http://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/albuquerque-real-time-crime-center-tj-wilham-job-position-reapply/4596504/

According to a Channel 4 investigative report, APD’s Real Time Crime Center manager T.J. Wilham, the former spokesman for Mayor Berry and former Albuquerque Journal reporter, is being transferred from an unclassified, at will position he holds to the same position that is now classified giving him more job security so he may be better protected from losing his job when a new mayor takes over on December 1, 2017.

As was the case with Dayna Crawford being transferred into a classified position at the Transit Department, TJ Wilham being transferred into a classified position is so very wrong on so many levels.

It turns out his job description appears to have been almost handwritten with only him in mind, he then applies for the newly created classified job that he already was holding down as an at will employee and gets the job.

What adds insult to injury, as a civilian he is being given extensive and expensive training that should be reserved for sworn police officers and not civilians

TJ Wilham as an Albuquerque Journal reporter eight (8) years ago wrote highly biased stories against the Chavez Administration.

When Berry was elected, he went to work for Berry as his spokesman along with Chris Ramirez who left Channel 4 and later returned to the station.

City Hall insiders say TJ Wilham and Chris Ramirez did not get along and Ramirez was forced out, which may now explain Channel 4’s story to some degree.

TJ Whilham is paid paid $39.50 an hour or $82,160 or more than double what he made as a newspaper reporter, not including benefits from the City such as sick leave, annual leave and health insurance which adds about 20% to his base salary.

All too often political operatives take high paying political jobs with an elected administration knowing full well they are at-will employees assuming the risk of termination in exchange for a lucrative salary.

When their time finally runs out they seek the protections of personnel rules and regulations that are more designed to protect long term employees who make significantly less.

It’s the sense of entitlement to continued city employ net by Berry loyalist that is so very disturbing.

I remember 8 years ago, Mayor elect Berry during the transition sent one of his political operatives to the Mayor’s Office who wrote down the names off of names plates to get correct spellings of all the at will employees who worked in the Mayor’s office.

Berry then sent out termination letters and he filled the positions with his own loyalists.

I did not care, knew the risks and just retired.