Five Albuquerque police officers and several Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies moonlight for a company that teaches local police officers and sheriff’s deputies crisis intervention training – a practice that is the subject of a complaint to the city’s Civilian Police Oversight Agency.

A person who works for a “government agency” in May filed the complaint after taking a crisis intervention training course at Public Safety Psychology Group, or PSPG, and APD officers and Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies were some of the instructors for the weeklong course, according to the complaint.

“That is a blaring violation of law and I have no clue how a law enforcement agency as large as APD has let this exist,” the person wrote in the complaint, which was submitted May 25.

Police and sheriff’s officials say that nothing is improper about the relationship between their agencies and PSPG and that it saves taxpayers money because the departments in return get a discount on CIT training. Supervisors also make sure the trainers don’t get paid twice if they are teaching the courses while on duty, they said.

PSPG is owned by psychologist Troy Rodgers, who has several ongoing contracts with the city and county worth more than $1 million, according to city and county records. The contracts are for CIT training and other psychology work. Rodgers employs several current Albuquerque police officers and Bernalillo County deputies.

There were no competitive bids for Rodgers and PSPG’s contracts with the city, which is in line with a city policy that states services of psychologists are exempt from competition and so are some contracts based on their worth, said officer Tanner Tixier, a police spokesman.

PSPG has an ongoing $53,500 contract for psychological research and a $166,900 contract for CIT training, according to the city’s website. Last month, city councilors voted to extend that contract through June 2016.

Tixier said Rodgers has also been the department’s contracted psychologist for about 10 years. Since July 2010, the city has paid Rodgers $409,000 to be Albuquerque police’s psychologist, according to city records. His current contract expires Sept. 30.

Rogers could not be reached for comment.

PSPG’s contract with the county was obtained after a competitive bid, said Lisa Sedillo-White, the director of county procurement and business services. Since September 2012, the county has paid Rodgers’ companies about $675,000 for his work with several county departments, including the sheriff’s office and the jail, according to county documents.

BCSO Capt. Justin Dunlap said deputies only can accept money from PSPG if they are off duty when they are working for the business.

“It is the deputy and their supervisors’ responsibility to ensure that there is no double dipping,” Dunlap said in an email. “If there is any indication that this has or is occurring, then we would investigate immediately.”

Albuquerque has similar policies. Its officers who also work for Rodgers can’t receive money if they are on duty or are teaching Albuquerque police officers, Tixier said.

Robin Hammer, the director of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency, said the agency sent the complaint about officers teaching CIT courses to APD’s internal affairs unit because it alleged criminal behavior on the part of officers. Tixier said the investigation into the complaint is ongoing.