Thread: ACLU TAKES ON ESCONDIDO'S LICENSE CHECKPOINTS

Originally Posted by jean

Where Has Common Sense Gone?
By Mindy1114 | Posted April 22, 2009, 7:24 p.m.

According to The Inland North County Times (April 22, 2009), El Grupo, an umbrella group of civil rights organizations, held a press conference to call on the city of Escondido to replace its police chief because his policies, especially his department's frequent use of driver's license checkpoints, have created an atmosphere of fear in the community.

At the press conference, a woman said her sister was arrested at a checkpoint and turned over to immigration authorities.

"I don't think what the police are doing is right," said the woman, who, according to the Times, did not want her name published because she said she has other family members in the country illegally, including two of her sister's four children.

Who cares what she thinks? If she doesn't like the way we enforce our laws, she can go back to Mexico. Last year, an illegal immigrant without auto insurance hit my car. An attorney's only advice was that I buy "no fault"insurance next time. According to her, the police wouldn't even arrest her, let alone get her deported.

What a sense of entitlement these people have to think they ought to call the shots. They don't respect our laws or our flag. Many get involved in crime and gangs.

If we're a nation of racists, we wouldn't have 12 million+ illegals here. We wouldn't have a black president. Online, blacks are against illegal immigration because illegals turn Compton's working class neighborhoods into slums. Vietnamese are against iillegals because some say they almost died coming here by boat. Why should illegals get an easy path? There is even a Latino group based in Santa Ana who opposes illegal immgration because illegals drive wages down.

This is not a conflict between white people and people of color. This is about protecting our citizens of every color from law breakers. I support the Escondido police chief and the check points. I support America.

www.sandiegoreader.com

Outstanding!! Right On, Sister Mindy!!

sdsundog April 22, 2009 9:36PM PST

El Grupo? Who is this mysterious organization? On August 27, 2007, an NCT article refers to it as a “coalitionâ€

Duris, Daniel (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/21/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence
Espinosa, Jose (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/21/09 in San Diego County
For: Dangerous Drugs, Other Drugs
Uribe, Juan (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/21/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault, Other Felonies
Angerilli, Michael (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/21/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence
Franco, Claudio (M/?) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in Riverside County
For: Assault, Other Felonies, Vandalism, Selected Traffic Violations, Misdemeanor Offenses, Driving Offenses
Nava, Alan (M/B) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in San Diego County
For: Burglary, Weapons
Quintero, Arturo (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in San Diego County
For: Weapons, Driving Under the Influence, Driving Offenses
Carillo, Abraham (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in San Diego County
For: Burglary
Felix, Misael (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in San Diego County
For: Burglary
Hernandez, Jose (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/20/09 in San Diego County
For: Drunk
Plichta, Tammy (F/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Petty Theft
Chavez, Jesus (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault
Blakesley, Benjamin (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault and Battery, Drunk
Buss, Kassandra (F/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence
Coclet, Michel (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault and Battery
Smith, Matthew (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault, Weapons, Unknown
Tellez, Sarah (F/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault
Martinez, Misael (M/H) of Escondido Description:Rel Dt/Tm: Agency: ICE
Reported On: 04/19/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence
Dewalt, Renee (F/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Drunk
Osborne, Scot (M/W) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence
Albarran, Martin (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Drunk
Guerrero, Magdaleno (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Assault and Battery
Ranguel, Francisco (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Burglary
Soto, Mike (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Drunk, Vandalism
Antonio, Francisco (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Drunk
Rojas, Walter (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Felony Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, Narcotics, Other Drugs
Delgado, Juan (M/H) of Escondido
Reported On: 04/18/09 in San Diego County
For: Driving Under the Influence

http://www.localcrimenews.com/city/1600 ... -news.html

REMEMBER Ms Amy Kortlang – Killed by Drunk, Unlicensed, Illegal Alien, Hit and Run, Ramona http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12 ... _13_06.txt

REMEMBER Mr. Inez Salazar, ESCONDIDO ---- Inez Salazar died after the car he was riding in was struck at the intersection of Escondido Boulevard and Second Avenue by Juan Alvarado's blue Ford minivan. Alvarado, who also hit two other vehicles, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and child endangerment. Alvarado, 30, is also being held on suspicion of driving without a license and an immigration hold.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/10 ... 193405.txt

REMEMBER Mr. Eleuterio Balderas Linares, ESCONDIDO ---- A 17-year-old boy fatally struck during a weekend hit-and-run crash in Escondido was an agricultural worker from Mexico, a San Diego County medical examiner's investigator said today.
She said Eleuterio Balderas Linares was staying with his sister in Escondido, and his parents live in Mexico.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01 ... 770919.txt

REMEMBER MR Thomas Icenogle :Suspect Ericel Garcia is suspected of striking the motorcyclist, Thomas Icenogle, 51, at the intersection of Mission Avenue and Metcalf Street at 8:19 p.m. and then fleeing the area, Lt. Mike Loarie said. Responding paramedics pronounced Icenogle dead at the scene. Garcia was booked into the Vista jail on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving without a license.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/04 ... ogcomments


Remember : Kathleen Joy Powell, a 59-year old Valley Center resident, killed by Drunk Hispanic teen in Head on collision
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/11 ... 590cdd.txt

Remember: ANGELS: Rookie pitcher Adenhart and two friends killed in hit-and-run crash by unlicensed drunk Latino driver. Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene -- but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run. The suspect is also being treated for injuries in a local hospital.
http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNe ... 6I20090409

REMEMBER: Douglas Tarry, 27, of Moreno Valley, died Sunday night at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido after a suspected unlicensed drunken Latino driver hit him head and then fled the scene of the accident by hopping away
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2009/04 ... 535039.txt

REMEMBER: Marlene Resendiz of Escondido was killed at about 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Grand and Fairdale avenues, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:11 p.m., shortly after police and paramedics arrived to the busy intersection. The car and driver fled before officials arrived, police said.

REMEMBER Mr. Gaspar Diego Gonzalez, father of 5, Killed in Escondido by unlicensed Latino man in Hit and run pedestrian accident.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12 ... _15_06.txt

REMEMBER: Marlene Resendiz of Escondido was killed at about 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Grand and Fairdale avenues, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:11 p.m., shortly after police and paramedics arrived to the busy intersection. The car and driver fled before officials arrived, police said.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/11 ... _25_07.txt

REMEMBER Mr. Gaspar Diego Gonzalez, father of 5, Killed in Escondido by unlicensed Latino man in Hit and run pedestrian accident.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12 ... _15_06.txt

SAN DIEGO – A father was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early July 15, 2007, after fleeing from a freeway crash that killed his 9-year-old son, who was asleep in the front seat. Alex Muñoz, a third grader at Linda Vista Elementary, died on impact in the 1:30 a.m. crash, authorities said.
The boy's father, Marcos Muñoz Sanchez, 33, was driving the boy home west on Interstate 8 near Texas Street when he slammed into the back of a pickup parked on the shoulder, said the California Highway Patrol.
Muñoz Sanchez, who is in the country illegally and is not a licensed driver, got out and ran, leaving his son in the truck
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metr ... fatal.html

ACLU says Escondido checkpoints target immigrants
ShareThisThe Associated Press

Published: Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 - 5:54 am

ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of Hispanic groups have demanded that the city of Escondido change its driver's license checkpoints, calling them "fishing expeditions" that are intended to identify and deport illegal immigrants.

At a press conference Tuesday, the ACLU said police should record the interactions between drivers and officers, list the ethnicity of drivers to help prevent racial profiling and appoint a monitoring committee to oversee conduct at the checkpoints.

"Driver's license checkpoints are fishing expeditions for illegal immigrants," said Andrea Guerrero, field and policy director for the ACLU in San Diego.

The ACLU was joined by El Grupo, a coalition of Hispanic organizations that opposes the policy and called for Police Chief Jim Maher to step down.

"There is a strong and now indelible perception within the Latino community that the Escondido police chief and the department are working hand-in-hand with immigration authorities," said Victor Torres, an attorney and a spokesman for El Grupo.

Officers conduct checkpoints about twice a month for two hours on a busy street in the city in northern San Diego County, looking for drivers without licenses or with licenses that have been suspended or revoked.

Maher said at his own press conference if a warrant check shows the driver is an illegal immigrant wanted by authorities they are turned over.

Maher said that in 17 checkpoints last year just one person was deported, after police checked her criminal background and learned she was wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The woman was turned over to the federal agency.

Maher said the stops are intended only to improve public safety and do not target any particular group.

"There are many in this community that are trying to explain to the immigrant community that we are not on their side," the chief said. "They want the immigrant community to believe that we should not be trusted and that they should fear us."

SACBEE

http://www.localcrimenews.com/city/1600 ... -news.html

ESCONDIDO: Five arrests, 43 car impounds at checkpoint

By North County Times |

Saturday, April 25, 2009 11:38 PM PDT

ESCONDIDO ---- Police made five arrests and impounded 43 cars during a driver's license and sobriety checkpoint Friday night, an Escondido police sergeant said.

The traffic stop was held on Lincoln Avenue at Fig Street from 6:15 p.m. Friday until 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Sgt. Dana Ray said in a news release.

More than 3,000 cars entered the checkpoint and nearly 100 were sent to a secondary screening area, Ray said. Two people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One misdemeanor criminal arrest was made.

Two other drivers were arrested for street racing ---- those two were clocked at 92 mph on police radar as they entered the checkpoint, according to Ray. Their cars were impounded for 30 days.

Forty-six drivers did not have a license at the checkpoint. Unlicensed drivers account for the majority of impounds during Escondido police checkpoints. California law allows police to impound cars for up to 30 days when people are caught driving without a license or with a suspended license.

The purpose of the checkpoint, Escondido police said, was to find intoxicated and unlicensed drivers and provide "a highly visible operation" to stop impaired driving.

NORTH COUNTY TIMES

Two other drivers were arrested for street racing ---- those two were clocked at 92 mph on police radar as they entered the checkpoint, according to Ray. Their cars were impounded for 30 days.

LETTERS: NCT, April 26, 2009

By Readers of the North County Times

Sunday, April 26, 2009 12:10 AM PDT


Escondido police chief is doing his job

It seems to this citizen that the El Grupo people do not get the point of the driver's license checkpoints ("El Grupo calls on city to replace police chief," April 22). If any person, regardless of race, creed, religion or color, drives without a proper license or insurance, they should be in fear of the checkpoints. They are breaking the law.

Instead of condemning the chief of police, the people should be congratulating him for doing the job he was appointed to do, which is to make the streets of Escondido safer to live in and drive on. More power to the Escondido p.d. Job well done.

Bernhard P

Escondido


Support for Jim Maher

Re: "El Grupo calls on city to replace police chief," April 22: I support Police Chief Jim Maher and all the officers under his command. Why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't every resident of Escondido support him? After all, he is doing exactly what he was hired to do, as well as what we, the citizens of Escondido, expect him to do. He is to ensure our safety by curtailing crime, including without exception, the enforcing of the state of California Vehicle Code that governs vehicular traffic on highways and roads, including our city streets. Also, I can't imagine why anyone with a brain larger than a pinhead would not want to support Jim Maher as Police Chief.

Unlicensed drivers cannot be tolerated on our roads and streets, regardless of their race, gender or political persuasion. Chief Maher is to be highly complimented on his efforts to eliminate unlicensed and uninsured drivers from our streets. Folks, it's a public safety issue and has not one thing to do with racial discrimination. Maybe other countries don't require a driver's license, but in the United States, a valid license is mandatory.

Sid C
Escondido

LETTERS: NCT, April 2y, 2009

By Readers of the North County Times

Monday, April 27, 2009

One vote for Chief Maher

Who in the world does Victor Torres and his band of "El Grupos" think he is, telling the City Council to replace our police chief (Jim Maher) for trying to do his job

("El Grupo calls on city to replace police chief," April 22)? We should have checkpoints every night! If we only catch one illegal per night, that's progress.

All police departments should work hand-in-hand with immigration. Why can't Torres understand that if all the illegals (criminals) went home where they belong, there would no longer be a problem. But, of course, then he would be out of a job.

Hang in there, Jim, most of us are right behind you!

Reg G
Escondido

It's beyond comprehension

I cannot believe you actually printed the article "El Grupo calls on city to replace police chief," April 22. It defies my imagination that this so-called Latino rights group is asking for the police chief to step down because he is enforcing the law and making the streets of Escondido safer.

As a Latina in the community of Escondido, I am offended by the actions of El Grupo because they only serve to divide our community into us and them. I am a law-abiding citizen peacefully pursuing the American dream. I do not see myself as belonging to a separate community, entitled to a different set of laws because I'm "brown." I have been stopped at a checkpoint three times since they have been implemented and it never crosses my mind that I am being stopped because I'm "brown." I simply show the officer my valid driver's license, my current registration and my current car insurance and I'm off.

The checkpoints do not insight "fear" in me. On the contrary, they make me feel safer. Food for thought: perhaps if the city of Fullerton instituted checkpoints, Nick Adenhart might still be pitching for the Angels.

Teresa Garcia
Escondido

Lawbreakers create their own fear of police

Re: "El Grupo calls on city to replace police chief," April 22: What would cause one to be fearful of going through a driver's license checkpoint? Some things that come to mind are lack of a driver's license, lack of car insurance, being drunk, being on drugs or having an outstanding warrant. The checkpoints and Police Chief Jim Maher don't create fear. People create their own fear when they don't abide by the law.

With 10,000 cars seized from unlicensed drivers in the last three years and only a handful of people being turned over to immigration authorities, it is ludicrous to make the assertion that the immigrant community is being targeted.

Should Police Chief Maher be replaced for making the community safer place to live? Absolutely not!

Edward Kristensen
Escondido