones. APD's top commanders get anywhere from $6,000 to $12,000 a year in retention bonuses. City Attorney Jessica Hernandez told councilors that APD now has gotten 16 of 37 policies approved by the special monitor in the settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. All 37 policies must be approved by June 5. Gibson said APD has made progress lately in meeting the requirements of the settlement agreement, but added, “I don't wan to see this backsliding.”

Proposal to Dock Pay of APD Commanders Dies was first published to Albuquerque Alternative Newspaper