City Police Bureau earns praise for its new policies on immigrants
Monday, September 15, 2008
By Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local immigrant advocacy groups are praising the Pittsburgh Police Bureau's improving relationship with the city's expanding Latino community, just a year after a tense meeting with police Chief Nate Harper in the mayor's office.

At the time of the meeting, the Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network and other groups were concerned about racial profiling and reports of city officers questioning immigrants about their legal status.

Chief Harper quickly made changes. He now instructs officers not to ask about immigration status in routine situations where no crime has been committed, such as traffic stops. He appointed Detective Julie Stoops of police headquarters and Officer Julie Snyder of the West End station, both fluent Spanish speakers, to serve as liaisons to the Latino community. Both are on call as translators for other officers.

The chief also hopes to begin hiring more Hispanic officers. As of August, the city's Police Bureau had 612 white officers, 109 black officers and five Hispanic officers.

Chief Harper, who is black, said he sympathizes with Pittsburgh's newest immigrants.

"We've all been racially profiled," he said. "You can't penalize people for trying to get a better life. They're not criminals."

Sister Janice Vanderneck, who works with immigrants for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, thanked the chief for responding to the complaints, and she said there's been a noticeable change in the city.

At a meeting last week in Oakland, several immigrants stood before top police officials and shared stories of city officers stopping their cars for minor traffic violations, giving them citations and then sending them on their way.

"They get treated just like everyone else," Sister Janice said.

But problems haven't disappeared. Officer Juan Polanco of the University of Pittsburgh police department told the Oakland meeting that city officers stopped him near his Shadyside home several weeks ago and asked for his identification.

"I provided them with the necessary documentation," said Mr. Polanco, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who has lived in the U.S. for 40 years. "I didn't even tell them I'm a police officer. It shouldn't matter. I'm a citizen."
First published on September 15, 2008 at 12:00 am

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