New APD Policy Minimizes Use of Force – Albuquerque Journal
Officers in the Albuquerque Police Department are training under new guidelines that emphasize de-escalating situations as part of a larger reform effort.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that under the new policy, officers are expected to use a minimum amount of force and focus on alternatives during confrontations, such as verbal warnings and suggestions.
A Department of Justice investigation found APD had a “culture of aggression” and a pattern of using excessive force after more than 40 shootings by officers over five years. The policy came out of negotiations among DOJ, the city and the Albuquerque Police Officers Association.
Another policy under discussion will focus on investigation procedures in cases where force was used.
Senate Kills Marijiuana Legalization Bill – Albuquerque Journal
An effort to put marijuana legalization before voters in November failed in the state Senate Sunday night.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the proposal was the first time efforts to legalize and tax marijiuana ever made it to the full House or Senate.
Republicans were joined by six Democrats in voting down the measure. Four states have legalized recreational marijuana – Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.
Disgraced Former New Mexico Official To Address Nonprofit – The Associated Press
Former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran will be the guest speaker at a gathering in Albuquerque organized by a nonprofit that offers support for the families of prisoners.
The Wings for L.I.F.E group says Duran is scheduled to speak Monday evening.
Duran was released from the Santa Fe County jail last month after completing a 30-day sentence imposed after she pleaded guilty to felony counts of embezzlement and money laundering.
Duran was prosecuted for using campaign donations to fund a gambling addiction.
Aside from five years of probation, her punishment includes 2,000 hours of community service and she must regularly talk about her experience with school children and civic groups over the next three years.
Duran's attorney did not return messages s
Authorities: Device Found Under Rental Car Was Hoax Bomb – The Associated Press
Authorities now say a suspicious device found on a rental car at Albuquerque's airport was a hoax pipe bomb, not a real one.
The device was found Sunday under a returned car at a car-rental business next to Albuquerque International Sunport.
A bomb unit secured the device, which police spokesman Simon Drobik initially said Monday had a battery ignition system that included an electronic timer.
Drobik said federal authorities told police later Monday that the device was a hoax made to appear to be a real bomb.
A spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, confirmed that the device was a hoax.
ATF spokesman Tom Mangan said the device appeared real but that an examination found that it lacked explosive material and was a hoax.
DA Will Appeal Ruling On Sentencing Of Teen In Murder Case – The Associated Press
A New Mexico prosecutor says she'll appeal a judge's decision to sentence as a juvenile a teen who pleaded guilty to killing his parents and three younger siblings.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg announced Monday that her office decided late Friday to appeal the ruling regarding 18-year-old Nehemiah Griego because of what Brandbenburg called "our continued pursuit of justice."
A children's court judge ruled Thursday that he would sentence Griego as a juvenile because Grieg had shown he is receptive to psychological treatment.
Sentencing as a juvenile would mean that Griego would be released from state custody by the time he turns 21. He was 15 when his five family members were shot and killed.
Griego has been undergoing therapy since May 2014 at a state facility for adolescents.
New Mexico Supreme Court Censures Judge For Improper Contact – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Supreme Court has censured a Santa Fe-based state judge who acknowledged she shouldn't have discussed a case with an attorney for one of the sides.
The Supreme Court on Thursday censured Judge Sarah Singleton of the 1st Judicial District while accepting a settlement between Singleton and the Judicial Standards Commission.
Singleton acknowledged she shouldn't have spoken on the phone with the lawyer for a man who had just won a $165 million jury award FedEx in a wrongful death case in Singleton's court.
Singleton disclosed the contact to all parties in the case and stepped down from the case. The jury verdict is now being appealed.
Singleton agreed in the settlement agreement to have the Supreme Court's censure of her published in a New Mexico legal publication.
EPA: Local Officials To Get Role In Gold King Superfund Site – The Associated Press
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has promised to involve local officials as much as practical in any decisions about a possible Superfund cleanup around the site of a massive mine spill in southwestern Colorado.
The EPA made the pledge in a letter to the town of Silverton and San Juan County dated Friday.
Local officials are negotiating with the EPA over a Superfund designation for the mountains north of Silverton, where wastewater flows from scores of idle mines into the Animas River.
Last August, an EPA crew inadvertently unleashed 3 million gallons of waste from one of those mines, the Gold King. Rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah were polluted.
The EPA has proposed a Superfund designation to fund a multimillion-dollar cleanup but won't do so without local support.
High School Basketball Players Accused Of Punching Freshmen – The Associated Press & KOAT
Seven high school basketball players have been suspended in New Mexico over allegations the boys ganged up on freshmen teammates, hitting and punching them.
KOAT-TV in Albuquerque reports that Santa Fe Public Schools is investigating the alleged incident that took place earlier this month.
The school district says it allegedly happened during a bus ride Feb. 5 after a Santa Fe High School game.
The father of a player told KOAT that his said the older players had all the freshmen go to the back of a bus.
The more senior players then began to punch them, he said.
District officials say attorneys are reviewing video from bus surveillance cameras. The footage has not been released.
New Mexico State Police are also investigating.
No charges have been filed.
Mental Health Agencies Cleared Of Fraud Want Investigation – Albuquerque Journal
Behavioral health providers targeted by the state for fraud are calling for a federal investigation after they were cleared by the attorney general.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the group along with the state Democratic Party wants federal officials to look into the state investigation that prompted the Human Services Department to cut off Medicaid funding to 15 providers in 2013.
HSD officials claimed an audit found millions in overbilling, mismanagement and potential fraud. Last week, Attorney General Hector Balderas cleared 10 accused providers of those charges.
A spokesperson for HSD said the department disagrees with the conclusions by Balderas.
Providers said they were not allowed to address the allegations by the state and some are pursuing a civil lawsuit.
New Mexico Moves To Cut Spending To Offset Oil Bust – Associated Press
The state of New Mexico has slashed revenue projections for this year and next by a quarter-billion dollars because of low oil and natural gas prices and is preparing to reduce general fund spending next year.
The Senate Finance Committee unveiled budget amendments on Saturday that would shave spending across state agencies this year and cut funding to all but a handful of government department during the coming fiscal year.
Under the recommended $6.2 billion budget, some spending increases next year would be preserved for state prisons, the Department of Public Safety, public schools, Medicaid and child protective services.
State analysts cut revenues estimates for the current year by $125 million both this year and next. No layoffs or furloughs are planned.
Explosive Device Found On Rental Car At Airport Rental Facility – KOB-TV
The rental car facility at the Albuquerque International Sunport was temporarily shut down after an explosive device was found on a rental car.
KOB-TV reports that police were called to Avis Budget rental car Sunday morning after a mechanic found an explosive device underneath a returned car.
The entire rental facility was shut down while Albuquerque Police Department, FBI and the ATF investigated. No flights were affected during the event.
Disgraced Former New Mexico Official To Address Nonprofit – Associated Press
Former New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran will be the guest speaker at a gathering in Albuquerque organized by a nonprofit that offers support for the families of prisoners.
The Wings for L.I.F.E group says Duran is scheduled to speak Monday evening.
Duran was released from the Santa Fe County jail last month after completing a 30-day sentence imposed after she pleaded guilty to felony counts of embezzlement and money laundering.
Duran was prosecuted for using campaign donations to fund a gambling addiction.
Aside from five years of probation, her punishment includes 2,000 hours of community service and she must regularly talk about her experience with school children and civic groups over the next three years.
Duran's attorney did not return messages seeking comment about Monday's appearance.
DA Weighs Appeal In Case Of Teen Who Killed Family Members – Associated Press
A New Mexico district attorney says she's disappointed a teen who pleaded guilty to killing his parents and three younger siblings will be sentenced as a juvenile, and her office is considering an appeal.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg says a final decision on an appeal hadn't been reached Friday, a day after a children's court judge ruled lawyers for 18-year-old Nehemiah Griego had shown he is receptive to psychological treatment.
The judge's decision means Griego will be sentenced as a juvenile and released from state custody by the time he turns 21. He was 15 when his five family members were shot and killed.
Heinrich To Host Discussion On New Mexico's Heroin Problem – Associated Press
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is planning a community discussion in northern New Mexico to address the state's growing heroin and prescription drug addiction epidemic.
The New Mexico Democrat will tour treatment centers in the Espanola Valley before arriving at the pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh for the discussion Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the Rio Arriba Community Health County will be among those participating.
Between 2010 and 2014, Rio Arriba County's drug overdose death rate was 78.4 deaths per 100,000. That was the highest rate in the state.
Heinrich is supporting federal legislation that would provide $600 million in emergency funding for substance abuse programs nationwide. The bill would also provide a series of incentives and resources designed to encourage states and local communities to pursue proven strategies to combat addiction.
Beloved Dog Sculpture Taken From Albuquerque Museum – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
A beloved pet of the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History's sculpture garden has been dog-napped.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that police are investigating the theft of a bronze dog nicknamed "Sparky."
A museum employee noticed Wednesday that the sculpture was missing.
Sparky is part of an installation called "Park Place" by sculptor Glenna Goodacre that was acquired in 1999.
The 100-pound canine was perched on the ground staring at an accompanying sculpture of a seated elderly man.
Museum curator Andrew Connors says someone sawed through a bolt that tethered the dog to concrete in the ground.
Connors says he is hoping the incident is a prank and the sculpture isn't going to be melted down for scrap value.
A new sculpture will cost thousands of dollars.