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This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers

Monday, June 02, 2008

Is It So Hard for APD To Police Its Own?



      If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video of a rookie Albuquerque Police Department officer lunging at a news photographer on a public street is worth at least an unpaid suspension and consideration of criminal charges.
       KOB-TV cameraman Rick Foley was outside a police line early Thursday, covering an officer-involved shooting near Copper and Charleston NE. He says he asked officers repeatedly where to go for the official media briefing. His video shows that when he finally got an answer, he popped off to officer Daniel Guzman, “Was that so hard?” and asked for the officer's name and badge number.
       And that, apparently, was enough to earn Foley a hard shove and 90 minutes in handcuffs. Guzman claims Foley was “sticking his camera in my face,” but the video only shows Guzman pacing like a panther around Foley, then lunging at him.
       KOB-TV news director Rhonda Aubrey says the station has been playing the video on its newscasts and Web site because “of the way our photographer was treated. He was out on a public street, he was not interfering with a police investigation, and he was not behind a police line. We are airing (the video) so people can draw their own conclusions.”
       One conclusion is that APD isn't taking this seriously enough. Chief Ray Schultz says he wants the city's independent review officer to investigate the incident and “if the officer is wrong, we will clearly take responsibility for it and address it.”
       As Foley's camera lens shows Guzman coming at him, then is knocked to focus on the ground, bounced up to show the surrounding neighborhood, then again down to show pavement, here's something APD can also address:
       This is what we're forking over $58,000 a year for? An officer with a badge and a gun and a temperament that can't handle a sarcastic comment from a law-abiding cameraman? What happens when a drunk gets belligerent and mouthy? When a criminal is truly dangerous?
       Or when there's no camera to record everything?
      

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