The Albuquerque Journal has made major changes to its Editorial Opinion Page. The paper now features 5 types of opinion columns submitted for publication: those by the paper’s Editorial Board, those by the paper’s Community Council, those by Syndicated Columnists, those by Local Columnists and those by Local Voices. “Local Columnists are tasked with carrying a heavy load of responsibility to help readers scrutinize issues impacting them, their community and their country. It is the Journal’s goal to publish columnists from all walks of life and varying political viewpoints to give readers exposure to all sides of local issues.”
On February 2, the Albuquerque Journal published on its OPINION page the below “Local Columnist” guest column:
HEADLINE: “DWI Bribery Scandal Has Tarnished Our Criminal Justice System”
BY PETE DINELLI, LOCAL COLUMNIST
“After over a yearlong investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, a central figure who coordinated bribes with law enforcement to dismiss DWI cases has pleaded guilty to racketeering charges. Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and State Police officers have been implicated, but none have been charged.
A major disservice has occurred to the public by not charging the APD officers implicated, with only a promise of charges to come.
The U.S. attorney and the FBI should have more than enough evidence to indict and secure convictions. The current U.S. attorney for New Mexico, Alex Uballez, will likely be fired by President Donald Trump and it could take months to replace him. The decision to go forward will now be left to the next U.S. attorney, who could easily decide not to pursue prosecutions
Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Harold Medina have been in a full political spin cycle of “pivot, deflect and blame” since the news broke and since the City Council accused them of failed leadership in dealing with the scandal.
Medina blamed the District Attorney’s Office for a failure to advise the APD when officers did not appear for court. Medina falsely accused the public defender’s office of being aware that Public Defender Commission chair Tom Clear was involved with nefarious conduct, and that the public defender’s office did nothing.
Both Keller and Medina admit that the alleged APD bribery scandal went on the entire time they have overseen the APD, but they never detected it. Both admit that only after they found out that the FBI was investigating the APD that the decision was made to initiate a city criminal and internal affairs investigation and to proclaim cooperation with the FBI.
Medina’s admissions come from a chief who claims he has never looked the other way at police corruption. Keller and Medina both looked the other way on documented corruption involving overtime pay abuses by police officers. There have been seven audits in eight years documenting corruption, waste, fraud and abuse in police overtime, with one audit done by then-New Mexico State Auditor Tim Keller.
APD Chief Medina says the bribery is “generational” going “undetected” for 20 years. Medina has been part of APD’s “generations” of cops. Medina retired from the APD after 30 years of service. Seven years ago, Medina returned to APD as the deputy chief of field services. He oversaw the DWI Unit, assigning officers to it.
Medina knew, or should have known, what was going on within the DWI Unit. One of the APD officers involved in the bribery has said Medina knew what was going on but did nothing to stop it.
Medina was given notice of the bribery as late as December 2022, but he did nothing for a full year.
APD is viewed as having a bastion of “dirty and corrupt cops,” who have brought dishonor to their department and their badge and to the department’s professed values of “pride, integrity, fairness and respect.”
The DWI bribery scandal has shaken the public’s faith in our criminal justice system. Now the public is learning that BCSO and New Mexico State Police officers may also have been involved.
The only way faith can be restored in the APD, and law enforcement, will be when the police officers and the lawyers involved are held accountable. That will only happen when there are aggressive prosecutions and convictions.
Keller is seeking a third four-year term as mayor. The APD bribery scandal calls into question Keller’s management of the APD — after all, he appointed the chief of police — and if he should be elected to a third term.
Pete Dinelli is a former Albuquerque city councilor, former chief public safety officer and former chief deputy district attorney. You can read his daily news and commentary blog at www.PeteDinelli.com.
The link to read the Albuquerque Journal article with photos is here:
https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/article_39c327dc-ddcb-11ef-9d4f-474ec6d25720.html
The links to 2 related Dinelli blog articles are here: