The Albuquerque Police Division is making no apologies for official tweets which were criticized by some, together with metropolis officers, as inappropriate.
The division’s Twitter account has been questioned over biting responses similar to “Calling out your b.s. is public service” and “You solely complain and by no means supply options,” KOAT-TV reported Thursday.
A lot of the tweets had been in response to Doug Peterson, whose firm is taken into account the biggest landlord within the metropolis. He not too long ago took to Twitter to complain about crime and homelessness in downtown.
Police Chief Harold Medina stated the division will “push again” on social media on the subject of folks spreading misinformation and cyberbullying.
He advised the broadcaster that though a number of the tweets won’t be according to the town’s coverage, others “bluntly level out variations.”
“And I’m okay with that,” he stated.
Two metropolis councilors who are also former cops need the tweets toned down.
“The division thinks that harassing and intimidating folks is neighborhood policing; they’re on the incorrect path,” Metropolis Councilor Louie Sanchez stated.
Peterson, the owner, says he wasn’t making an attempt to assault the police, simply the insurance policies of the mayor and police chief.
The Albuquerque police tweets are being slammed by some as being intimidation.
“I’ve supported APD, and I nonetheless help APD very a lot,” he stated.
One tweet that generated controversy got here in July after the dying of a 15-year-old boy caught in a SWAT standoff in a house that later caught hearth. Some used Twitter guilty the police for the boy’s “homicide.” In response, the division account tweeted: “did not know a hearth might homicide somebody.”
In that case, Medina stated he advised division spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos to take a unique tone. However Medina continues to face behind tweets that reply to seeming inaccuracies.
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Mayor Tim Keller additionally echoed that sentiment.
“APD has its personal social media coverage,” his workplace stated in a press release. “We help their efforts to pushback on misinformation on social media.”
The embattled division is in the course of revamping its use-of-force insurance policies below approval of the U.S. Division of Justice. Officers will start coaching on the brand new insurance policies over the following quarter, in accordance with authorities.
The objective of metropolis leaders is to see a lower in officer-involved shootings. There have been 18 shootings by Albuquerque cops final 12 months and 10 of them had been deadly. That quantity prompted Division of Justice attorneys and neighborhood stakeholders to lift considerations at a federal courtroom listening to in December.