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Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Sheriff, Anaheim and Santa Ana police explain immigration role
Officials say they may apply laws to repeat criminals but not for routine offenses.
By AMY TAXIN
The Orange County Register
SANTA ANA - About 100 residents met with the county's top law-enforcement leaders Tuesday night to hear their policies on enforcing the country's immigration laws.

Anaheim and Santa Ana police chiefs and Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, who together serve 45 percent of county residents, said they don't enforce immigration laws for their own sake but may rely on them to keep repeat criminal offenders out of communities.

"We do not engage in immigration activities simply because someone has called us to their home or called us as a victim of crime," Carona said.

The forum was organized after community leaders voiced concern about a rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment as the national debate over immigration intensified this year.

Amin David, who leads the Hispanic advocacy group Los Amigos, said he wanted more dialogue on policing after Orange police arrested day laborers earlier this year and turned them over to immigration authorities.

The Orange County Human Relations Commission, which co-hosted the event with the Orange County Community Forum, noted a rise in hate crimes reported against Hispanics last year, including incidents of an anti-immigrant tone, said Rusty Kennedy, the commission's executive director.

"This just really heightened our sensitivity that something needed to be done to try to counteract some of the hysteria almost that was being revved up around this issue," Kennedy said.

All three leaders urged residents to call the police without fear in an emergency, regardless of their status.

One challenge for residents is that agencies in various cities may handle law enforcement differently. On Tuesday night, chiefs highlighted their similarities and stood apart mainly on Carona's proposal to train officers to handle some immigration matters, for example, in the jails.

"There is a diversity of opinion and tactics and procedures, and you have to be aware that Orange County is not one monolithic police agency," said Jess Araujo, chairman of the Orange County Community Forum.

Anaheim police Chief John Welter said criminals often prey specifically on illegal immigrants because they believe people without papers will be less likely to report crimes.

"If criminals were to believe any part of our community did not trust us, most likely these criminals would begin victimizing those portions of our community at a greater rate," he said.

Antonieta Reyes of Santa Ana plans to tell her relatives, some of whom are undocumented, to collaborate with police to make neighborhoods safer.

"There was a bit of fear in my family. There's so many things you hear out there," said Reyes, 52, who attended the meeting at the Delhi Center. "It seems there's more trust with the police now."

CONTACT US: 714-704-3777 or ataxin@ocregister.com