'The Gilbert Gallegos bill': City Council overwhelmingly approves new social media policy

Albuquerque city councilors voted 8-1 to approve a social media policy and called to eliminate the job of one of the police department’s most front-facing members.

The resolution put forth by Councilor Renée Grout directs the administration to create a policy and create consequences for those who use official department social media accounts unprofessionally. The mayor’s office said it already has a policy.

“The administration already has a social media policy that’s available online for anyone to see,” Staci Drangmeister, spokesperson for Mayor Tim Keller, said in a statement to the Journal following the vote Monday night.

The posts that inspired the resolution came from the Albuquerque Police Department’s X account in September, when the account feuded with local news website ABQ Raw and Douglas Peterson and Darren White, who are vocal critics of the mayor and APD.

APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos has been blamed by councilors and those on X, such as Peterson, for the social media posts. Gallegos declined to comment Tuesday.

The APD X account has come under fire in the past. In January 2023, some slammed the conduct and content of posts as bullying and intimidation.

“I have said before here on this microphone that I would not be discussing personnel and discipline matters publicly on the record,” Keller’s Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel said in response to councilors Monday. “So the assumption by this council that there has been nothing done related to the matters that have been discussed is presumptuous.”

But Councilor Louie Sanchez — a former APD officer — also blamed Gallegos and called for his position to be eliminated.

“We already know this is the Gilbert Gallegos bill. He’s attacked (family members of victims) on X, attorneys, citizens and business owners, and those things have been made public,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez also took an opportunity to criticize APD Chief Harold Medina — something he often does at council meetings — and Keller’s administration.

“This falls on the lap of the police chief for letting this go on and on; this falls on the lap of the CAO for her failure to properly manage the police chief, and it also goes straight back to the mayor for ignoring a major problem that’s been made public,” Sanchez said. “I definitely support this bill, and I think it’s very important that each one of us here on the dais support this bill as well.”

Both Sanchez and Councilor Nichole Rogers asked for Gallegos’s position to be defunded.

The city’s policy — viewable on its website — has a few rules, including one barring “posts or comments intended to spread false information or threaten, harass or defame others.”

The policy also says “violations of this policy may be grounds for discipline up to and including termination.”

Grout acknowledged the city’s policy but said she wants to see more clear disciplinary action.

“The city does have a social media policy, but what it doesn’t have, it doesn’t do much to address what’s appropriate to post under the city banner,” Grout said. “This resolution directs the administration to develop a policy for social media that sets expectations for appropriate behavior.”

The only councilor who voted against the measure was Tammy Fiebelkorn.

“The City already has a social media policy, so a second one isn’t going to make a difference,” Fiebelkorn told the Journal on Tuesday. “City employees follow that existing policy and treat the public with the respect they deserve, with the exception of just one employee. It seems to me that rather than passing additional policies, the administration should enforce the existing policy.”

Noah Alcala Bach covers Albuquerque city government. You can reach him at nabach@abqjournal.com or (505) 823-3864.