Albuquerque Media Articles
concerning the aftermath of the resignation
of Donald B. Jeffries, Chairman,
from the Albuquerque Police Advisory Board
Albuquerque Tribune
Saturday, August 15, 1981
Page 1
Pact cements Police Advisory Board’s role
by Jack Ehn
Tribune Staff Writer
The city Police Advisory Board’s remaining members will not disband the group and are generally pleased with an accord they reached with the mayor and police chief, a long-time board member said.
And Mayor David Rusk, in turn, said he would support the board.
“I felt, and the people most active on the board felt, that if the major and police chief would adopt a resolution we prepared, it would make us very happy. They did,” said Nancy Pasternak, who has been with the board since is was set up about three years ago.
The board’s chairman, Don Jeffries, resigned earlier this week, citing a lack of support from Rusk and Police Chief E.L. “Whitey” Hansen and a lack of community interest in the board’s activities.
“He was kind of a sacrificial lamb, it turns out. He created controversy, but I think all turned out for the good,” Ms. Pasternak said.
Rusk said he has made efforts to support the group since it was founded and has, for instance, met with board members five times since April -- more often than with any other city board.
“The Board contains several very active and concerned people who want to ensure that their efforts are not wasted, and I concur with this,” Rusk said.
During the meeting with board members Friday, Rusk and Hansen hammered out provisions of a resolution that helped define the board’s role and establish ground rules for the board’s continued existence.
The provisions of the resolution, said Ms. Paternak, were:
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•That the board’s purpose is to enhance and strengthen the Police Department’s relationship with the community and improve the community’s access to the department.
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•That the board has the full support of the major and police chief. That means that both offices will make good-faith efforts to follow up on concerns raised by the board.
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•That the chief and major will listen “with open minds” to the boards concerns and will respond positively if possible.
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•That the police chief will educate police officers about the board’s purpose and urge officers to cooperate.
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•That police should bring their problems to the board.
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•That the board be given some operating money.
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•That the police chief and mayor support the board’s efforts to hold community meetings to educate people about the police and to glean community concerns about police activities.
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•That the board would respect the confidentiality of police files if the information given members is classified.
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Albuquerque Journal
Saturday, August 22, 1981
Page A-12
Two Police Board Members Approved
The City Council this week approved the appointment of two new members of the Police Advisory Board.
The members, appointed by Mayor David Rusk, were George Anderson and Ted Martinez.
Anderson, an administrative assistant with the State Health and Environment Department, will be replacing Don Jeffries as member at-large.
Martinez, an associate vice president of student affairs at the University of New Mexico, and a member of the Governor’s Organized Crime Prevention Commission, will replace Jane Johnson as representative of Council District 5.
Jeffries was the former chairman of the board. He resigned last week, protesting that the board had not received support from the Mayor’s Office and the Police Department. The board members will elect a new chairman when they meet on Sept. 2.
Ms. Johnson resigned las t April after serving on the board for about two months.
The remaining board members are Ray Barela, Ed Sandoval, Benny Gallegos, Barbara Jones, Tom Williams, Charlotte Toulouse, The Rev. Harry Summers, Joe DeBaca and Nancy Pasternak.
Several of the board members met last week with Rusk and Police Chief E.L. Hansen to decide if the board should continue to meet.
Rusk and Hansen indicated they would support the board if the members decided to continue, but both officials cautioned the board that is must expand its role and redefine its goals.