ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A settlement has been reached between the City of Albuquerque and two APD officers who alleged a former police chief retaliated against them. In an APD press release, it was announced Officer Tillery DiCenzo and Sergeant Steven Martinez will each receive $175,000 to settle their claims against former Chief Mike Geier.
In October of last year, the officers alleged Chief Geier violated the Whistleblower Protection Act when he punished them for reporting serious misconduct by then-Commander of the APD Academy Angela Byrd. According to the release, Byrd was terminated by APD following an outside investigation that substantiated allegations that she had retaliated against academy staff and threatened to retaliate against cadets who submitted a formal complaint.
At the time, then-Chief Geier transferred Sgt. Martinez and Ofc. DiCenzo – both instructors – out of the academy. After Byrd was fired and Geier left the department, both Martinez and DiCenzo were restored to their previous positions at the academy.
