Five days after federal authorities searched the homes of Albuquerque Police Department officers and the office of a local defense attorney, department leadership provided additional details about the case and announced that it has launched an administrative investigation into the officers.
None of the officers have been charged with a crime “at this point in the investigation,” said Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman. The federal investigation has resulted in the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office dismissing over 150 DWI cases that were primarily handled by four officers in the DWI unit.
Gallegos said the administrative investigation is targeting five officers—four of whom have been put on leave and the fifth who is on administrative assignment after the federal investigation became public.
He said Chief Harold Medina opened an investigation over a year ago after hearing “allegations related to the handling of DWI cases by unknown officers.” He did not immediately answer questions about what kind of investigation Medina opened a year ago and how it is different from the administrative investigation the department is launching now.
“Then, last fall, Chief Medina learned of new, but similar allegations of wrongdoing by officers and others in the criminal justice system,” Gallegos said. “Chief Medina informed the FBI and provided information about APD’s investigation.”
“This case goes to the heart of public trust in the criminal justice system and I immediately opened an investigation when I learned of allegations of wrongdoing,” Chief Medina said. “APD investigators have been made available to assist the FBI and leadership has full confidence in the FBI and the U.S. Attorney to see this investigation to its conclusion, and expose anyone who played a role in this.”
Mayor Tim Keller also addressed the federal investigation for the first time on X (formerly Twitter) last night and in a statement this morning, after his administration received a barrage of questions from city councilors Monday night.
Keller said the investigation “involves a handful of long-time officers at APD, going back a decade.” One of the officers who is being investigated has been with the DWI unit since 2011.
“If true, what these individuals did is a disgrace to the badge, and erodes faith in law enforcement.” Keller said in a statement. “APD leadership fully supports this investigation and continues to work with our partners to serve justice. Any individuals who engaged in this conduct will never work for the City again, and should be held accountable to the full extent of the law. The department’s willingness to drive accountability, especially on its own, reflects how far we have come.”