Abuse by police continues to be a major civil rights problem in the U.S., particularly for the poor and for people of color. Everyone needs and deserves effective and humane law enforcement as a fundamental component of our human and civil rights.
The ACLU of New Mexico is frequently called upon to defend people when law enforcement officials overstep constitutional boundaries. We have taken legal action in numerous cases including illegal searches of high school students, illegal seizures of private property from motorists, and false imprisonment of homeless people.
In the wake of a Department of Justice investigation that found that the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) had a "pattern and practice" of violating people's rights by use of excessive force, the ACLU of New Mexico helped found the APD FORWARD coalition. As a part of this community alliance, the ACLU of New Mexico advocates for police reform in Albuquerque and monitors APD's progress in meeting the requirements set out in the consent decree between APD and the Department of Justice.
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