ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department is working to fix the two most violated policies that were released during Tuesday’s federal court hearing. The department says that failing to upload videos in time is one of the most violated policies within the department. Failing to record an encounter with the public is another common violation, they say.
In the last year, those two issues made up nearly a third of all policy violations, they say. About 20% of the incidents in which officers were disciplined were due to video issues.
The APD procedure requires most on-duty officers to wear a bodycam during their shifts. The requirement is intended “to enhance public trust and to promote constitutional policing and professionalism,” according to the procedural document.
Department policy also requires officers to upload the video from their bodycam within a set period after their shift ends. If the officer was involved in a use of force, such as drawing or shooting a weapon, they are supposed to upload their video to the department’s system by the end of their shift.
To solve the issue, APD is trying out an automatic-upload system. When an officer returns to a substation, any videos on their bodycam will be automatically uploaded via WiFi. Currently, officers have to attach their camera to a docking station to submit videos.
APD says they’re also pursuing a system called Geo-fencing that would automatically turn on bodycams once an officer is within 1,500 feet of where they’re dispatched to. “That is how we take human error out of this job and recognize there are ways to ensure officers comply with policy,” said APD Chief Harold Medina at a news conference Wednesday.
Department-wide, APD has issued fewer policy-related violations over the last year or so. In the first half of 2021, the department counted nearly 450 policy violations resulting in discipline. In the first half of 2022, they counted 116 fewer violations.
