APS Could End Up With Certified Police Force.

According to the Journal, APS is considering a certified police force. Cost estimates go as high as 10 million dollars a year.

For years, APS has been saying that the APS PD costs between 2 and 3 million dollars a year. Now, a "2 million dollar" upgrade will raise the yearly total to 10 million(?) Bill Moffatt, APS chief business officer is apparently ignoring a request for longitudinal budget information on the APS PD.

Cost aside, (we either need a professional police force or not) there are greater issues which are being ignored.

In an Executive Summary of the review done by the Council of Great City Schools, it was pointed out that the leadership of the APS apparently lacked the ability to lead and oversee a professional police force. The evidence that supported that concern is being kept secret by the leadership of the APS; Beth Everitt.

Stakeholders have yet to see the Report to the Superintendent; which is the entire report of the CoGCS review; not just the summary.

Beth Everitt is also secreting the results of the Robert Caswell's private investigation of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS. The secreted information likely addresses directly, the failure of the superintendent and the board to administer the APS PD effectively.

All of this pertinent and important information is being kept "confidential for personnel protections" in apparent violation of state law; the NMIPRA. Beth Everitt has consistently refused to explain, defend, or even acknowledge her refusal to tell stakeholders the whole truth.


In the absence of any change in the lack of accountability of senior administrators; any move to professionalize the APS PD flies in the face of the clearly stated recommendation of the "experts" whose advice Everitt "supposedly" sought.

This decision needs to be made on the facts; not on the dictates of empire-building by the leadership of the APS.

This discussion should not even begin until Beth Everitt is willing to lay the whole truth on the table.



Empire-Building

The act of attempting to increase the size and scope of an individual or organization's power and influence.

In the corporate world, this is seen when managers or executives are more concerned with expanding their business units, their staffing levels and the dollar value of assets under their control than they are with developing and implementing decisions that best benefit shareholders.

Empire-building is typically seen as unhealthy for a corporation, as managers will often become more concerned with acquiring greater resource control than optimally allocating resources.

Corporate controls imposed by a company's board and upper-level management are supposed to prevent empire building within a corporation's ranks. Failure to screen out empire-builders in a corporation's upper ranks can lead to acquisitions being made that serve to boost the control of executives while not necessarily providing the best growth opportunities for a corporation and its shareholders. (derived-online dictionary)