Thread: Immigration agents accompany local police on some calls

Immigration agents accompany local police on some calls

Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 12:01 a.m.

Escondido has begun a first-in-the-region pilot program to involve federal immigration enforcement agents in local police operations.

Three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now based at the city’s new police station and ride with police officers on certain types of calls. Which type of calls is not clear.

Escondido has long allowed an ICE agent to use station desk space as a courtesy. But Chief Jim Maher has been adamant in refusing to allow Escondido officers to be cross-trained to perform federal immigration enforcement duties themselves.

Veteran law enforcement officials warn that when police are perceived as having deportation authority, victims are afraid to report crimes and witnesses are reluctant to come forward.

The latest move in Escondido, never publicly announced, seems to blur the lines between local and federal roles in a city evenly split ethnically.

Bill Flores, retired assistant sheriff and spokesman for El Grupo, is critical: “Maher has chosen to intertwine the police department with ICE despite the cost of a further erosion of trust, confidence and effectiveness.â€

Oh the horror of a federal law enforcement officer riding along with police officers. Joint task force are done all the time. The only time it causes such horror it is when it is ICE Agents. Wonder who is so horrified with this? Only law breakers are worried about law enforcement in their neighborhood. Those of us who don't break laws welcome law enforcement in our neighborhoods.

I don't break laws so I would not be one of the horrified people over this news. Instead, I would offer them both a cold bottle of water and say to them "Thank you and be safe"

[quote]Bill Flores, retired assistant sheriff and spokesman for El Grupo, is critical: “Maher has chosen to intertwine the police department with ICE despite the cost of a further erosion of trust, confidence and effectiveness.â€