Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Termination of Consent Decree Covering the Albuquerque Police Department

ALBUQUERQUE - The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque filed a joint motion today seeking U.S. District Court approval to terminate the federal consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) since 2015. The joint motion follows a long record of findings that APD has maintained full compliance with the decree.

"This consent decree has run its course successfully," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Albuquerque Police Department and ask the court to terminate this consent decree. Albuquerque Police operates constitutionally. It is now appropriate to end federal oversight and return full control of local law enforcement to the city."

"The Albuquerque Police Department has made tremendous progress toward constitutional policing and a culture of accountability," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. "This progress builds on nearly a decade of hard work and partnership with the community, laying a strong foundation for the future and opening the door to a new chapter of local control of law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney's Office will stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the APD to make Albuquerque a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business."

The CASA, originally implemented to address concerns over excessive force and accountability within APD, allows for termination once the City demonstrates "sustained and continuing improvement" across specific outcome measures, including use of force, crisis response, officer training, supervision, and internal investigations.

Recent data from 2022 and beyond confirm that APD has met those requirements. Notably:

• Use of Force: APD has significantly reduced the frequency and severity of force. In 2022, force incidents declined 18% from the previous year, and over 60% involved only low-level force. Only 4% of force cases were found out of policy, and each was met with appropriate corrective action.
• Crisis Response: Less than 1% of behavioral health and suicide-related calls involved force, and the City's Albuquerque Community Safety department has diverted tens of thousands of calls away from police to civilian responders.
• Accountability and Oversight: APD reviews every use of force, sustains misconduct findings when appropriate, and has strengthened its internal and civilian oversight systems.
• Training and Culture: Officers are receiving consistent, CASA-aligned training, and data shows a shift toward a culture of self-correction and accountability.

This progress marks a turning point for the APD. With sustained improvements across every core area of the agreement, the Justice Department and the City are confident that APD is ready to move forward independently, continuing its commitment to constitutional policing.