Publicly funded, private police force stiffling dissent.

A small group of supporters of a Citizens Advisory Council attended the Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting last evening.  The Committee Chair, the coward David Peercy, link, doesn't allow interest holders to open their mouths during meeting he chairs, so the petitioners were carrying posters.

They were met by the Albuquerque Public Schools Police, in cars and afoot; at least five in all.  The APS police, link, are a publicly funded, private police force that reports directly to, and only to the leadership of the APS.  As a police force, they are unaccredited, un-certified and un-certificated by anyone except the leadership of the APS.

Though they are not supposed to take orders from board members, they routinely do.  Their efforts to harass me and other petitioners flow from an unlawful restraining order created by an individual board member acting without school board authority, link.

The group was met outside the building and told they would not be allowed to enter with posters.  When they asked for some proof that there actually is a rule or regulation that prohibits citizens from exercising their right to carry posters as a matter of free speach, they were offered a Procedural Directive, link, entitled;  Distributing or Posting Promotional Literature: Fundraising, Campaign and Other Material.

Nowhere in the directive does it say, petitioners cannot carry posters onto APS property or into board meetings.

It is a naked abuse of power.

School Board enforcer Marty Esquivel and Chief of Police Steve Tellez own it.

Journal Managing Editor Kent Walz and the establishment media enable it.




photo Mark Bralley