Police Oversight Task Force

The Police Oversight Task Force was created by the Albuquerque City Council to help review the Police Oversight Process.

Latest Update

• September 19, 2014 – O-14-13, establishing the new police oversight process, was adopted as amended at the special Council Meeting on September 18, 2014.

What is This Project About?

• Task Force Meetings
• Public Meeting Videos
• Background

Documents

Task Force Meetings

Videos

Public Forum on Sept. 3, 2013

Public Forum on Sept. 17, 2013

Public Forum on Oct. 17, 2013

Background

The City Council passed F/S R-13-143 which created an 11-member "Police Oversight Task Force" to help review the City's police oversight process.

The Task Force has the following duties:

• To review the history and evolution of the existing police oversight system by reviewing the results and recommendations of the:
• 1997 Walker/Luna study
• 2006 MGT study
• 2011 MGT study

• To develop a thorough understanding of the existing police oversight system and best practices and oversight models from other cities.  Per R-13-143, the Task Force is to receive briefings and presentations from subject matter experts on the oversight process.

• To hold at least three Town Hall meetings to hear comments or suggestions for improving the oversight process from members of the public.

• Provide the City Council with its recommendations for improving the police oversight process by the end of December 2013.

• The Task Force will hold its meetings in compliance with the State Open Meetings Act.

The Task Force is made up of eleven members

(per R-13-207)

Name                                                                                   F/S R-13-143 Category

Mr. Andrew Lipman, Chairman                                            Community at large

Mr. Lipman is currently the Vice President of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center Board and Chair of the MLKMC Task Force for Public Safety Coalition. Mr. Lipman’s professional experience includes; Development Officer for UNM’s College of Education, President/CEO of New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Albuquerque, and Regional Director of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles. Mr. Lipman’s educational background includes a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.S.W. in Community Organization and Administration from New York University.

Mr. Hans Erickson, Vice Chair                                           Investigative/prosecutorial

Mr. Erickson is currently an Assistant Public Defender in the New Mexico Public Defender Department. His past experiences include being an associate attorney at Montgomery & Andrews in Santa Fe, DLA Piper in Singapore, and VinaCapital Group in Ho Chi Minh City. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Erickson was an investigator for the Civilian Complaint Review Board in New York City. His educational experience includes a Bachelor of Arts in English from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hasting College of the Law.

Mr. Ralph Arellanes                                                                 Non-profit advocacy

Mr. Arellanes is currently the State Director for New Mexico LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), a member of the National LULAC Board of Directors, Chairman of the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico, and an organizer for other organizations the seek advancement of education, employment, economic development and social justice for Hispanics and minorities. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Finance from New Mexico Highlands University and a Masters of Business Administration from New Mexico Highlands University. Mr. Arellanas also holds various Air Force and Department of Defense National Certifications in cost analysis, cost estimating, auditing, and systems engineering.

Ms. Nancy Koenigsberg                                                          Non-profit advocacy

Ms. Koenigsberg is currently the Legal Director of Disability Rights New Mexico which is an advocacy and legal rights center for people with disabilities. Ms. Koenigsberg’s previous experience includes being the Legal Director at the New Mexico Center for Law and Poverty and a staff attorney with Protection and Advocacy System. Ms. Koenigsberg has served on other task forces in Albuquerque, including; the 2004 City of Albuquerque Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Planning Initiative, the 2011 Mayor’s Summit and the 2012 Bazelon Mental Health Law Center work group for Albuquerque/Bernalillo County.

Mr. Peter Simonson                                                                       Civil liberties

Mr. Simonson is currently the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, which mission is to defending civil rights and liberties. Prior to this, Mr. Simonson was the Director of the Community Health Partnership which was a community driven, non-profit health council. Mr. Simonson’s educational background includes a B.S. in Biology from the University of Kansas, a M.A. in Cultural Anthropology, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan.

Mr. Edmund Perea                                                                      Retired from APD

Mr. Perea is currently a licensed attorney in the State of New Mexico and formerly a command level police officer with APD, a section commander of Internal Affairs, and trainer with APD’s police academy and was involved in implementing APD’s philosophy of Community Oriented Policing. Mr. Perea’s experience also includes being an Adjunct Professor of law, policy, ethics, and public safety at post-secondary institutions and is an active mediator at the Bernalillo County Metro Court. Additionally, Mr. Perea is an Executive Council member of the Latino Education Task Force which is a non-profit advocacy group. Mr. Perea’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico, a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law, where he was also elected President of the Student Bar Association.

Ms. Frances Armijo                                                                   Community at large

Ms. Armijo is retired from Sandia National Laboratories where she was a team lead staff member in Safeguards and Security and has experience conducting and reporting on inquires relating to security concerns. Her duties included training personnel about their various security responsibilities and reporting of incidents and concerns. Ms. Armijo served as a State Representative in the New Mexico Legislature and is currently active in her neighborhood association.

Mr. Craig Loy                                                                              Community at large

Mr. Loy is a former police office and retired as a Captain from APD in 2002 following twenty years of service. Mr. Loy is also a former Albuquerque City Councilor for District 8. Mr. Loy’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Phoenix.

Mr. Alan Wagman                                                                      Community at large

Mr. Wagman is currently an Assistant Public Defender in Albuquerque and has experience as a Public Defender in other New Mexico communities including Silver City and Roswell. Prior to working as a public defender, Mr. Wagman was a Children’s Court Attorney for New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department and handled cases in Grant, Luna, Hidalgo, and Doña Ana Counties. Mr. Wagman’s community service includes a past board member of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and a current member of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Mr. Leonard Waites                                                                      Community at large

Mr. Waites is currently a Site Manager with Black Box/ACS Dataline and works with clients such as Intel and Jones Lang LaSalle providing IT service maintenance.  His duties include preparation of competitive bids, contract negotiation, supervisor training, and scheduling resources to accommodate contractual requirements.   Mr. Waites has over 25 years of experience in account, project, financial and human resources management.  His educational background includes a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Mr. Fabrizio Bertoletti                                                          Governmental efficiency

Mr. Bertoletti is currently retired and a part time consultant at La Lenza Consulting, which specializes in government relations, public sector management, redevelopment and sustainable development projects. Mr. Bertoletti has experience within municipal government at the City of Albuquerque, where he was the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, an Executive Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy Director for the Planning Department, Associate Director with the Family and Community Services Department, and Director of Capital Improvements Program, among other titles. Mr. Bertoletti’s educational background includes a Bachelor of University Studies Sociology/Political Science from the University of New Mexico.

The Task Force held three Town Hall meetings to solicit comment and input from the community about needed changes to the police oversight process, and met as many times as was necessary in order to complete a thorough evaluation and analysis of the police oversight process. It then reported back to the City Council with its recommendations.