ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The DWI Deception scandal seemingly adds a new chapter every week. On Tuesday, former Bernalillo County Deputy Jeffrey Hammerel resigned and took a plea deal in the case. 

That makes six people who have pleaded guilty to taking part in the decades-long scheme. But as these convictions come in, the question is what can our law enforcement agencies do to rebuild trust with the public? 

“You have to be outraged because this not only smears those individual officers who were involved, but it smears you as a member of that police department. And it brings your own integrity into question as relates to how the public sees you going about your job, and your duties,” said Adanté Pointer, a civil rights attorney.

As investigations into multiple law enforcement officers continue, KOB 4 asked three experts, how can our departments work to win back the trust of the public? They told us it starts with department leadership. 

“Whenever you have any type of situation where there’s a hint of corruption inside a law enforcement organization, it is extremely important for the leadership in that organization to be open, and transparent, and begin immediately to restore that public trust,” said Sgt. Betsy Smith of the National Police Association. 

“The number one step is to show the public that they’re not going to stand for the type of bad behavior that these officers are involved in, and that there are consequences,” said Pointer. 

Ultimately, they say it’s all about reshaping the culture of our law enforcement agencies.

“Let’s be honest, this has been going on since 1995. This is a cultural thing. People internally had to know about it, but the systems weren’t in place where they felt comfortable reporting it,” said Jeff Wenninger, founder & CEO of Law Enforcement Consultants. 

According to Wenninger, welcoming opposing opinions from both inside and outside of the agency is crucial. 

“We want to interact with people who have conflicting opinions than us, because it’s not about being right, it’s about getting it right,” said Wenninger.