Thursday, June 14, 2007

APS' news release on the Community Safety Commission (quoted in significant part)

The Albuquerque Public Schools Community Safety Commission met for the first time today to discuss the district’s safety issues.

“This commission will review the recommendations from the Council of the Great City Schools and will make their own recommendation to my team and the APS Board of Education by the end of the fall,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Everitt.

The Council of Great City Schools brought a team of senior managers with extensive experience in safety, security and police operations in other major city school systems from across the country to review the APS Police Department at the end of May.

Today the executive summary from the team was presented to APS with their initial and preliminary proposals.

The Council of Great City Schools is recommending that the district consider contracting out its law-enforcement responsibilities, but maintains school safety and security functions in-house. The recommendation includes conducting a national search to retain a department manager and put policies in place that will ensure that the district has the capacity to oversee and manage the contracted law enforcement services.

“These recommendations have been given to the Community Safety Commission, and they will take this into consideration before giving us their final recommendations,” Everitt added.

“These recommendations are just that. I am glad we have members from a great cross section of the community who will give valuable input into long-term changes in the APS Police Department.”

The Council of Great City Schools also came up with the two other scenarios, one that would recommend that the district create a fully authorized law enforcement department. This recommendation would include creating operating procedures and directives that would authorize the arming of APS Police.

The third scenario would be to contract out all safety, security and law enforcement functions. The team did not recommend this because it would result in very limited personnel management responsibilities.

“We need to ensure that each and every one of our schools are safe, and any changes that will be made will take that into account,” Everitt said.

Missing from the news release was the following recommendation made by the CoGCS;

Conduct a national search to retain a Chief of Police who can reconstitute the APSPD with unquestioned integrity and ethical behavior ..."

Still the leadership of the APS will not divulge or discuss the unethical behavior and lack of integrity in the leadership of the APSPD; and by logical extension in the entire administration of the APS.

And readers are gently reminded; there is only one reason to hide the truth.

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