Thursday, June 1, 2017
Washington Police Department Seeks to Calm Immigrant Fears
News from the Northwest. The Bellevue Police Department is hoping to calm immigration concerns from residents through a video message. In light of recent Trump immigration enforcement efforts, immigrant fears of interactions with local police have grown.
The video was posted on the department's YouTube channel in English and Spanish. "The purpose of this video is to tell you what my officers will and will not do when it comes to matter of immigration," the Bellevue Chief of Police says at the beginning of the video. He also says that Bellevue police will not enforce the current administration's calls for stricter enforcement around immigration and deportation. In the video an officer explains, "This means if you are a victim, witness, or suspect in a crime, the Bellevue Police Department will not ask you what your immigration status is."
The video was created with the recommendation of the Chief's Latino Advisory Board in the hopes it will encourage the public to call police for help without the fear of deportation.
KJ
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/06/washington-police-department-seeks-to-calm-immigrant-fears.html