DWI officer resigns, Albuquerque police commander is fired

According to Koat The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) has recently seen the resignation of one officer and the termination of a commander, following internal investigations into misconduct.

Neill Elsman, a former DWI officer, resigned on July 30. Elsman, who had been on military leave since October 2023, was the subject of an internal DWI investigation before his resignation. He joined the Albuquerque Police Department in April 2014. Although Elsman has resigned, internal investigators still plan to conduct a voluntary interview with him.

Commander Mark Landavazo, who faced multiple investigations into alleged violations of APD policies, has been terminated from his position. This decision follows a third investigation into Landavazo’s conduct, adding to previous disciplinary actions he faced for two prior violations.

Landavazo was found to have violated three Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) sections, leading to his termination and an 80-hour suspension. The SOP violations include:

• SOP 1-1-6-B-1: Confidentiality
  Landavazo failed to maintain the confidentiality of official departmental business, resulting in a Class 3 violation and an 80-hour suspension.
• SOP 1-1-6-A-3: General Conduct
  Landavazo did not truthfully answer questions related to his employment and departmental operations, constituting a Class 2 violation.
• SOP 3-41-9-C: Cooperation During an Investigation
  Landavazo did not provide all required documents and evidence during an investigation, another Class 2 violation.

APD Chief Harold Medina emphasized that the department’s investigations are ongoing, and further consequences may arise. “We will leave no stone unturned with these investigations,” Medina stated. “We will continue to follow the evidence and ensure everyone is held accountable.”

Additionally, the FBI has launched its own investigation into allegations of misconduct within APD’s DWI unit, with the announcement made on August 1.