4 Investigates: UNM ends its body camera blind spot

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico Police Department will no longer be one of the few law enforcement agencies in the state without body-worn cameras. 

“This is something we should do at this time,” said Teresa Costantinidis, the executive vice president of finance and administration for the University of New Mexico. “In April, there was a report and the interview that you did with our police chief to talk about it, and that brought it back to the table.” 

4 Investigates revealed an, “oversight,” in the 2020 law requiring body cameras from law enforcement agencies. The law’s definition left out university police departments, exempting them from the requirement. 

UNM Police Chief Joe Silva said, “we didn’t see the need,” when 4 Investigates asked him why not implement body cameras in April. 

Most other university police departments in New Mexico voluntarily adopted them. 

“There was certainly no thinking that it would be good for university police to not hold themselves to the same standard that all other law enforcement do in the state,” State Sen. Joseph Cervantes told 4 Investigates in April. 

Cervantes, who sponsored the 2020 legislation requiring body cameras for law enforcement officers, added he was, “very confident that if UNM doesn’t do this voluntarily in the next few months the legislature is going to compel it of them.” 

It wasn’t outside pressure alone that led UNM administration to make a change. 

Costantinidis said the pro-Palestinian protests on campus, and the decision to use police to clear encampments, “did play a role,” in the decision to implement body cameras. In April, UNM officials called in New Mexico State Police to assist UNM PD to clear an encampment in the Student Union Building. 

“We don’t often get requests for body cam footage,” Costantinidis said. “In this case, we relied heavily on both surveillance footage and the body cam footage from the New Mexico State Police. But it gave us a moment to say, maybe it [police body cameras] would have been helpful.” 
 

4 Investigates reviewed UNM officers’ audio belt recordings and UNM surveillance video, which does not have audio, the night the SUB was cleared. UNM officials tout the 3,000 surveillance cameras installed around campus as, “essential,” to meet its safety goals on-campus. The surveillance video shows protesters barricading doors, covering some cameras and using chalk on walls and floors. It also shows dozens of NMSP officers, in riot gear, pushing protesters out of the building and arresting people. It also shows what appears to be a UNM officer throwing a punch, and another throwing an elbow at protestor while making an arrest. 

4 Investigates found one surveillance camera had missing footage from when police moved in on protestors. A UNM spokesperson said, “No video was deleted. That particular camera appears to have malfunctioned at that time.” 

“The decision to do this says that we see body-worn cameras as a useful tool,” Costantindis said. “This is something we want to do in order to promote both safety and trust by the community.” 

UNM has agreed to a five-year contract with Axon to outfit UNM PD with body cameras. It will cost $623,000 for the duration of the contract. UNM PD is also hiring another full-time officer to manage its body camera program.  

Western New Mexico University will be the last university to not have its police department wear body cameras. 

Tribal and federal law enforcement agencies are not required to wear body cameras. 

4 Investigates has requested documentation related to UNM PD’s internal use of force investigation into its officers involved in SUB clearing. UNM has not yet released those documents.