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ABQ Police Chief To Retire Amid Probe

Civil rights groups are welcoming news that the head of Albuquerque's embattled police department is retiring.

Chief Ray Schultz's announcement comes five months after the U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation that was spurred by protests, lawsuits and demands for a wide-scale change. The city has seen 18 fatal officer-involved shootings since 2010 and a number of high-profile cases alleging excessive force.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center Board president Jewel Hall says Schultz's resignation shows that when people ask for answers, "things will change."

Civil rights advocates said they are hopeful the city's reputation can be rebuilt with leadership changes in the department.

In a letter sent to the city's chief administrative officer Wednesday, Schultz said he plans to retire sometime during the summer or fall. The letter was released Friday.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.