Talk of the Town: APD response times, climate change and red-light ... - Albuquerque Journal

Talk of the Town: APD response times, climate change and red-light runners - Albuquerque Journal

Plenty of shared blame for those APD response times

I WAS happy to see the Journal is not pleased with the Albuquerque Police Department response times for priority one calls. Our response time of 14 minutes should be a call for heads to roll both on the civilian and sworn side. Can you imagine being the victim of burglary in progress in your home late at night, being shot or stabbed or being raped and having to wait 14 anguishing minutes at best for an officer to come to your aid? Nationally most departments aim for five to six minutes, and even at that it’s too long if you’re the victim.

How did we end up in this very dangerous position? There are several reasons: Mayor (Tim) Keller failing on his campaign promise to build the force by 100 officers per year, the (Department of Justice settlement agreement) brought to you by a weak City Council and Mayor’s Office listening to a liberal squeaky wheel, a demoralizing use-of-force policy causing officers not to be very proactive, four-man squads where at one time they numbered eight to 10, uncalled-for discipline administered to the officers and throw in a Mayor’s Office and City Council who do not do enough to support our officers publicly.

Also realize every time a new substation is opened, such as the one by the university, it will deplete the number of officers responding to calls … due to needed promotions of one area commander, three lieutenants and six to nine sergeants. … The current situation is dangerous for the public and our officers.

DAVID GILMORE, Albuquerque

NM and world need to get real, and fast, on climate

WITH GLOBAL carbon emissions reaching an all-time high last year, and the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, how could Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham veto several climate-focused tax incentives?…

When U.N. Secretary António Guterres alluded to Oscar winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once” describing what must be done to combat the climate emergency, he was speaking with backing from solid scientific evidence. …

President Biden’s approval of the huge Willow oil project in Alaska’s Arctic ignores the imperative to reduce our reliance on carbon fuels. … Our biggest banks are still making large investments in oil drilling, pipelines and fracking. Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Bank of America have invested $1.2 trillion in the fossil fuel industry in the past seven years. Stockholders need to speak up.

The evidence for global warming is already showing itself through ocean warming, longer droughts, more wildfires, higher sea levels, more severe storms and faster arctic melting. It’s on schedule to effect everything, everywhere, all at once, if we don’t get real, really soon.

BILL SWIFT, Albuquerque

NM: too many giveaways and no self-sufficiency

JOHN ARTHUR Smith and John Bingaman described (Gov.) Michelle Lujan Grisham’s tax package to be imprudent as she has a responsibility to futures generations (April 7 Journal). I surmise there must not have been a similar duty when she suggested we voters decide on whether to draw down the Permanent Fund another 1.25% yearly (6.25%). New Mexico voters always blindly vote for more money, more goodies, more free programs.

As I recall cities and counties had overflowing coffers and could not use all the (preschool) monies. They had to be returned. For successful programs, now that we have hundreds of millions of dollars, the parents must arise from bed, presumably dress, and manage to get their children to preschool. If we have an extensive truancy problem in kindergarten, just envision the fiasco of attendance at preschool.

I’m all for an educated New Mexico, but when New Mexico provides prenatal care, postnatal care, preschool with after hours care, education of K through college, SNAP benefits, Section 8 housing, continued health care, dental care, utilities help, and who knows what else, how is New Mexico creating independent, self-sufficient individuals?…

CLAUDIA LYON, Albuquerque

Camera tickets won’t stop ABQ’s red-light runners

I SERIOUSLY doubt (Albuquerque police) issuing more tickets to red-light runners is going to accomplish anything more than padding the coffers of the city treasury. If those motorists are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others by running through a red light, they are certainly going to be willing to risk getting a citation for doing it. Instead of punitive law enforcement after the fact, perhaps the emphasis should be on driver education focusing on personal responsibility when behind the wheel.

If motorists would always do the same thing when driving through an intersection that they should always do when walking across an intersection — looking both ways before crossing — many T-bone collisions could be avoided.

RON SPENCER, Los Lunas

CYFD can only be as good as its caseload levels

I HAVE lived in several states, and the problem with state child safety was visible in all.

The caseworker is the connection between the child and safety. The caseworkers are always assigned too many cases to be on top of what each child is living with. The caseworker staff is often reduced due to budget issues. Staff shortages cause impossible caseloads and reduced interaction with the families. The (April 23 Journal) editorial completely missed that problem. Obviously making new laws and rules is not effective if the caseloads are too high.

SYLVIA ANDERSON, Albuquerque

Cops use deadly force when facing a suicide?

HERE WE go again. Several years ago a young woman was suicidal. Her mother found her daughter had hung herself in their home and she got her daughter down and revived her. The daughter was upset because her mom brought her back to life. She locked herself in her room. Parents were afraid for their daughter so they called police. One deputy arrived. Instead of waiting for backup or a trained negotiator, the deputy broke in her door, saw her with a butter knife and shot her.

People that are suicidal get their wish when deputies show up. Don’t they carry Tasers? That deputy and the two recent deputies were in no immediate danger but their go-to is to use deadly force? These people have a knife to their own throat. The deputies stay out of throwing range and they’ll be safe. In the meantime, use a negotiator or a Taser.

The one that was shot in the Downtown area only displayed a knife. The one that was shot in the Foothills only had a knife. There really is a better way to deal with these people. I totally back the blue 100%; I back the Farmington police. They were forced into that outcome. It was unfortunate. But these are incidents where someone displays a knife, telling the police to shoot. Think smarter.

ROBERT WAYNE, Albuquerque

We need N.M. delegation to fight to preserve Chaco

I RECENTLY read your article about a high school student’s transformative visit to Chaco Canyon (April 2 Journal), and it reminded me of my own life-changing experiences there. I had the chance to visit Chaco Canyon with a group of fellow law students and a guide to explore the remarkable history of the architecture, agriculture, social complexity, engineering and economic organization of the ancient civilization. We also learned about the regional system of communities connected by extensive trade networks that linked Chaco Canyon to the greater Southwest region. There isn’t anything quite like Chaco Canyon; we must do everything we can to protect this landscape that has irreplaceable historical, spiritual and ecological significance and ensure future generations can continue to experience it for themselves as I have…

Now more than ever, we need to make sure Chaco Canyon receives the protections it deserves. Thankfully, that work is already underway. The Biden administration has proposed withdrawing more than 300,000 acres of federal land from harmful and expanded oil and gas development surrounding Chaco for the next 20 years. This is the minimum that must be done. Additionally, I am hopeful N.M.’s congressional delegation — Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich and Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Melanie Stansbury and Gabe Vasquez — will soon reintroduce the Chaco Cultural Heritage Protection Act, which would stop oil and gas drilling within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park permanently. …

WILLIAM DUNN, Albuquerque

Edgewood abortion vote hinged on resident’s god?

THE EDGEWOOD commissioners have voted 4 to 1 to restrict abortion clinics. I assume this restriction would include the use of abortion drugs obtained through the mail. The commissioners do not say why they voted for this restriction.

Why does Edgewood desire this? In about 29 column inches there is one mention that justifies the restriction. Only one. One resident said “…you can’t say ‘it’s my body. I should have a choice. It’s my body.’ Well God didn’t design us like that.”

Let me get this straight. She wants to compel everyone to conduct their lives according to what her god says. Or what she thinks her god wants. Or what somebody else told her god says. Is that it? Her god can tell everyone what to do?

I disagree. That is not a sufficient reason to restrict a woman’s bodily autonomy.

KAY SMITH, Albuquerque

Let’s update 311 to move those calls along faster

IF YOU’VE ever called 311 you’re met with a script being read by a customer service representative. When calling you are asked for your information even though it’s already in their system. 311 gets a lot of calls so it makes sense to me that if your information is already in the computer they should ask if there are any changes. If there aren’t then move on to the reason that you’re calling. This would save everyone time.

When the call comes to an end the CSR always says “It’s my pleasure to serve you.” Wait staff at a restaurant serve you, playing tennis you serve the ball. In my opinion, it would be better to say “I was happy to assist you.” Let’s update the script to make calls move along a little bit quicker.

TERESA CARROLL, Albuquerque