Sheriff Houston created the appearances of conflicts of interest and impropriety.

In a move the Journal, link, reports will cost taxpayers $40K, Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston broke a lease and moved SWAT equipment from the warehouse it was stored in, to a storage facility owned by his largest single campaign contributor, John Bode.

Whatever else Houston says about the deal, it reeks of the appearances of impropriety and conflicted interests.

Whatever else Houston says about the deal, damage has been done. The appearances shake public confidence in Houston, the BCSO, and in government in general.

Whatever else Houston says about the deal, it was either a bonehead move, or maybe just supremely arrogant.

Speaking of which, still no response from the Sheriff's Office on what Houston intends to do about APS police officers, holding his commissions, who sat and watched for a couple of hours, while kids got drunk at Valley High School, link.




photo Mark Bralley