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Lawmakers advance State Patrol illegal-immigrant unit
reported by: Adam Schrager 9NEWS Reporter
posted by Marissa Pasquet Web Producer

Created: 4/10/2006 4:40 PM MST - Updated: 4/10/2006 6:53 PM MST

DENVER - A Colorado Senate committee took the first step toward creating a special immigration unit with the State Patrol.


Additional Resources...
Senate Bill 225

Colorado State Patrol

A senate committee took the first step toward creating a special immigration unit within the Colorado State Patrol. April 10, 2006. 5:00 p.m.

The plan would create an "elite unit" of 24 full-time employees over the next two years.

The cost would be more than $3.5 million. "(We could) use the special training that law enforcement officers are getting and really begin to get a handle on the issues that are brought about by smuggling and trafficking," said Sen. Peter Groff (D-Denver), the bill sponsor as well as the author of two other measures to increase the penalties for those who would transport illegal immigrants through Colorado. "I wouldn't wait around for the federal government to figure it out. They've proven to be absolutely impotent in this area."

Groff told the Senate State Affairs Committee, he had been told by members of the legislative budget committee (The Joint Budget Committee) that money would be available for this purpose. He said if he had not been assured the state could pay for it, he "would not have introduced the bill." Senators passed the measure on a 5-1 vote.

Currently, Groff says California and George have special units within their State Patrol divisions to deal solely with immigration.

Terry Campbell, the Legislative liaison for the State Patrol, said the department wants to be sure the resources are there to deal with the problem and that it does not take away from the CSP's traffic safety mission, before it can fully support the bill. Campbell told lawmakers any increase in staffing would be welcome to a department that only has 18 more troopers in the field in 2005 than it did in 1982.

The State Patrol estimates it encounters 26,000 illegal immigrants every year on the state and county roads it travels.

No one testified against the measure, but George Epp, Executive Director of the Colorado Sheriff's Association, said his group did have some concerns about it. "A rural county jail will have a truckload, vanload, busload of immigrants brought there and charged under state statute which is going to be potentially a big problem for that jail," said Epp.

The measure now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.