Albuquerque Police Repeat Offender of the Day: Repeat Offender of the Day, Gerald Cotton, Auto Burglary, Larceny, Criminal Sexual Penetration, Kidnapping and Bribery, 21 Arrests

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Repeat Offender of the Day, Gerald Cotton, Auto Burglary, Larceny, Criminal Sexual Penetration, Kidnapping and Bribery, 21 Arrests

Albuquerque Police Department Repeat Offender of the Day

For Immediate Release

Contact: APD PIO Hotline, 505-768-3339

Gerald Cotton is Today’s Repeat Offender

The Albuquerque Police Department has named Gerald Cotton as today’s Repeat offender of the Day. Cotton has 21 prior arrests and was charged today in Metropolitan Court with Auto Burglary, Larceny, Criminal Sexual Penetration, Kidnapping and Bribery.

As a part of the repeat offender of the day program, the Albuquerque Police Department is placing Cotton’s picture on its Facebook page and web site as well as posting a link on the department’s Twitter account. The repeat offender of the day program was started in May 2012 by Police chief Raymond Schultz after officers started to encounter suspects who had dozens of prior arrests and received little jail time.

Today’s Repeat Offender

Name: Gerald Cotton

Year of Birth: 1956

Number of Prior Arrests: 21

Number of Felony Convictions: 5

Most Recent Arrest: Auto Burglary, Larceny, Criminal Sexual Penetration, Kidnapping and Bribery

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About the Program

Mayor Richard J. Berry and Police Chief Ray Schultz launched the Repear Offender of the Day Program on June 27, 2012 in an attempt to highlight the number of repeat offenders that are arrested every day.

As part of the Repeat of Offender of the Day program, every day APD detectives search through the list of people who are arrested in Bernalillo County and pick a person who has a criminal history and has re-offended. APD then places the person’s picture and criminal history on Facebook, twitter, a special repeat offender blog and the department’s web site.

The department is highlighting repeat offenders in an attempt to get a meaningful Three Strikes Law passed. Under the current Three Strikes Law, approved in 1994, defendants convicted three times of certain felonies receive a 30-year enhancement — considered a life sentence — to their prison term. Those crimes only include include first- or second-degree murder; a drive-by shooting resulting in great bodily harm; kidnapping resulting in great bodily harm; armed robbery resulting in great bodily harm; and criminal sexual penetration.

The law has been applied only a few times since it was enacted because only certain violent felonies apply. Mayor Berry and Chief Schultz want a new law that will add more applicable felonies.