Something good happened. How optimistic should we be?
I’ve complained often that Las Cruces and the LCPD delay sharing public information regarding officer-involved shootings.
Recently, they did a very full press conference and video presentation regarding the shooting incident between Bobby Charles Crawford and police.
Sorry if this sounds flip, but my first thought was, “Jeez, these guys are acting like Kim Stewart!” Sheriff Stewart does this sort of thing, showing openly what she knows, cautioning that further facts could change the equation, avoiding speculation, and stating “I don’t know” when appropriate. All in a collegial, cooperative manner.
The apparent improvement reminded me of times when I’ve spent an hour on the phone with my bank, waiting for a live person, with stupid ads preventing me from concentrating on anything else, then finally reached someone who competently and courteously solves the problem.
LCPD is under new management, though the new management (Acting Chief Jeremy Story) says even the old management was realizing things needed to open up a bit.
How optimistic should we be? Guardedly. First, this event wasn’t as soon after the incident as it should have been. (By contrast, last year, with DASO’s officer-involved shooting of Bob Yaccone and one in Chaparral, Stewart held press conferences two days later!) Meanwhile, IPRA requests for bodycam footage from the 21June incident have not yet been fulfilled.
Second, this was an easy case for police: while I’ll keep an open mind, awaiting further evidence, just as I would if it seemed initially that a police officer was at fault, this one sure seems a slam dunk: Crawford is a dangerous guy, a repeat felon illegally carrying a gun, who fired at a police sergeant within five seconds of being forced to stop. We want him off the street. Opening fire disqualifies him from much sympathy, as does fleeing felony warrants.
Crawford shot first. Of course, you shoot back. Too, this appears to have been a non-congested area, without pedestrians to be endangered. So far the investigation has found no person, building, or third-party’s vehicle hit by an errant bullet.
The City must recognize its duty is to share all information that’s legally public, not to circle the wagons.
Some folks have been pushing for better transparency and police accountability for a while now, with a very mixed reception from the City. This kind of event is a step in the right direction; but more citizen involvement, of the right kind, could greatly improve LCPD performance, particularly in improving how police conduct impacts suspects, citizens, and police themselves. The national, state, and local NAACP wrote the U..S. Department of Justice, complaining of a high concentration of officer-involved shootings here, and the DOC is looking into that.
Let’s see whether we get a similar factual openness if the next case is a closer call as to who is at fault for what. Let’s hope LCPD gets more responsive to IPRA requests, and even follows the law. Let’s watch the City search for a new police chief. (What I’ve heard regarding Story is positive, but I lack adequate information to form an opinion.) Let’s track further discussion of important issues such as proposals for a Citizens Police Oversight Board.
Citizens may have helped cause this improvement, although a change in personnel was also a factor. But let’s not take a victory lap. Much hard work remains to be done. Besides, it’s too hot.
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[The above column appeared in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper’s website on Sunday, 16 July. as well as on the KRWG website. A related radio commentary aired on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM / http://www.lccommunityradio.org/) and on KRWG Radio. Apologies for not posting this on my blog the day it appeared in the newspaper!]
[We know little more than we knew a week or ten days ago about these matters. We are stil pushing for better police accountability. Councilors, to varying degrees, support that. I haven’t heard details yet on the search for a new LCPD Chief.]
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