By Isabel Slator Spring 2013 Communications Intern

 “Are you kidding?”

That was my friend’s response when I suggested he report his stolen property to the police. It’s nothing new that college students don’t like the police. Young people and law enforcement have a well-documented history of mistrust. But it soon became apparent that my friend doesn’t just mistrust the police, he is afraid of them. Unfortunately, APD’s track record gives him ample reason to be afraid.

APD has shot 24 men since 2010 and killed 17. This is a noticeably higher rate than cities of comparable sizes. What’s more, there have been numerous reports of abuse and unnecessary force on the part of police officers dating back years. In the case of local college student Shiya Anderson, police officers bludgeoned her in the head unnecessarily after she was arrested. Police brutality is a serious problem in Albuquerque due to the lack of adequate police training and oversight. This only serves to fracture the already delicate trust students place in the police department.

Recently, problems with APD have gotten so bad that the Justice Department stepped in. They have spent the last few months investigating “police culture,” and are interested in whether or not the force promotes routine violations of civil rights. Their investigation is still ongoing, but it is likely that they will recommend some significant changes.
Defenders of APD point to the city’s high rates of crime and criminal activity as signs that the APD is simply doing their job. It is important to remember that police officers have dangerous jobs. They risk their lives every day, and for that they deserve our respect. They are not, however, above the law. If police officers are abusing their power, there should be some mechanism for citizens to resolve the situation.

As a little kid growing up in Taos, I remember the Sherriff walking into the restaurant where my family was eating. I remember the way he greeted my father by name and ruffled my hair. But more than anything, I remember the feeling of safety that surrounded him. Nothing bad could ever happen while this man with the silver badge was around. This sense of trust was so important in my hometown, but in Albuquerque it is replaced by fear and resentment. Trust between the people of Albuquerque and police officers no longer exists, and rebuilding it is absolutely crucial to the health of our community.

Isabel Slator is the Spring 2013 Communications Intern and a Sophomore at the University of New Mexico. 

By Natalie Reid
In recent days, it has come to light that the Internal Revenue Service purposefully targeted conservative political groups, especially the Tea Party. Lois Lerner, a senior official at the IRS, issued a public apology, claiming that an influx of applications for the 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status led to shortcuts at the lower levels of the organization. These shortcuts included typing the words “tea party” or “patriot” into the computer to isolate groups that were political. Whether the IRS targeted conservative groups because low level staffers took ill advised short cuts or targeted groups because of their own ideological bias, the results, in the words of President Barack Obama were, “outrageous.”
Conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Tea Party or NAACP, no individual or group should be targeted because of their political beliefs. In a recent CNN article, Michael Macleod-Ball, chief of staff at the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, and Gabe Rottman, legislative counsel/policy adviser in the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, wrote on the IRS scandal and explained how it affects the individual:

“It also shows how all Americans, from the most liberal to the most conservative, should closely guard their First Amendment rights, and why giving the government too much power to limit political speech will inevitably result in selective enforcement against unpopular groups.”

This illegal targeting affected groups all over the United States, including here in New Mexico. According to Rick Harbaugh, the president of the Albuquerque Tea Party, the IRS asked his organization for hundreds of pages of additional documentation nearly two years after the group initially asked for the 501(c)(4) tax exemption. The IRS scandal hits home on several levels. It not only affects local Albuquerque groups, but also threatens every individual’s First Amendment right, the right to free speech. Free Speech should not be punished, and this holds true for the Tea party and every individual; defend one, defend all.
Natalie Reid is a senior at Sandia Preparatory School and is working at the ACLU for her high school senior experience internship.

Next Wednesday, the ALCU-NM Regional Center for Boarder Rights is hosting a screening of the new documentary film, Two Americans, in Las Cruces. From the film's website:

Enter the heart of an American family living in the shadows of a state that has criminalized their existence. Walk the beat of the nation’s most recognized lawman as he stares down charges of his own.
The parents of 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa are arrested when America’s Toughest Sheriff raids a Phoenix carwash suspected of hiring illegal workers. As young Kathy fights to save her parents from deportation, a community group succeeds in pressuring the County Board to investigate Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s spending priorities. When the sheriff retaliates against his political foes, his actions spark outrage, and a federal investigation.

Watch the theatrical trailer:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4U3g502mic&list=UUlRFOFcQ5HZgd-cgmQL1dQQ&index=2