City reaches agreement on DOJ settlement

July 26, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE – The City of Albuquerque reached an agreement with U.S. Department of Justice to suspend monitoring of several paragraphs of the Court Approved Settlement Agreement based on APD’s sustained operational compliance. The action affects nearly a quarter of the oversight requirements in the agreement between APD and the DOJ.

APD is still required to meet the requirements of the agreement, but the department will move to self-monitoring to ensure compliance.

“We pointed out in court today that APD’s progress is here to stay,” Chief Harold Medina said. “We demonstrated that we are committed to the changes made in several key areas, and we no longer need federal oversight. We are making similar progress throughout the department, and we will shift resources to meet the remaining challenges we face.”

The agreement with DOJ states the City has demonstrated sustained operational compliance based on APD’s progress and there is no further need for compliance evaluation by the Monitor or DOJ for these paragraphs.

For example, APD has maintained operational compliance in areas such as:

• Multi-Agency Task Force
• Specialized Units, including Specialized Tactical Units and Specialized Investigative Units
• Behavioral Sciences Section
• Field Training and Evaluation Program
• Public Information on Civilian Complaints
• Staffing
• Recruitment and Hiring
• Performance Evaluations and Promotions
• Officer Assistance and Support

“This is a major milestone that reflects our decision last year to take control of a DOJ reform process that was backsliding,” Mayor Tim Keller said. “After years of officers buried under bureaucracy and weighed down by low morale; we refused to give up on reform or cede control of local police work to federal control. Now, we continue to be committed to real reform, but at much faster pace; rejecting ideas that are patently bad for crime fighting and we are standing up for truth in the process.”

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