ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A federal court monitor says he's mystified and startled by the lack of scrutiny the highest ranking officers in the Albuquerque Police Department give use-of-force cases.
James Ginger made the comments in his latest report on the police department's progress in overhauling how it trains officers to use force and handle encounters with people suffering from mental illness.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the report was filed Tuesday in federal court. It covers the department's efforts from August 2016 through January 2017.
Ginger said his team noticed a palpable shift in the department's approach to reform but that supervisors and command-level officers made too many lapses when reviewing use-of-force cases.
The reforms are part of a 2014 settlement agreement reached between the city and the U.S. Justice Department.