Thread: Official knocks city's Secure Communities stance

Official knocks city's Secure Communities stance

Associated Press - February 23, 2011 4:05 PM ET

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The head of the Rhode Island state police is criticizing Providence officials for asking to opt out of a federal program that requires communities to run all criminal suspects' fingerprints through an immigration database.

In a news release Wednesday, Col. Brendan Doherty said the request by Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare was "dangerous and irresponsible."

He said the program, called "Secure Communities," was an effective law enforcement tool.

Pare said in a Feb. 10 letter to the Department of Homeland Security that the city does not want to participate in it because it could foster fears in the city's immigrant community and undermine the department's ability to police the city.

Rhode Island is in the process of implementing the system, which is planned to be up nationwide by 2013.

http://www.abc6.com/Global/story.asp?S=14086284

Illegal aliens don't like The Secure Community Program because IT WORKS.

Immigration battle brewing between cops

RISP leader issues biting statement aimed at Prov.

Updated: Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 6:58 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 23 Feb 2011, 5:18 PM EST

Tim White
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The state’s top cop is taking aim at his predecessor for opposing a controversial federal immigration program, a move he labeled "dangerous and irresponsible."

Rhode Island State Police Col. Brendan Doherty released a statement Wednesday reaffirming his department's commitment to working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when checking on the immigration status of a person charged with a crime.

The statement comes after Steven Pare, Providence's new public safety commissioner – and Doherty's predecessor as head of the state police – first told Eyewitness News he had asked the federal government if the city can opt out of the “Secure Communitiesâ€