New Guidelines Direct LAPD officers will be sent to report on federal immigration enforcement cases to maintain peace, verify the identity of those making arrests, and attempt to document the event in a body-worn video if a person claiming to be a federal agent refuses to cooperate.
This instruction was issued following numerous citizen reports of “attempts to lure.” Federal agents often try to detain people on the streets and in the business as they often wear face coverings, dressed in street clothing and driving unmarked cars.
“In some cases, agents reportedly refused to identify themselves, causing confusion, calls for service, and tensions between the public and law enforcement,” the notice to officers said, according to law enforcement contact information.
The new directive said officers should take action to protect lives and property and remain separate from immigration lawsuits.
Officers said they should lift tensions on the ground, provide clear information to existing community members and take a crime report for an invitation or false imprisonment if the agent “fails to identify himself after an attempted verification.”
According to the instructions, the field supervisor will be sent to the scene and will need to notify the command staff and report will be made to the immigration point person in the department.
“They’re unprecedented situation they’re facing there,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told the Police Commission last week in response to questions about police officers encountering immigrant arrests.
“There’s a lot of concern about the ‘Blue on Blue’ interaction, and there’s a lot of concern about the community’s perception that it’s not who the people there are,” McDonnell said.
“If someone doesn’t know that the people they’re dealing with are actually federal agents, call 911,” he said.
It is not clear how many LAPD has received since federal law enforcement began more aggressive immigration enforcement in Southern California.
On June 10, some council members urged the LAPD chief to further abstain from federal immigration lawsuits, and officer responses to arrest Sheen, even in crowd control, suggested that the department was supporting federal agents.
“These people are not our partners,” said Council President Marquez Harris Dawson.
“They don’t care what badges they have, I don’t care whose orders they are giving, they’re not our partners,” he said.
Councillor Imelda Padilla asked McDonnell to use access to confidential law enforcement information to confidential law enforcement information when immigration enforcement was planned. McDonnell immediately refused.
“You can warn us,” Padilla said.
“So you’re asking me to let you know about the enforcement action being taken by another agency before it happens?” McDonnell asked.
“Yes,” Padilla nodded.
“We can’t do that,” McDonnell said.
“Why not?” asked Padilla.
“It’s going to be a hindrance to justice, you might want to talk to the city’s lawyer about it,” replied McDonnell.
LAPD bans executives from generation to generation who are directly involved in immigration enforcement arrests, and more recently, city employees are banning people from sharing information that can be used in enforcement efforts.
That position was highlighted in a Trump administration lawsuit filed Monday against the city, in response to its “sanctuary city” policies, in which urban regulations relating to police and other workers, claiming face value to obstruct federal law.
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