During the 30 day 2024 New Mexico Legislative session that ended February 16, the legislature passed Senate Bill 87 which allows retired law enforcement officers to return to work in law enforcement without affecting their pension. Beginning July 1, 2024, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) is encouraging retired law enforcement officers to return to work that retired prior to December 31, 2023 and have been retired for at least 90 consecutive days.
In July 2023, Mayor Keller and Chief Harold Medina announced the longevity pay incentive to help recruit more officers. Return to work officers will begin at $31.89 an hour for their first year back including longevity pay. After one year of probation is completed, officers will receive title and pay based on years of service for the longevity incentive.
Salary including the longevity incentive is as follows:
- $60,008.00 a year as a cadet
- $62,982.40 a year for first year of service
- $74,692.80 a year for 1 to 4 years of service
- $80,002.00 a year for 5 years of service
- $80,678.00 a year for 6 years of service
- $83,408.00 a year for 7 to 9 years of service
- $85,462.00 year 10 to 12 years of service
- $86,840.00 year 13 to 14 years of service
- $90,708.80 year 15 years of service
- $93,438.80 year 16 to 17 years of service
- $97,520.80 year 18+ years of service
https://www.newsradiokkob.com/2024/05/30/apd-launching-rehire-program-for-retired-officers/
https://www.aol.com/apd-launch-program-aimed-bringing-030100000.html
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-police-rehire-program-retired-officers/60942339
https://www.newsradiokkob.com/2024/05/30/apd-launching-rehire-program-for-retired-officers/
https://www.newsradiokkob.com/2024/05/30/apd-launching-rehire-program-for-retired-officers/
POLICE LONGEVITY PAY
It was on July, 14 2023, the Mayor Tim Keller Administration announced the “longevity pay” for APD sworn police officers as part of a two year negotiated APD Union Contract. APD sworn qualify for longevity pay in their fifth year of service. Under the police union contract terms, longevity pay starts at $2,730 per year and increases to a whopping $16,380 annually for those who have served 17 or more years. The longevity pay scale bi-weekly annual amounts are as follows:
Beginning Year 5 through 5, $105 paid bi weekly, $2,730 annually
Beginning Year 6 through 6, $131 paid bi weekly, $3,406 annually
Beginning Year 7 through 9, $236 paid bi weekly, $6,136 annually
Beginning Year 10 through 12, $315 paid bi weekly, $8,190 annually
Beginning Year 13 through 15, $368 paid bi weekly, $9,568 annually
Beginning Year 16 through 17, $473 paid bi weekly, $12,298 annually
Beginning Year 18 and above, $630 paid bi weekly, $16,380 annually
https://www.cabq.gov/humanresources/documents/apoa-jul-9-2016.pdf/view
RETENTION PAY BONUSES
It was on October 7, 2022 that APD announced retention pay bonuses for police officers who have been on the force 19 years or more, and who are eligible for retirement. They are paid as much as $18,000 more per year, or $1,500 more a month. In addition, the department pays 100% of the officers’ medical benefits. In addition to $18,000 more a year in incentive pay to 19 year veterans, police officers with 18 years or more of police service are paid $16,380 annual longevity pay resulting in a combined $34,380 of incentive pay and longevity pay in one year
PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGET
The entire City of Albuquerque budget is what is referred to as a performance-based budget. The City’s budget is formulated in two parts: 1. A financial plan and 2. Performance plan.
The Financial Plan is organized by department budgets and funds, and program strategy. Funds are groupings of related accounts that are used to maintain control over resources that have been segregated for specific activities.
The Performance Plan is organized by goals, desired community conditions, and program strategy. A goal is a long-term result that is further defined by desired community conditions that would exist if the goal were achieved.
https://www.cabq.gov/dfa/budget
When it comes to the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), statistics are compiled in areas that reflect performance and outcomes aimed at influencing the larger outcomes and goals that APD is striving to achieve. The performance measures capture APD’s ability to perform the services at the highest level achieved from the previous year and the “target” level for the new fiscal year. Target levels and percentages are merely goals that may or may not be achieved.
The performance measures are absolutely critical in order for the City Council to understand fully the shortcomings and strengths of APD and make critical budget decisions. Without such statics, budget review and decisions are done in the dark and in a real sense become useless, become an exercise in futility and the city council is relegated to rubber stamping whatever budget is presented to them.
APD’S PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGET
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) continues to be the largest funded department budget and it is about a fifth of the total General Fund Operating Budget. The Fiscal Year 2025 General Fund budget for the Albuquerque Police Department is $271.5 million, which represents an increase of 5.2% or $13.4 million above the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. 1,840 full time positions will be funded which includes funding for 1,010 sworn police positions.
The budget includes full funding for 1,010 sworn police officers which is identical to last year. However, the city has yet to hit its goal of 1,000 sworn police. APD had 856 sworn officers last year and this year the highest number achieved was a 880 sworn police officers in the department and 50 cadets are currently going through the police academy.
The 2024-2025 approved budget includes the following specific funding:
- Funding for 1,010officers positions across the Albuquerque Police Department, including, with an increase in Police Service Aides and civilian support staff, with a targeted total of 1,100 sworn police
- $22 million for the use of crime-fighting technology through the Real-Time Crime Center and the APD Crime Lab
- $800,000 is allocated for support for the Office of the Superintendent of Police Reform and the Independent Monitoring Team for federal oversight and consent decree related expenses so that APD can reach reform goals.
- Funding for the Automated Speed Enforcement program, including hearing officers.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
The following performance measures can be gleaned from the 2024-2025 proposed budget as they related to APD sworn personnel. The data reflects how effective APD has been with its budget over the last two years.
NUMBER OF SWORN APD OFFICERS:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 894
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 877
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 856
Target for Fiscal Year 2025: 1,100
NUMBER OF CADET GRADUATES:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 95
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 85
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 54
Target for Fiscal Year 2025: 120
NUMBER OF 911 CALLS RECEIVED:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 459,720
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 434,083 (Calls down 25,637)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 215,492
Target for Fiscal Year 2025: 400,000
NUMBER OF 242-COPS CALLS RECEIVED:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 527,472
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 448,100 (Calls down 79,372)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 247,536
Target for Fiscal Year 2025: 550,000
NUMBER OF CALLS FOR SERVICE:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 512,394
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 537,276 (24,882 INCREASE)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 247,536
Target for Fiscal Year 2025: 550,000
EDITOR’S NOTE: Note the dramatic decline in calls to both emergency 911 calls and 242-COPS, but there was an increase in overall “calls for service” which is where sworn police are dispatched.
NUMBER OF VIOLENT CRIMES PER 100,000 RESIDENTS:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 2,312
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 2,646 (334 INCREASE)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 1,120
NUMBER OF PROPERTY CRIMES PER 100,000 RESIDENTS:
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 7,229
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 7,624 (395 INCREASE)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 3,127
CLEARANCE RATE OF CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS (e.g. murder, rape, assaults)
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 44%
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 40% (Clearance Rate Down 4%)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 44%
CLEARANCE RATE OF CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY (e.g. robbery, bribery, burglary)
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 9%
Fiscal Year 2023: 8% (Clearance Rate Down 1%)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 8%
% OF STOLEN VEHICLES RECOVERED
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 47%
Fiscal Year 2023: 67%
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 57%
CLEARANCE RATE OF CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY (e.g. gambling, prostitution, drug violations)
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 57%
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 44% (Clearance Rate Down 13%)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 55%
% HOMICIDE CLEARANCE RATE
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 71%
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 83% (Up 12%)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 93%
NUMBER OF FELONY ARRESTS
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 6,122
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 8,034 (Up 1,912)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 4,633
NUMBER OF MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 9,799
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 11,293 (Up 1,494 arrests)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 5,883
NUMBER OF DWI ARRESTS
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 1,287
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 1,385 (Up 98 arrests)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 674
PERCENTAGE OF CASES SUBMITTED TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Actual Fiscal Year 2022: 96%
Actual Fiscal Year 2023: 85% (Down 9%)
Mid- Fiscal Year 2024: 86%
APD’S WORKLOADS INCREASE AND DECREASE OVER 4 YEARS
Despite being severely understaffed, APD’s performance measure reveal that the department’s workload has increased and decreased over the last 4 years.
The number of calls for service increased by 24,882 going from 512,394 in 2022 to 537,276 in 2023 with the projected targeted number at 550,000 for 2025
APD’s felony arrests went up by 1,912 going from 6,122 in 2022 to 8,034 in 2023 with 4,633 felony arrests by midyear 2024. Notwithstanding felony arrests going up over the last 2 years, APD felony arrest were much higher in 2020 with 10,945 felony arrests and in 2021 with 6,621 felony arrests.
APD’s misdemeanor arrests also went up 1,494 going from 9,799 in 2022 to 11,293 in 2023 with 5,883 misdemeanor by midyear 2024. Notwithstanding misdemeanor arrests going up over the past 2 years, misdemeanor arrests were much higher in 2020 with 19,440 misdemeanor arrests and in 2021 with 16,520 misdemeanor arrests.
The number of DWI arrests has increased by a mere 98 arrests going from 1,287 in 2022 to 1,385 in 2023. DWI arrests were much higher in 2020 with 1,788 DWI arrests and in 2021 with 1,230 DWI arrests.
The percentage of cases submitted to the District Attorney for prosecutions has gone down by 9% with 96% submitted in 2022 and 85% submitted in 2023. The lack of personnel to complete investigations in full contributes to the decline in case submitted.
CLEARANCE RATES DOWN IN ALL THREE MAJOR CATEGORIES
Clearance rates are where the “rubber hits the road” when it comes to law enforcement. The ultimate goal is to solve a case, apprehend a perpetrator and prosecute. APD uses the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) as required by the FBI and there are 3 major broad categories of crime. The 3 major categories are then broken down into 52 sub-categories.
NIBRS counts virtually all crimes committed during an incident and for that reason alone NIMRS is far more sophisticated than the “most serious incident-based” reporting SRS reporting system which list only 8 major categories of crime.
Over the past 2 years, APD’s clearance rates have gone down in all 3 major categories of crime:
CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY include gambling, prostitution, and drug violations, and represent society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity and are typically victimless crimes. APD’s clearance rate in Crimes Against Society went down 13%, going from 57% in 2022 to 44% in 2023.
CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS include murder, rape, and assault, and are those in which the victims are always individuals. APD’s clearance rate in Crimes Against Persons went down 4% going from 44% in 2022 to 40% in 2023.
CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY include robbery, bribery, and burglary, or to obtain money, property, or some other benefit. APD’s clearance rate in Crimes property went down by 1% going from 9% in 2022 to 8% in 2023. APD Spokesperson Franchesca Perdue said property crime clearance rates are generally low because there are usually no witnesses or offender information after the crime has been committed.
According to the proposed 2024-205 budget, APD’s goal is to more than double the clearance rate for property crimes setting a goal to clear 20% of property crimes. The department had the same goal last year but fell far short. APD Spokesperson Franchesca Perdue said this about APD’s low clearance rates in property crime:
“The most common way to overcome this is the use of surveillance videos, better lighting, and neighbors working together to report suspicious activity. … There is increased lab personnel to assist in processing evidence such as fingerprints and the number of crime scene specialists is the highest it’s been at the department. … The hope is that more evidence will be gathered and processed, which will lead to more cases being solved and a higher clearance rate.”
The link to the relied upon and quoted news source is here:
RECRUITMENTS UP BUT OFFSET BY DEPARTURES
Note that the approved APD budget of $271.5 million includes proposed funding for 1,100 sworn police officers and 725 civilian employees. APD acknowledges the 1,100 figure for sworn police officers is a goal established by previous administrations. The last time APD reached the goal of 1,100 police officers was in 2009 under the third term of Mayor Martin Chavez. The Keller Administration now says that the 1,100 figure is an unrealistic goal. According to the 2024-2025 proposed budget, by mid-fiscal year 2024, APD had 856 sworn officers. The 856 number is fewer than in fiscal year 2023 when there were 877 and in and 2022 when there were 894 officers.
APD Spokesperson Rebecca Atkins said this:
[The 1,100] goal is from the past and is unrealistic. … If the department reaches more than 1,000 officers, there is an administrative plan to request additional resources in order to fund the additional officers. APD is focused on a [comprehensive approach to public safety] …That includes a multitude of things including civilianizing many areas of the department as well as advancements in technology, which have been a force multiplier for APD.”
City Councilor Dan Champine is a former APD Police Officer. He said he thinks reaching 1,100 officers and going from 875 to 1,100 officers isn’t an unrealistic expectation, but it will take time to reach that goal.
City Councilor Champine said this:
“You have an academy class that’s six months long and you put 50 people in the class, so you do two of those, that’s 100 people that are going to graduate in a year and put out on the streets. … And during that one year at a time, you lose 60 people because of retirement or moving or life, so now your net gain is 40.”
APD Spokesperson Rebecca Atkins said in the last year, APD has seen a record number of recruits and some of the largest cadet classes in a decade. However, 80 officers separated from the department during the last fiscal year with 40 sworn officers resigning, 35 retiring, and 5 terminated.
The city’s targeted number of recruits for next year is 120, although it has not yet broken 100 in previous years. In fiscal year 2023, there were 85 recruits and in 2022 there were 95. By mid-year of fiscal year 2024, APD had 54 recruits.
APD has ramped up its recruiting presence on social media platforms, television and in movie theaters. APD Spokesperson Rebecca Atkins said a plan was put into place in 2022 to ramp up recruiting efforts for the Police Service Aide program because they’re a pipeline to future officers. Police Service Aides are tasked with handling minor traffic crashes, writing reports, managing traffic control and assisting with other administrative duties. Atkins said this:
“There will always be retirements and separations year to year, but, the growing number of cadets in our academy and PSAs who will become future officers continue to add to the department’s growing numbers. … We will continue our recruiting efforts…which have been successful in reaching qualified candidates who want to join the department. Just in the last two years, nearly two dozen PSAs have become police officers at APD. … We also currently have nearly 100 PSAs in the department, which is the highest number in the department’s history.”
Once PSAs are qualified to become officers which is usually when they turn 21 they can apply to become sworn officers.
https://citydesk.org/2024/mayors-proposed-budget-includes-5-more-funding-for- police/?utm_medium=email&mc_cid=608fffdc41&mc_eid=001367acf1
ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY
When it comes to the Albuquerque Police Department and the performance measure contained in the 2024-2025 it is painfully obvious that APD is falling short in getting its job done of public safety and when it comes to recruitment and retention of sworn police officers. The blunt truth is that there has been 15 years of zero progress on increasing sworn personnel numbers.
On December 1, 2009 when Mayor Richard Berry was sworn into office succeeding Mayor Marty Chavez, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) was the best trained, best equipped, best funded police department in its history. In 2009, APD was fully staffed with 1,100 sworn police officers. APD response times had been brought down below the national average and violent and property crime rates in Albuquerque were hitting historical lows.
During the 8 years Mayor Richard Berry was in office, the city’s violent crime and property crime rates hit historical highs and APD went into a personnel meltdown going from 1,100 sworn police officers to 853 sworn police, a loss of 247 sworn police. Since taking office on December 1, 2017 Mayor Tim Keller has made Public Safety his number one priority over the last 7 years because of the city’s spiking crime rates.
Notwithstanding all of Mayor Keller’s efforts to recruit and expand APD, the department is still seriously short staffed despite the millions being spent on salary increases, sign on bonuses and being the best paid law enforcement agency in the state and the region.
According to the 2024-2025 proposed budget, by mid-fiscal year 2024, APD had 856 sworn officers which is only 3 more sworn police than the day Keller took office in 2017. Given the volume of arrests and cases, APD is critically understaffed to complete its mission.
MULTIPLE REASONS FOR THE SWORN PERSONNEL MELT DOWN
It’s no too difficult to pin point the multiple reasons for the sworn personnel melt down over the last 15 years.
First, APD’s poor reputation has made it difficult to attract a new generation of police officers. The Department of Justice civil rights investigation in 2013 contributed to APD’s poor reputation when it found that APD engaged in a pattern of “excessive use of force” and “deadly force” and found a “culture of aggression” with numerous judgments entered against the city for civil rights violations. The killing of homeless camper James Boyd in the Sandia Foothills by APD in 2014 expedited the city and APD entering into a consent decree that mandated 271 reforms and constitutional policing practices. 2 APD Officers were charged with murder of Boyd, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict and the city settled the case for $5 Million. The consent decree was suppose to last only 4 years and be dismissed, but it lasted 9 years after APD management and the police union engaged repeatedly in obstruction tactics and failed to come into compliance with the reforms. On May 13, 3024, it was announced APD has come into compliance and it likely the case will be dismissed after 2 more years of being in full compliance. A more recent scandal that has now rocked APD is the Bribery and Conspiracy Scandal to dismiss DWI cases where 9 police officers have now been implicated as the investigation expands.
Second, respect for law enforcement deteriorated all over the country as departments came under intensive scrutiny for civil rights violations and repeated killings of African Americans and other minorities. That intense scrutiny culminated with the killing of George Floyd and the conviction of 5 Minneapolis Police Officers and the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States.
Third, violent crime, property crime, and the proliferation of drugs because of the drug cartels has spiked dramatically all over the country making it difficult to be a police officer. Murders in the United States reach an all time high, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and law enforcement agency resources were stretched to historical levels.
Fourth, this countries obsession with guns and resistance to any and all gun control has resulted in even more guns being available to the criminal element in the United States endangering law enforcement.
Fifth, simply put, becoming a police officer has become less and less attractive making it difficult to attract a new generation of police officers. The workloads and pressures of being in law enforcement makes it unattractive profession on many levels.
FINAL COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The biggest danger in hiring and returning retired APD officers is the danger of bringing back officers who created, contributed or did not stop the culture of aggression found by the Department of Justice and that contributed to the $62 million dollars in settlements for police use of excessive force and deadly force.
It may make financial sense for a retired APD cop to return to work, but you cannot rebuild a “new APD” by recruiting the “old APD”. APD needs to attract a new, younger generation of cop and even engage in a national recruiting program. Hiring incentives for young new recruits, such as paying off college debt, paying relocation costs, providing home mortgage down payment or even providing major sign on bonuses for as much as $20,000 for a 4 year commitment to join APD should be explored.