Chief Responds to Work Slowdown at Taos PD With Quota Memo

Lawsuit for Unfair Termination, due to Office Politics

Flavio Reports Details Garnered from Waste Baskets

Hello from Taos Friction. The pesky insect has returned from a summer sabbatical and book tour to the West Coast, aka Carson Valley, Nevada and South Lake Tahoe, California. Under the tall Ponderosa Pines I read a few excerpts to friends, family, and high school classmates at the family log cabin during a cool breeze off the lake. I was surprisingly gratified by the response to Gringo Lessons as I have been by book sales aqui en Taos. Here’s a common refrain: “Bill I enjoyed Gringo Lessons but you’re lucky to be alive.” Thank you my friends and friendly readers.

Background

Now for the news from the deepest bowels of the Taos Police Department (Taos PD), where cops and clerks are slowly becoming the stilted products of gridlock. Due to the arbitrary and capricious decisions of the Chief, “favoritism” has replaced “policy,” according to Flavio’s sources and the rise of the Anglo culture is embodied by the slowdown and complacency that leaks downhill from the office of mayor and manager: nothing’s happening. And Town Council influence is MIA at Town Hall, according to Flavio.

Despite marrying into the local culture, where the town hall, historically, bears a peculiar resemblance to “Peyton Place,” Chief Weaver bears witness to his own affinity for the “white” roots of his origin in Las Cruces, not unlike the former chief, Daron Syling, who returned to southern New Mexico after making a mess of his life and the department, according to Flavio.

The Chief recently sent out a “memo,” according to Flavio, requiring officers to issue a minimum number of citations because the alleged “work slowdown,” due to low morale, we’re told, has turned into a trickle at records and evidence. Disgruntled cops, discouraged by a lack of “professionalism,” ignore crime and upper echelon officers sit quietly at desks “acting as if busy” while waiting for “retirement.” One well-known upper echelon copper, we’re told, doesn’t even have a telephone at his office desk. The investigations routinely fade away until the DA demands compliance, due to court deadlines.

Troubling, too, is the “fraud” and “embezzlement” due to the “thieves of time,” especially by clerks and others, who take long breaks, morning, noon, and afternoon, while the “animal control” officer or lower level clerk covers for a slacker supe. A former records clerk was run out of the office for refusing to “testify to what she didn’t see” when a “cat fight” broke out among the Chief’s favorites and others. The so-called “maid of honor” apparently and allegedly has so intimidated patrolman, officers, and detectives that no one speaks up. Moral courage is in short supply among officers and clerks who fear they will be fired, due to the “hostile workplace.”

A lawsuit (again) for wrongful termination has been filed (again) because neither Human Resources nor the Manager nor the Mayor is capable of seeing through dirty office politics and movida making. Longtime observes of Taos will see a parallel with the doings at CRAB Hall (Celestino Romero Administration Building) at TMS these many years ago. The cover-up, apparently, continues also because the Chief is tight with a Taos News reporter assigned to cover Taos PD (again). Historically, there has been a revolving door between The Taos News and the Town of Taos: reporters resign and go to work for the Town for more money.

The Rest of the Story

Recently, you might have read how Officer Jani Davis was charged “with petty misdemeanor counts of assault and battery Wednesday (Aug. 12), following a New Mexico State Police investigation into allegations she roughed up a man while responding to a noise complaint,” according to The Taos News. Davis reportedly has been assigned to the Public Works Department while on leave from the cop shop (where she can observe corruption and incompetence first hand?). The Davis charges were the result of a confrontation with one “Frank Olonia,” a repeat offender, due to drugs and mental problems, according to news reports.

As reported in The Taos News, Frank has behavior problems but, typically, in the manner of a Taoseno, while high or drunk, he threatened officers, saying ominously, “You think I’m not connected?” I guess he was “connected” because, after the Chief threw one of his former “favorites, “ Davis under the bus, he dropped the charges against Frank, the perp who started the fracas, though there’s no excuse for Davis to strong arm the guy. But now the cops are pissed at the chief for throwing one of their own “under the bus.”

Let me remind you of behavior by macho male cops: the one, who cracked the skull of a woman at the New Year’s Eve bash at Shadows; the cops who busted the arms of a drunk woman from Ogelvie’s; and the cop who tased the “fat girl” lying face down on the ground. These cases resulted in lies from cops, who eventually recanted, and subsequently thousands of dollars were awarded to the “victims” of police brutality. No charges were filed against male cops for brutality.

But you can’t be having a “woman” go round and beat up the “males” in the community anymore than you can allow Luisa Valerio Mylet  to speak up at KCEC Trustee meetings. Charge Davis with offending male honor; then drop the charges against Frank, a well-known and troubled miscreant, according to the papers.

But here’s the key to Frank’s “connected” references. He wasn’t threatening the cops not with the Mexican Mafia but with his own connections at the Taos PD, where his sister, the Maid of Honor, at the Chief’s wedding to Valerie is office boss, according to Flavio.  She, according to Flavio, does as she pleases with whomever; taking breaks thither and yon, despite policies for employees that for bid the practice but apparently do not apply to her and her cronies.

Now you have the rest of the story, a story of culture, favoritism, gender issues, and the story of how “outsiders” at the PD and at Town Hall are leading a surge of Anglos into positions of authority and the Chicano cops are slowly being ousted as more and more outsiders are being hired. Of course some of Chief Weavers favorites are locals: it’s called divide and conquer but it’s all so unprofessional, like Bellis, Barrone and Hahn, who like to groove and throw money at concert promoters.

Of course Councilor Judy Cantu only recently learned about being a “Chicano” at the Cesar Chavez Day doings. What with the poor schooling and isolation in northern New Mexico, the prevalence of a repressive “patron” culture and exploitative politicos, you can’t really blame the “passive” cops and employees at Town Hall or Judi, Andrew, and Fred for rubber-stamping the Anglo Ascendancy at Town Hall.

Due to gridlock in general at Town Hall, constituents and employees see little progress from the Cordova Administration to the Barrone Administration. There’s just more cover-up.  A few events do not fill potholes, fix sidewalks, or enhance infrastructure. Are we all concert promoters now?

Question

At Taos County, why are all the best employees, a startling group of smart and effective workers, all locals and natives? Despite my petty frustrations as an irritable member of the art and artifacts review committee, the County, which operates ever so slowly, operates effectively and honestly, basically, due to adhering to the procurement code, etc. (And if you know the two or three smarties in finance and grants admin, you can get things done, too, …if you behave!)

Rather than go outside the system to replace the retiring County Manager, Steve Archuleta, who has done a damn fine job, despite petty complaints to the contrary, the Commissioners are considering the Deputy County Manager, Brent Jaramillo of Questa or Leandro Cordova, the Ace of the Finance Department, and/or Rebecca Mondragon, all locals, as Steve’s replacement.

Certainly Steve and the County triumphed over the corrupt “Command Center” deal with KCEC and the Town. But there’s plenty left to do, including the institution of progressive policies at the lock-up (eh Greg?). And there are thorny decisions to be made about the Historic County Courthouse.

While the County Commissioners continue to promote and empower Chicano “Taosenos,” the Town continues to promote and hire “outsiders,” in what might be characterized as the rise of “the politicized Anglos” or the “Anglo Ascendancy,” or is it “the revenge of the Anglo?” I’m only asking.