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Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
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opinion editorialsThis 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
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Friday, February 05, 2010
APD Shouldn't Be 'The Young and the Restless'
When you dial 911 for help during an armed robbery, should you really have to worry that the officers who take the call are involved in an ugly love triangle? Or is worrying that you're going to live to see another day enough?
Here's a vote for the latter.
Public safety officers are entrusted with enormous responsibility. By definition their work involves stressful situations. Mitigating that stress so that individuals can focus on their responsibilities — to protect the public and honor taxpayers' trust — should be standard operating procedure for organizations like the Albuquerque Police Department.
And yet APD does not have an anti-fraternization policy.
In fact, according to court documents in a civil lawsuit that were unsealed this week, sexual liaisons were SOP at APD. And whether or not that atmosphere contributed to the death of Tera Chavez, who died of a gunshot to the mouth fired from her police officer husband's handgun in 2007, a clear and enforced policy against fraternization on the force is definitely worth considering.
This isn't a new idea in military organizations. The Army doesn't allow what it deems "senior/subordinate fraternization." Neither does the U.S. Coast Guard Military Police.
And it's not a new idea in paramilitary groups, like the APD. The police departments in El Paso, Corona, Calif., and Peoria, Ill., don't allow romantic relationships to cross the chain of command. Neither does the Baldwin County, Ala., Sheriff's Office or the Massachusetts State Police Academy.
And while the affairs alleged to have occurred among APD's sworn officers and their spouses may not have involved supervisors and subordinates, the lawsuit estimates that there were around "a hundred" and involved lying to cover up lust-filled afternoons on the clock. That's a cause for concern.
Of course romantic entanglements at the office are commonplace. But when the workplace involves guns and split-second decisions and authority that by law must be obeyed, those entanglements are a dangerous distraction.
Police Chief Ray Schultz and Mayor Richard Berry should realize that Albuquerque taxpayers do not pay for and Albuquerque residents do not put their trust in a blue-clad, bed-hopping version of "The Young and the Restless."
They expect their sworn officers to keep their uniforms on and their demeanor professional when around co-workers. Lives depend on it.
This issue merits serious consideration.
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