LAS CRUCES - Have you had a positive or negative experience with a police officer in Las Cruces and feel the world should hear?
The Internet is to surf the Web with a land quite publicly praise and lodge complaints about the police. In particular, Culver City, California-based RateMyCop.com the momentum on Feb. 28, gives users the opportunity to share their experiences and to offer one to five stars, for officers rating is based on three criteria: the public authority, And fairness to the general satisfaction.
The site has used the law to public records to compile the names of more than 140000 policemen in the country, although it seems that the entire Las Cruces Police Department’s detective and officer of the duty roster.
Currently, he is the only LCPD New Mexico branch of the police, whose officers are available on the website.
Only the names of officers who are not requiring anonymity, do their work were invited, depending on location.
Users can comment on individual officers.
The site attracts the wrath of the criminal prosecution authorities who say that federal Web site compromise security officer as the headquarters of the Police Mission uproar, in which users can also lots of information.
A spokesman said the website RateMyCop works, accountability of the police.
“The intention was to strengthen the dialogue between the authorities and citizens, which, I hope, in a positive way,” Crystal Spelman, said a spokesman for the site. RateMyCop, not-for-profit site, but today it might be profits in the future after Spelman.
From traffic on the site has, on average, each day, more than 100000 hits since its introduction, said Spelman.
While some police departments across the country have leveled criticism of the site, said spokesman Dan Trujillo Las Cruces Police would not comment.
JR Stewart, the president of Las Cruces Police Officers Association, said he did not have much to see, you can see on the site and is not the opinion, there may be a compromise officer safety, since there is no personal information can be published.
He added that LCPD does “not tolerate bad cops”, and he was already a process for holding officers accountable.
“I think the only thing that would be good, something bad about an officer can be a good defender would love some right to know what is the nature officer,” said Stewart. “Regarding the security officers, but not really something.”
Spelman said RateMyCop is criticism.
“At first, all concerns, and rightly so, was the safety officer,” said Spelman. “… The information provided on the website is completely open to the public. Whenever an officer writing a ticket, the same information. There are no personal information, we do not have the list Undercover officers who or in sensitive positions. ”
Spelman said not all law enforcement agencies has been of crucial importance. Some officers have focused on the site for questions of users, she said.
“This is a good officer to criticism, as I said, good, bad or indifferent, but in a responsible way,” she said.
The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department is not currently on the site, but may in the future, “said Spelman.
Sheriff Todd Garrison, said he always welcomes feedback to his deputy, but had mixed feelings about the prospect of his department, on the website.
“I am certainly one to listen to what people have to say, but without proper training or knowledge, it is difficult for people to understand what we do,” said Garrison. He added that the safety of its Deputies would also be a concern.
Starting from Monday, only three members of the Las Cruces Police had Ratings. Two of them, Staff Sgt. Kerry Clements and Rene Det Molenda, had received positive feedback and glowing reviews.
The third is responsible for evaluating Chief Harry Romero, with the user to comment that the city is one of the best Cop “fundamentally honest man”, but was wrong when he was convinced of its direct jurisdiction of municipal officers and management In their business Magistrates Court
The police had differences with the two municipal court judges.
Spelman said there were rumors about possible legal action against the website. She said, it is unlikely, every challenge to succeed.