Commander Cliff Saylor Rightly Upset Over Council Democrats’ Letter

Commander Cliff Saylor

The cover of the Albuquerque Journal features an article about an email response from APD Foothills Area Commander Cliff Saylor to a letter sent by Albuquerque council democrats to Mayor Richard Berry.

Commander Saylor is right in his indignation. In his email, sent to community leaders, he stated, “It is absurd to blame the 23 officer-involved shootings on APD,” While no one takes pleasure in the death of anyone, each of the officer involved shooting are taken very seriously and fully vetted for wrong doing. If an officer is cleared of wrong doing in a shooting, then by definition the blame falls to the suspect involved.

Far left city councilors like Councilor Ken Sanchez, one of the four who signed the letter to Berry, said Saylor’s email was out of line. Of course, the reason it is out of line is because it calls into question the quality of the citizens produced by the current system.

“I was shocked when I saw it,” Sanchez said Monday. “It was totally disingenuous and inappropriate. He blasted the families, criticized the city of Albuquerque’s schools, the criminal justice system and whatever else he could think of. And if he had a problem with our letter, he should have contacted us first.”

Who is to blame for the 24 deaths involving the Albuquerque Police Department? If the officers have not been found at fault, where does the responsibility lie? I know personal responsibility is taboo in today’s Albuquerque, but perhaps it is time we own up to the fact that if a person is unwilling to obey a lawful order from a law enforcement officer, maybe, just maybe, that person is at fault.

Albuquerque needs to step up and stand with Commander Saylor. Police Chief Shultz should not have taken Saylor to task for his email. The four city councilors should be ashamed of their letter and tell Albuquerque citizens that the bible is right in saying that officers do not bear their weapons in vain. If you don’t want to be shot, don’t engage in criminal activity and obey an officer’s lawful order.

Our young people need to understand that gang activity will kill you. If parents will not tell their kids the truth and schools ignore the moral principles found in Proverbs on gangs, drugs and alcohol, who can they avoid an early death? It is time for these four councilors to stop enabling criminal activity and start condemning it, instead of the men and women who stand in the gap to keep us safe.