NM Daily Lobo 040314

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DAILY LOBO new mexico

#Relationship S Thirdwheelin’ it see Page 4

The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895

thursday April 3, 2014

Berry urges DOJ to release APD investigation findings by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno

After protests against the Albuquerque Police Department this week, the mayor has urged the Department of Justice to rush its investigation of the city’s police. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Richard Berry announced that he has sent a letter to the DOJ urging a release of preliminary findings of the APD investigation to him. Berry said that in his letter, he also requested a meeting with the federal department to discuss plans to improve the police. But Berry said he still backs APD. “It wasn’t an easy letter to write, and I didn’t take it lightly,” he said. “This letter should not be taken as an indication that I have lost my faith in the Albuquerque Police Department. They go to work every day. They risk their lives to protect our families our property and our city.” Berry said he was forced to rush the DOJ investigation in the aftermath of the fatal officer-involved shooting of James Boyd. “With the length of time that has taken the DOJ to complete the review coupled with the events surrounding the James Boyd incident, I do not feel that I can take any longer to take actions like those spelled out in the letter today,” he said. “I believe it’s the right thing to do with the city of Albuquerque, and it’s the right thing to do with

the Albuquerque Police Department.” On March 16, APD shot and killed James Boyd, a homeless man who was caught illegally camping in the Sandia Foothills. In a video that was taken from an officer’s helmet camera, Boyd can be seen turning away from APD officers as they opened fire. According to the letter, Berry aims to facilitate a partnership with the Department of Justice to increase community confidence with APD. He said he has “dedicated one million dollars in my proposed budget to aggressively moving forward.” He said he has been working with APD Chief Gorden Eden. Berry said he has passed 60 reforms to the police department since the beginning of his administration. To decrease police violence, Berry said he plans to instate additional reforms to APD. For example, Berry said he plans to hire a fourth deputy chief who would be in charge of accountability and training measures as well as more intensive evaluations for officers. He said this person will implement “department-wide training programs for constitutional awareness.” Berry said he considers requiring crisis intervention training among all APD field services bureau officers. This would mean that APD would also require new cadets from the Albuquerque Police Academy to have crisis intervention training as soon as possible. He said 27 percent of all field

services bureau officers have crisis intervention training. Berry also suggested having the DOJ monitor APD operations in the future. He said this would consist of having an individual from out of state craft initiatives and accountability measures for the department. “Frankly, the James Boyd officerinvolved shooting incident really was a game changer,” he said. “We want to continue with those reforms, and we will continue with those, but pending the outcome of the DOJ investigations, we wanted to reach out to them today and start crafting a monitoring plan that I personally feel would be part of what will take place in the future.” But Eden said this does not mean total DOJ oversight of his department. “What we’re asking for them is to tell us what it is that they’re going to be suggesting, what it is that can make the department better,” he said. “This in no way should be even thought as asking, or even suggesting, a Department of Justice takeover. What we’re asking for is answers and recommendations.” Eden said he met with DOJ representatives last week, but he said he was unable to get a timeline of the investigation. “I asked them then, ‘What’s the timeline?’” he said. “For me, it’s an important thing to have. I didn’t like the response… I know that we

Aaron Sweet /@AaronCSweet/ Daily Lobo In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Richard Berry announced that he has sent a letter to the DOJ urging them to release preliminary findings of its APD investigation to him. can just do things better. That’s what we’re going to do. I want to start seeing greater positive outcomes with all our citizen encounters.” At the moment, the officers who shot Boyd dead are on administrative leave, Eden said. He said the DOJ has instructed him to give further comment on Boyd’s case. Berry said he is calling on the City Council to initiate reform that would make the Police Oversight Commission more efficient. He said he also calls on the state Legislature to draft laws that would

increase people’s access to mental health services in the state. Berry said he fully supports the creation of a new mental hospital in the city. But Berry said he does not blame APD for the number of fatal police shootings in recent years. He said he will leave that duty to the DOJ. “The easy thing to do would probably be to point fingers,” he said. “I’ve never done that, and I’m not going to do that today. I have a job as a mayor, and that job is to determine through investigations if that was or wasn’t the case.”

Vigil held for James Boyd Candidates’ no Friends and community members gather to pay their respects to Boyd

by Chloe Henson

by Ardee Napolitano

assistant-news@dailylobo.com @ChloeHenson5 Eyrie Brian Faulkner stood at the foot of Copper Trail Head on Wednesday evening and watched as more than 100 people ascended to the scene where James Boyd had been shot. Faulkner had known Boyd, but wounds in his hip and knee prevented him from climbing the hill. “I wish I could go up there,” Faulkner said. “I’ll say my goodbyes at another date by myself.” Boyd stayed at Faulkner’s apartment three days before his death, Faulkner said. He said he had known Boyd from a time when they were both homeless. “This was the first time that he had actually asked for help,” he said. “When I say ask for help, he didn’t want to be on the streets anymore. He was tired of beating himself up.” On March 16, Albuquerque Police Department officers shot and killed Boyd, a homeless man who was caught illegally camping in the Sandia Foothills. In a video that was taken from an officer’s helmet camera, Boyd can be seen turning away from APD officers as they open fire. “I do not believe this was a

Inside the

Daily Lobo volume 118

issue 126

show stirs conflict news@dailylobo.com @ArdeeTheJourno

Aaron Sweet /@AaronCSweet/ Daily Lobo Star Garrett, left, and Shannon Haley climb the trail to the location where James Boyd was shot on March 16. Garrett says that she believes the police could have handled the situation in a different way. righteous shooting,” Faulkner said. “In every part of my being, this was excessive force.” People gathered for a candlelit vigil that night to pay their respects and reminisce about Boyd at the place where he was shot. Several people who had known Boyd personally talked about him and the change his death could bring to the community. “I consider the times that I had with him to be very precious,”

said David Sisneros, an acquaintance of Boyd’s who spoke at the vigil. “He was a good man. He was struggling with some issues, yes. But he had a good heart.” Others at the vigil also discussed the problems regarding mental health. According to The New York Times, Boyd had a history of mental health issues. “When (Boyd) was well and

see Vigil PAGE 2

Recap of protests

Pit stop

see Page 8

see Page 10

As early voting for this semester’s Associated Students of the University of New Mexico election start today, one community organizer has criticized two presidential candidates. At an endorsement forum Wednesday at the Student Union Building, Golden Key Honor Society President Israel Chavez bashed incumbent Isaac Romero and ASUNM Sen. Colt Balok, both vying for the undergraduate student government’s presidency. Romero, who’s bidding for a second term, is running with the Forward UNM slate, while Balok is running with the Team You slate. Chavez said he is offended that the two candidates did not attend the endorsement forum. “The other candidates running for the presidency decided that it wasn’t important enough for them to come to the endorsement forum, which is the only forum where students are allowed to publicly ask candidates questions,” he said. Chavez said he specifically criticizes Romero because his

first presidential term has been “centered on exclusion.” Chavez said he is disappointed not to see the incumbent at the event and that he would not be able to ask questions to Romero about his first presidential term. “President Romero had consistently made himself the beall and end-all of positions for the student body… especially when dealing with matters like the Lottery. He’s running on this platform of inclusion; however his actions in the past and the administration that he has run have been a pattern of exclusion. I think he realized that people were going to ask him questions about that, and he did not feel prepared to answer to that.” Romero faced opposition in February from groups that believed he was misrepresenting them when ASUNM representatives handed out fliers on UNM Day at the state Legislature stating students supported Senate Bill 150. The bill would have increased the minimum GPA required to keep the scholarship from 2.5 to 2.75. Romero later apologized for the incident. Chavez said he does not have

see ASUNM PAGE 3

TODAY

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