APD manpower, slip-sliding away

By Dan Klein

-- 906 sworn officers

-- Medina dresses like a slob for Academy graduation

-- Bad example for the new public service aides

ABQReport has your most current update on APD manpower and it’s not pretty. In April of 2021, APD announced they had 998 sworn officers with a promise that they were going to continue increasing. Well, that promise got broken quickly.

As of September 18, 2021, a review of APD payroll reflected approximately 906 sworn officers (from chief to patrol officers 2nd class). APD has lost 85 officers since April! APOA President Shaun Willoughby says that number will only grow larger by the end of the year. Several of the approximately 906 are Metro Court security and there are a couple new commanders (the academy director for example) that we are counting but we don’t know if she is a sworn New Mexico law enforcement officer.

APD does have an academy class graduating later this year, but the concern is who will train them? All the veteran officers are leaving. APD is a department sorely lacking in police experience. With APD trying to hire new cadets just as quickly as veteran officers are leaving, you could assume that a majority of the officers working as 911 responders have less than five years on. That’s dangerous.

What about the department as a whole? What is the average number of years in law enforcement of APD officers? Clearly APD is becoming a very young department and with that will come the problems that inexperience and poor leadership bring. The ACLU and others may hate the “old APD,” but most of those officers were professional and mature and knew what they were doing. They are all gone now, driven out by cop-hating extremists who paint every officer with the same brush.

One last thought, the chief of police is the best recruiter for any police department. The chief should always wear a Class-A uniform, or suit, when in public The chief represents the community and the police department. The chief is on TV or having his picture taken more than any other member of the department. Therefore, if the chief truly respects his department and the community, he should look immaculate when in public. By doing this he shows he has pride for his department, his community and himself. It’s part of his responsibility. And then there is Harold Medina.

Medina knows how to dress; he wore a Class-A uniform when he interviewed with the city council to be named permanent chief. He knows the presentation is important or he wouldn’t have looked sharp before the council. Sadly, it seems that this is all he cared about. Since then his appearance wrinkled polo shirts and pants is an embarrassment to APD and the community.

Last week APD graduated a PSA (Public Service Aide) Academy. PSA’s are APD’s future and it’s good to see these young adults stepping forward to serve. The PSAs looked sharp at graduation, as did the new academy director (wearing a suit). Too bad Chief Medina showed up in a wrinkled polo shirt, wrinkled pants and beat up sneaker boots. Medina’s appearance was nothing short of embarrassing to the PSAs, their families, the community and the police department as a whole. And because Medina didn’t appear to care about his appearance, neither did his staff. The one academy officer in uniform almost had it right, but he forgot his tie. How does this happen when he was in charge of making sure the PSAs wore ties?

Jesus Christ, people! The PSAs were all in Class-A uniforms with ties, the academy director was in a suit, but all but one of the sworn police officers (including Medina) showed up looking disheveled and a mess. Is this the pride they have for being a member of APD?

This lack of professionalism wasn’t lost on the friends and family members who were in attendance. More than one of them contacted me to express how angry they were at Medina and his staff for their appearance at the graduation. Here is a quote, “These kids worked hard and these assholes don’t even care”.

This is why appearance and demeanor matter. The academy director understood this, her appearance was sharp and professional. Maybe she should be the next chief of police, she seems to care more about APD than Medina and his staff.

What example did Medina set with his slobbish appearance? His appearance told everyone in attendance that he doesn’t care about APD. If he cared, he would take the time and buy a Class-A uniform and look sharp. Medina’s appearance is an embarrassment to Albuquerque.