In a striking revelation, numerous crucial public safety reforms proposed by a Santa Fe task force remain largely unaddressed, years after their detailed publication. This apparent inaction highlights a growing chasm between community aspirations for enhanced safety and the bureaucratic hurdles impeding progress, raising pressing questions about accountability and effective governance within the city.
Formed in 2020 amidst a nationwide clamor for police accountability and systemic reform, the Community Health and Safety Task Force was a direct response to public demand. Appointed by Mayor Alan Webber, the panel comprised a diverse group of city councilors and community members, drawing expertise from public health, law, and advocacy to comprehensively assess Santa Fe’s critical public services.
The task force’s mandate was broad, encompassing a thorough review of the Santa Fe Police and Fire Departments, emergency dispatch operations, worker recruitment strategies, Municipal Court functions, and various public health programs. This holistic approach aimed to identify systemic inefficiencies and propose actionable solutions to fortify the city’s overall public well-being and security infrastructure.
Despite two years of intensive research, comprehensive studies, and extensive surveys, culminating in nearly three dozen recommendations released in October 2023, many of these proposals have languished. A significant factor contributing to this inertia appears to be concerns from local law enforcement leaders, who reportedly felt excluded from the task force’s deliberations, leading to a perceived lack of buy-in.
Geno Zamora, a Santa Fe attorney who served on the task force, expressed the panel’s earnest plea to the city council: “Please don’t just put this on the shelf.” He emphasized the comprehensive nature of their work, urging the council to at least select and implement some of the “lower-hanging fruit” recommendations to demonstrate commitment to Santa Fe public safety enhancements.
Among these more accessible suggestions was a call to the state Retiree Health Care Authority to offer crucial counseling services for first responders post-retirement, a period when post-traumatic stress disorder often manifests. This proposal underscored the task force’s understanding of both immediate public safety needs and the long-term well-being of those who serve the community.
More contentious recommendations included enhancing transparency within the Santa Fe Police Department by regularly publishing policing statistics online and improving the distribution of daily activity logs (“hot sheets”). Furthermore, the task force advocated for limiting the use of “military-style equipment and vehicles” by city police, requiring detailed reports on such purchases, a point of contention during a recent armored vehicle acquisition discussion.
Councilors Michael Garcia and Alma Castro have consistently highlighted the unaddressed recommendations, particularly the urgent need to reestablish a civilian police oversight board. This board, initially mandated by a 1997 city ordinance but dormant for decades, would be instrumental in reviewing police training, discipline, and misconduct investigations, fostering greater trust and police accountability within the department and the broader community.
The protracted delay in implementing these vital recommendations represents a significant missed opportunity for Santa Fe. While discussions regarding government policy and public safety are crucial, the true measure of progress lies in concrete action. The continued shelving of these meticulously crafted proposals by the community health task force risks eroding public trust and prolonging critical issues that impact the daily lives and safety of all Santa Fe residents.
