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Lesson Learned the Hard Way. Scottsdale AZ Cops Ask Citizenship Proof
Desertdog:
Ariz. City Cops Ask Citizenship Proof
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071223/D8TNANIG0.html
PHOENIX (AP) - Police in suburban Scottsdale have begun routinely asking for proof of citizenship from every suspect they arrest and turning those who are in this country illegally over to federal immigration officials.
The procedure was started Oct. 15, a result of the September killing of Phoenix police officer Nick Erfle by an illegal immigrant, Erik Jovani Martinez.
Scottsdale police had arrested Martinez on a misdemeanor charge 16 months earlier but they released him then because they didn't know he was an illegal immigrant who had been twice deported.
Erfle's killing "caused us to look at what were asking suspects," Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said. "If we arrest someone and then find that we called ICE (Customs and Immigration Enforcement) and they put a hold on them, then we know they have been deported and are back again."
Martinez was later killed by police after he stole a car and took a hostage, authorities said.
Now police in the affluent suburb ask every suspect about their citizenship, have ICE agents pick up those who are in this country illegally, and keep a database of possible illegal immigrants in case they turn up again.
Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross supports the policy change and said that because every suspect is asked about citizenship, police are not engaged in racial profiling.
"I would not tolerate that," Manross said. "I think the chief has struck the right balance to do what we want to achieve."
Clark said that in the past Scottsdale officers didn't routinely call ICE about illegal immigrants because the agency was short-handed and could not always respond.
That's changed, said Eduardo Preciado, an assistant ICE field officer in Phoenix. The agency was short-staffed until about a year ago when it added agents to man phones and to assist local law enforcement agencies, he said.
"Now we respond to every call," Preciado said.
The Rabbi:
"Papieren, bitte."
I see the transformation has already begun.
Nitrogen:
I thought AZ made rules against this when the Chandler PD worked with the INS all those years ago?
I was living there at the time.
Leatherneck:
Born in Massachusetts, I don't know how I could *prove* my citizenship at the drop of a hat. Don't know as I would even try. Might be a little disrespectful language at the cop shop though. Pigs.
TC
Phantom Warrior:
--- Quote ---Born in Massachusetts, I don't know how I could *prove* my citizenship at the drop of a hat.
Huh. That's a good point. At the same time, everyone is complaining about illegal immigrants (myself included) and gripping whenever rules are made to prevent police from checking on someone's citizenship status. How would you catch illegal immigrants w/o making citizens carry around ze papers everywhere they go? Any thoughts?
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