Bernalillo County oversight board advances annual report, votes to send congratulatory letter to sheriff

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Oversight and Review Board (SORB) reviewed a first draft of its annual report, discussed follow-up items from a September meeting with Sheriff John Allen and unanimously approved a board letter congratulating the sheriff's office on a recent industry award.

The board's chair, Matthew Ray, opened the board's discussion of the draft annual report and said he would move forward with drafting correspondence as directed by the board. Chair Matthew Ray told members, "I will take the initiative to draft the letter," and said he would circulate the text consistent with open-meetings rules and legal review.

Board members spent most of the meeting on the annual report's substance and schedule. The annual-report committee presented a first draft and recommended a single meeting on Nov. 14 to discuss revisions with the aim of voting on a final draft at the board's December meeting (the board's regular meeting is scheduled for Dec. 12). Committee members said the report uses a different look and feel from prior years but retains the same substantive recommendations; the chair said the ordinance requires a final report by January if the board cannot complete it in December.

The board discussed several items that the sheriff's office had raised or that emerged during the board's September meeting with Sheriff Allen, under-sheriffs Williamson and Anderson and Major Burke. Those items included the new civilian compliance…