XPost: taos.reviews, alt.politics.economics, alt.connecticut   
   XPost: alt.discrimination   
   From: msnbchomo@espn.com   
      
   ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that   
   Albuquerque police had committed civil rights violations by   
   engaging in a widespread pattern of excessive and deadly force   
   during encounters with civilians who posed little if any threat.   
      
   The findings of the federal probe of the Albuquerque Police   
   Department, made public during a news conference at 10 a.m. MDT,   
   were the result of a 16-month civil rights investigation into   
   the department's high rate of police shootings, and accusations   
   that officers too often resorted to force.   
      
   Specifically, the Justice Department found that police used   
   deadly and less than lethal force on people who posed only a   
   minimal threat, and that officers' conduct often made volatile   
   situations worse. The report also concluded that encounters   
   between police and people suffering from mental illness too   
   frequently ended in violence.   
      
   "What we found is a pattern and practice of systemic   
   deficiencies that have pervaded the Albuquerque police   
   department for many years and need to be addressed," said   
   Jocelyn Samuels, acting assistant attorney general for civil   
   rights.   
      
   Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry said the report revealed some   
   "difficult findings," but that he believed the Justice   
   Department's recommendations could successfully take hold. And   
   he said that he remained confident in the majority of   
   Albuquerque police's officers.   
      
   "We know there are more changes to make than frankly I realized   
   before this report came out," Mr. Berry said.   
      
   Police Chief Gorden Eden said that he and his command staff   
   planned to meet with Justice Department officials late Thursday   
   to further understand how reforms proposed by the Justice   
   Department could be implemented.   
      
   "I believe the first place to start is with the top. And that   
   begins with myself and leadership in the APD," Chief Eden said.   
      
   The investigation follows a spate of fatal police shootings in   
   Albuquerque in recent years—including the killing of a mentally   
   ill homeless man by officers last month—which have inflamed   
   tensions between community members and the police.   
      
   For several years now, Albuquerque police have faced mounting   
   criticism from city officials and advocacy groups for being too   
   quick to use lethal force during arrests of unarmed citizens.   
   Since 2010, officers here have been involved in 37 shootings,   
   more than half of them fatal—unusually high numbers for a city   
   of about 550,000.   
      
   In 2010, for example, there were nine fatal police shootings in   
   Albuquerque. New York City, Houston and Dallas, all considerably   
   larger cities, each had eight that year, according to data   
   provided by the New York City Police Department.   
      
   Thursday's Justice Department report offered a litany of   
   recommendations, including a review of the department's use of   
   force protocol, training policies and how officers interact with   
   mentally ill individuals.   
      
   "We hope that these issues can be resolved by voluntary   
   agreement," Ms. Samuels said, noting that the plan was to put in   
   place a federal monitor to oversee the reforms. She called the   
   report "deeply troubling."   
      
   Police officials here have vowed to improve the department.   
   Several reforms, like requiring officers to record all   
   interactions with residents with lapel cameras, have already   
   been implemented.   
      
   But anger boiled over in recent weeks after James Boyd, a   
   troubled homeless man who was illegally camping in the foothills   
   around Albuquerque, was fatally shot after a standoff with   
   police.   
      
   A video camera, attached to an officer's helmet, showed police   
   firing at Mr. Boyd after he appeared to be turning and walking   
   away. Police said he had brandished two knives and threatened   
   them.   
      
   But the footage quickly went viral, sparking outrage. Mr. Berry,   
   Albuquerque's mayor, called the shooting "horrific." And   
   hundreds of protesters poured into Albuquerque's streets on   
   March 30, clashing with police who used tear gas.   
      
   On Monday, city councilors heard hours of testimony from   
   residents voicing concerns about the police. Families of those   
   who were killed by officers have eagerly been awaiting the   
   results of the Justice Department's probe, launched in 2012.   
      
   Some of those family members were in attendance on Thursday and   
   said they had mixed reactions to the Justice Department's report.   
      
   "They came in with some harsh findings and that's a good thing,   
   but now they're going to have to make sure that all the   
   recommendations to correct the problems are carried out," said   
   Mike Gomez, whose son Alan was shot and killed in 2011 after   
   police responded to reports he was behaving erratically and was   
   armed with a rifle. The younger Mr. Gomez, 22, was unarmed.   
      
   Still, even as public outcry has grown louder, leaders of   
   Albuquerque's police union have defended fellow officers'   
   actions, saying the department was overwhelmed with having to   
   deal with people who were often mentally ill and dangerous.   
      
   "The expectations that the public places on police officers are   
   beyond human ability," Shaun Willoughby, vice president of the   
   Albuquerque Police Officers Association, said prior to the   
   release of the report Thursday.   
      
   Write to Dan Frosch at dan.frosch@wsj.com   
      
   http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303873604579   
   493691278561818?mg=reno64-   
   wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonlin   
   e.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10   
   001424052702303873604579493691278561818.html   
      
         
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)