DOJ, Albuquerque Agree to Police Reforms

Department rocked with all sorts of misconduct scandals and lots of shootings.

The U.S. Justice Department and New Mexico's largest city have reached an agreement to overhaul Albuquerque's police department amid several accusations of excessive force, agreeing to reforms that include new training and protocols for investigating officer shootings.

The deal announced Friday also orders the force to be independently monitored and calls for the changes to be in place within four years.

City and federal officials have discussed overhaul plans after a DOJ report in April said officers showed a pattern of using excessive force.

The police department serving a city of about 560,000 people has faced scrutiny for 41 police shootings—27 of them fatal—since 2010. The fatal shooting of a homeless man in March sparked protests around the city after video footage appeared to show the man surrendering during a standoff.