ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico’s largest city on Friday announced it will embark on an independent review of crime data after facing criticism for releasing statistics that overstated improvements made over the past year.
Mayor Tim Keller said it was clear the data systems used by the police department need an overhaul and that Peter Winograd, a retired professor from the University of New Mexico School of Law, has been selected to oversee the review of the data. The mayor said Winograd’s expertise will help ensure that the department can fix the problems.
After reporting significant drops in crime in July, the city offered the first indication in October that there were problems with the statistics. That’s when federal authorities released their annual data showing a high crime rate for New Mexico, with Albuquerque responsible for the bulk of it. More details emerged in recent weeks, spurring criticism of Keller’s administration. Crime statistics and rankings have remained a political flash point in New Mexico as elected officials, law enforcement agencies and state lawmakers grapple with how to increase public safety.
The city touted Winograd’s previous experience in analyzing data and redesigning the Albuquerque Police Department’s use of force reporting and accountability processes under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. He’s currently serving as a consultant with the Daniels Fund Law Enforcement Ethics Initiative.
Winograd established the Center for Education Policy Research at the University of New Mexico and served as the education policy advisor to former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson. He also directed the New Mexico Office of Education Accountability in the state Department of Finance and Administration.
Officials indicated at a City Council meeting earlier this week that they would reevaluate the numbers for Keller’s first two years in office, 2018 and 2019.
“These issues are with records and data - not about the good police work from our officers - and we’re taking an approach that will bring expertise and attention to detail as we modernize APD’s crime analysis systems,” Sarita Nair, the city’s chief administrative officer said in a statement Friday.
Councilor Pat Davis, a Keller supporter, is among those concerned. He has proposed that the Council form its own committee to monitor the situation.
Davis told the Albuquerque Journal that the Council needs the right data as it sets the budget, noting that last year it approved a tax increase to better fund public safety and deserves to know how effective the spending has been.
“We’ve seen the number of strategies from the administration about how to deal with crime - all based on the premise that what we’ve done so far is working,” Davis said. “And, in some cases, it appears our changes in crime stats in particular areas are no better than the majority of cities the same size as us around the country.”
City officials have cited several reasons for the discrepancies in the crime statistics, including old technology, human error and a shift in how the police department categorizes certain crimes.
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