APD out of control

We all know cops' lives suck because they reliably abuse the rule of law, their families, alcohol, drugs, food, power, detainees and occasionally murder their wives; but police unions are showered with cash while teachers' unions get the shaft. During the Breaking Bad series the Albuquerque Police Department was frequently portrayed as corrupt and ineffectual.

Albuquerque police killed more people last year than nearly any other police department in the country, perpetuating a reputation for excessive force that even the U.S. Department of Justice hasn’t managed to rectify despite a nearly 10-year effort. In 2022, the city’s police force logged a record 18 shootings — killing 10. That grim number of fatalities was exceeded by only three U.S. cities — Los Angeles, New York and Houston — all of which dwarf Albuquerque in population. When law enforcement agencies investigate a police shooting, deference can seem blatant, critics say. Across much of the state, for example, State Police lead the investigation into a police shooting and forward their findings to the local DA’s office. In the last 10 years, such a case has never led to criminal charges. [Hundreds of police killings. Two prosecutions. No jail time.]

Albuquerque is the very definition of free market trickle down economics where the outlaw motorcycle gangs or OMGs trade firearms to the cartels and splay vengeance on the rank and file thugs on the streets when profits lag.