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Video above: A new social media policy proposal by Albuquerque City Councilor Renee Grout is underway amid growing concerns about the Albuquerque Police Department’s X page. KOAT spoke with Albuquerque city councilor Renee Grout regarding her new proposal in an interview early Friday afternoon on Sept. 13. We asked Grout to specify the difference between the city’s current social media policy and her new proposal. The full interview transcript is below. MORE: Albuquerque Police Department under fire over social media againWe reached out to Mayor Tim Keller’s office regarding the new proposal shortly after our interview with Grout on Friday. Their statement is below.Faith Egbuonu: What’s the difference between your new social media proposal and the city’s current one? What’s changed?Renee Grout: The one that is in place doesn’t have the appropriateness. It doesn’t mention anything about the appropriateness of posts and what should be posted. It’s important that we remember that our personal opinions need to be left out. We need to remember that we’re representing the city of Albuquerque. So, our personal opinions, personal attacks, those things are never OK. According to Grout, for context:”Setting guidelines for employees is an administrative function. That’s why the Resolution directs the Administration to develop the social media policy but identifies things that the policy should include.” Faith Egbuonu: In a Target 7 Investigation last year, APD Chief Harold Medina acknowledged that Director of Communications, Gilbert Gallegos, may have violated the current policy. When Hearst’s National Investigative Correspondent John Cardinale asked if the tweets, he (Medina) said was posted by Gallegos followed the current policy, he stated:”You know, some of them may not, but some of them bluntly point out differences, and I’m ok with that.”Related: Did Albuquerque police spokesperson policy with social media use again?Faith Egbuonu: Following Medina’s response, what difference does it make for the second policy? Renee Grout: I’m glad that he agreed that he violated the policy. I’m disappointed that it happened again and so we need lessons learned. We’re not going to do this again. So, we need to set expectations for the for the behavior. It needs to be outlined how, what is appropriate content to be posted? We need to set guidelines for, what is posted. We need to have guidelines for the appropriateness to, to respond to the negative or inaccurate posts, inflammatory comments and there needs to be discipline defined discipline when things go wrong. There does need to be a disciplinary procedure. We’re supposed to be following the law. We do have to take the higher road. What I say as a representative of the city of Albuquerque is very important. So, I need to be mindful of what I’m saying. We need to remember we’re representing the city of Albuquerque.We also would like to have social media policy put on the city’s transparency web page. So, we can all see it and we can all follow it.Faith Egbuonu: In April 2023, former City Council president, Pat Davis, who is no longer with city council, stated: “Let me make this clear, I will work personally to defund that position, defund that account, and prohibit the city from using Twitter, in that way.”Is City council working to defund the position?Renee Grout: That is not something that we can actually do. We can’t personally defund something. We can’t really defund the position because then there is a separation of powers. We can create a policy. The administration spends the money.Faith Egbuonu: So, what do you plan to achieve with the policy?Renee Grout: There needs to be a disciplinary procedure and what is appropriate or what is not appropriate, and then what are the consequences for the inappropriate behavior.BackgroundIt’s been more than a year since Target 7 Investigations first raised concerns about APD’s X page, formerly known as Twitter, in regard to APD Director of Communications Gilbert Gallegos’s X posts. Many are now criticizing the department’s X page following posts from its page in response to X users on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Rebecca Atkins, a spokesperson for APD, confirmed the X posts are from Gallegos. Mayor Tim Keller’s office statement following Grout’s interview on new proposal, Sept. 13We reached out to the mayor’s office following Grout’s new social media accountability proposal. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office sent the following statement below:”The City already has a social media policy thats posted online, and we welcome anyone to take a look at that.” Ava MontoyaCivilian Police Oversight Agency statementOn Thursday, Sept. 5, KOAT reached out to CPOA executive director, Diane McDermott regarding Gallegos’s X postings above from the department’s account. We asked has there been any form of discipline following Gallegoss use of the departments Twitter (X page)? If not. Is there a reason as to why? Also, whats next, in terms of handling the situation?McDermott shared the following statement below over the phone:The Civilian Police Oversight Agency no longer investigates complaints regarding civilian employees. Due to an ordinance change, theyre investigated by the internal affairs within Albuquerque Police Department. We received a complaint, and it was forwarded to Internal Affairs Professional Standard. Diane McDermott (Executive Director)Followed by this statement below via e-mail:The Civilian Police Oversight Agency must receive a citizen complaint to initiate an investigation. Due to an ordinance change in 2023, the CPOA Agency does not generally investigate APD civilian employees. Civilian employees such as operators, administrative personnel, or, in this instance, the PIO are investigated by Internal Affairs Professional Standards. The Council wanted the CPOAs primary focus to be on policing within the community. If a complaint is received regarding a civilian employee, it is transferred to IAPS unless it also involves the activities of sworn personnel, and then the CPOA will retain that investigation. Non-sworn employees will also be investigated by the CPOA performing similar police functions, such as Police Service Aides or APD Transit Safety personnel.Regarding the question of discipline for Mr. Gallegos, the CPOA only recommends discipline, and so the question would have to be directed to the Office of Police Reform to determine if discipline has been imposed.What is next would also be directed to the Department, but if a citizen complaint is received, it will be evaluated and, if it only concerns PIO responsibilities of non-sworn personnel, forwarded to IAPS for investigation.Stay updated on the latest news updates with the KOAT app. You can download it here.