DOJ holds public meeting on APD

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) -  For the first time since announcing in November they were officially investigating APD ,the feds held a meeting Monday night to hear public complaints about Albuquerque’s cops .
    
“Here in Albuquerque the focus of our investigation is on use of force,” Luis Saucedo with the Department of Justice said.
    
DOJ representatives said little about their investigation into the Albuquerque Police Department.
    
The feds are taking a close look into the department after a wave of police shootings and some highly publicized bad behavior by cops.
    
The investigation is now in full-swing.

“The city has agreed to let us talk to officers, to command staff, they are going to be providing documents to us,” saucedo said.
    
Monday night, they wanted to hear from the people most affected by APD, the public.
    
The meeting, which was held at the Cesar Chavez Community Center near Louisiana and Zuni, was packed.
    
People were allowed to break into small groups and talk to DOJ investigators.
    
Some people who showed up said that did not work for them.

“The environment here is not conducive to me to be sitting in this kind of a group to talk about my issues,” Bahati Ansari said.
    
But they were still happy the feds opened the door.

“At least it keeps it alive in people's minds in this town,” Ansari said.
   
While there were people at the meeting whose family members have been killed by APD there were also people who just want to know what's going on with the department.

“I am concerned about the level of violence the number of fatalities we had in this community, I just think, it's hard to believe that it's all called for,” Don Meaders said.
    
Others say they have been victims of police brutality.

“If they can do what they say they are going to do you know what I mean. I don't want no money I don't want a dime I don't want nothing, I just want justice, Roy Goodman said.

No one from APD was at Monday night’s\ meeting.
    
The DOJ is holding another community meeting on from 5:30 to 7:30 Wednesday evening at the Alamosa Community Center near Coors and Bridge.
    
There is no word on how long the federal investigation will take.