David Young started out working for Albuquerque in fleet maintenance. He ended up prowling Albuquerque's streets, arresting prostitutes and their clients for the Police Department's Special Investigations Division.
At no time, however, was Young actually a sworn police officer. A civilian employee of the department for 10 years, he worked as a volunteer reserve officer when he made his arrests. Under New Mexico law, arresting officers handle misdemeanor prosecutions in metropolitan court. Young appeared as the prosecuting agent in several cases.
The Police Department has suspended its reserve program and identified 46 other criminal cases that reserve officers handled, ranging from traffic tickets to domestic violence. Those other cases also may end up challenged in court.