Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Albuquerque Interim Police Chief Michael Geier announced Thursday the elimination of half a dozen high-ranking police positions.
Keller told reporters the reorganization is aimed at “eliminating a top-heavy structure.”
The APD rank of major will be eliminated, the two said, along with the assistant chief position.
Under the new structure, Geier will oversee four bureaus, each run by a deputy chief, compared to six bureaus run by department majors.
Keller told reporters he consulted with APD and decided to start from the top down to reorganize the department, which was also one of his campaign promises.
“Like any reorganization, we are starting from the top,” Keller said. “But like all transition and reorganization processes, as we get deeper into the organization there’s a whole lot of work to do.”
Geier said the new structure will allow for more officers on the street which will help create “an environment conducive to community policing.”
More specifically, the reorganization consolidates the east and west Field Services Bureaus into one Field Services Bureau. The Professional Accountability Bureau was also eliminated and a new Compliance Bureau was created to oversee compliance with the Department of Justice. The Special Services Bureau was also eliminated.
Keller and Geier have also required all police commanders to apply for their jobs, which Geier told reporters Thursday would ensure each commander is committed to community policing.
