Comments are being left at the source link.
~~

Hard-Line Policies Prompt Immigration Meetings

POSTED: 9:54 am PDT May 21, 2008
UPDATED: 10:03 am PDT May 21, 2008


SAN DIEGO -- The Escondido chief of kicked off a series of town hall meetings with community members, addressing immigration policies and other issues.

Escondido has made national headlines because of its controversial policies on illegal immigrants. The first meeting in the series was held at a community center in East Escondido on Tuesday night.

"I know there's a lot of misinformation, because I can say repeatedly, 'If you're a victim or a witness, we don't care about your [immigration] status, we're here to protect you,' " Maher told the crowd. "So what we're trying to do is explain in a very black-and-white way that if you don't commit a crime, we truly do not care about your immigration status. If you commit a crime, that rule doesn't apply. I'll do anything I can to get you out of Escondido."

"There are too many people driving in Escondido who have no right to be," longtime Escondido resident Carline Hancock said. "They have no license, they have no insurance, they have no car registration, and, quite frankly, a lot of them don't know how to drive, and they're a danger to us."

"I hear a lot of complaints from people who do not like the checkpoints, and they do feel like it is targeting people who are undocumented," Consuelo Martinez, who is with the Escondido Human Rights Committee, said.

Maher also talked about a new way of policing that is based on geography. He said he believes it is helping to cut down on crime in Escondido.

Community members also asked about graffiti, policing foreclosed homes and intersections that are dangerous for pedestrians.

Maher joked that the city staff he brought with him almost outnumbered the number of citizens who showed up, but he chalked that up to the fact that people in Escondido appear to be satisfied with the job his department is doing. One man who attended the meeting told NBC 7/39 that he agreed.

www.nbcsandiego.com