Thread: Police Union Blasts New Phoenix Immigration Policy

Police Union Blasts New Phoenix Immigration Policy

February 20th, 2008 @ 10:25am
by Sandra Haros/KTAR

The Phoenix police union has labeled changes in the police department's immigration enforcement policy "smoke and mirrors," just a rewording of the old policy that prevented officers from asking anyone they stopped about their immigration status.

The policy change, recommended by a four-member panel appointed by Mayor Phil Gordon, allows officers to question anyone suspected of a crime -- misdemeanor or felony -- about their citizenship status, but exempts from questioning crime victims, witnesses and those stopped for civil violations such as speeding.

The president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, Mark Spencer, denounced the new policy Tuesday.

``To my fellow law-abiding citizens, don't be fooled, the policy hasn't changed. To my fellow police officers, don't let your guard down, the policy hasn't changed. And to illegal aliens in Phoenix, don't worry, the policy hasn't changed," Spencer said.

``The current policy hasn't been changed. It simply has been reworded, with one additional burden on police officers -- another piece of paper, another form to fill out."

Spencer said officers need the authority and discretion to call federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement any time they have a reasonable suspicion a person is an illegal immigrant.

He also complained about the makeup of the mayor's panel that came up with the recommended changes and said the union didn't know about the changes until minutes before they were made public.

``There were conspicuous voices and professional expertise excluded from the mayor's panel," Spencer said. ``This policy recommendation offers very little deviation from what Phoenix police officers were already allowed to do."

He added, ``God forbid, there's going to be another Nick Erfle, based upon the current policy or this current recommendation. There is no deterrence for an illegal alien not to stay in the City of Phoenix."

Erfle was shot and killed last fall by an illegal immigrant he had stopped for allegedly jaywalking.

Mayor Gordon defended the changes recommended by a panel of former U.S. Attorneys for Arizona Paul Charlton and Juan Rivera, former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods and former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley.

``Twenty police officers from the streets to the chief, four distinguished prosecutors, four union association presidents and hundreds of officers recommended this policy to better protect the public and our officers," Gordon said.

Gordon said he knows there are questions about the new policy and wants to provide answers.

He asked anyone with questions to e-mail them to mayor.gordon@phoenix.gov and said he will work with Police Chief Jack Harris to prepare a website page of Frequently Asked Questions. The mayor also said the entire content of Immigration Policy Recommended Revisions can be found by going to www.phoenix.gov.

http://news.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=738423

Related Earlier Post

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-104720.html