Urban Indians, people of color and the Albuquerque Police Department

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the perceptions urban American Indians and people of color have toward the Albuquerque Police Department, focusing on the citizen complaint process. Analyzing these perceptions and hearing their experiences provides insight to how these peoples view their local law enforcement similarly and differently from each other and Anglos. While the issues of other peoples of color may be addressed, the needs of the indian community are rarely addressed. Without visibility and advocacy, American Indians are not represented and the issues important to them cannot be heard. Since little has been written on Indian and police relations it is possible to extrapolate from the experiences of other urban communities of color. To better understand the experiences of people of color with the Albuquerque Police Department three research methods are used: citizen complainant satisfaction surveys, interviews with citizen organizations and an individual case study.