The governor suggested expanded conflict de-escalation training for law enforcement recruits and an overhaul of probation and parole rules be among the changes pursued in the coming months. Racial profiling is also problematic in New Mexico. An example – the Hobbs Police Department has faced claims from several former officers alleging police officials targeted enforcement efforts against black and Hispanic communities. In recent years, New Mexico has placed first or second in the nation for its rate of deadly shootings by law enforcement officers.

The governor referred to Albuquerque’s history with police use-of-force issues. On April 10, 2014, the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice issued its report of an 18-month civil rights investigation of APD. The DOJ reviewed excessive use of force and deadly force cases and found APD had engaged in a “pattern and practice” of unconstitutional “use of force” and “deadly force” and found a “culture of aggression” within APD. The result was in November 2014 Albuquerque and APD entered into a federal court-approved settlement agreement mandating 276 reforms.

What differentiates the DOJ’s investigation of APD from all the other federal investigations of police departments is that the other investigations involved in one form or another the finding of “racial profiling” and use of excessive force or deadly force against African Americans, Hispanics or other minorities.

However, DOJ’s finding of a “culture of aggression” within APD dealt with APD’s interactions and responses to suspects that were mentally ill and were having psychotic episodes. The investigation found APD’s policies, training and supervision were insufficient to ensure officers encountering people with mental illness or in distress do so in a manner that respected their rights and in a manner that was safe for all involved.

The settlement agreement (CASA) mandates sweeping changes and reforms to APD. Over the last five years of implementing the mandated DOJ reforms, APD has made significant progress under the watchful eye of a federal court-approved monitor. The reforms apply as much to the treatment of minorities as to the treatment of the mentally ill.

Our law enforcement communities must understand with complete clarity that police brutality, excessive use of force and deadly force based on racial profiling and the presumption of guilt because of a person’s color, and not evidence, will not be tolerated. No Hispanic, no African American and no person of color should ever feel uncomfortable talking to any police officer or feel they cannot call the police to ask for help or to report a crime. Police must recognize that performing their motto to “serve and protect” is not determined by skin color.

We must as a country come to grips with the reality that for our country to survive and to stand for the concept that “all men and women are created equal,” racism of any kind must be condemned and not tolerated on any level of our lives, especially in law enforcement and our judicial system. We have a moral obligation to look within ourselves and admit racism in this country is tearing it apart.