May 10, 2017

Dear Mayor Jerah Cordova, Chief Conner, Councilor Aragon, Councilor Ortega, Councilor
Carter, Councilor Gallegos, and City Manager Vigil,

This letter is to inform city leaders that the Belen Police Department Officers Union, AFSCME
Local 601, has officially conducted a Vote of No Confidence on Deputy Chief, Robert Miller.
The vote was conducted on May 8th and 9th, 2017 by Local executive officers and did not
interfere with police business.

By an overwhelming majority, Local 601, Belen PD Officers have voted no confidence on Miller
and his subversive management style. His pattern of intimidation and unprofessionalism have,
and continue to compromise the mission of the Belen Police Department.

Issues leading to the vote have been simmering or boiling-over for years, and have worsened
since Miller was denied the Chief of Police position.

Issues include:

A. Miller has created a hostile working environment which compromises public safety.

B. Miller has demonstrated behavior unbecoming of an officer during belligerent

interactions with the public.

C. Miller violates chain of command and does not conduct proper investigations of officer
decisions. Instead, Miller has a pattern of flippantly criticizing officers and supervisors in
open meetings.

D. Miller undermines the authority and actions of supervising officers and the chief, which
leads to a breakdown in orderly operations at Belen PD.

E. Miller wrongly challenges and retaliates on officers over their interpretations of criminal
law and enforcement decisions.
 F. Millers actions have had a chilling effect on officers, and are fostering a culture of
hesitation and fear. This is especially dangerous in the field of law enforcement, where
officers must making split-second decisions to pursue offenders, and otherwise enforce
the law.

G. Despite warnings, Miller has on several occasions, inappropriately slandered or

disparaged officers professional conduct with parties outside Belen PD, potentially
blacklisting current and former department employees

H. Miller is unapproachable when agitated and incapable of preventing his personal issues
from interfering with his professional conduct.

Each of these issues alone is cause for concern and when viewed as a whole, amounts to an
unprofessionalism that can not be tolerated by the City of Belen Police Department.

It is not the Locals intent to reflect negatively on Chief Conners leadership. The majority of
Local members have confidence in Chief Conners ability to continue serving the community
and the department with integrity, respect and fairness.

The Officers of Local 601 have conducted a vote of no confidence, we believe the only path
forward which maintains and protects public safety and the integrity of our police department is
for the Chief and City Leaders to immediately demand the resignation of Deputy Chief Miller.

Myself and other Local 601 Officers are available to discuss this very serious matter with the
Mayor and City Councilors.

Sergeant Luis Lopez, President

AFSCME Local 601
LuisL7120@yahoo.com
505-228-4135

AFSCME Council 18 * 1202 Pennsylvania St. NE * Albuquerque, NM 87110

ph. 505 266 2505 fax 505 266-2404 * info@afscme18.org * www.afscme18.org