Should local police enforce immigration laws?
On the surface, checking the immigration status of anyone a police officer questions sounds like a sensible policy. But Los Angeles Police Department Chief William J. Bratton does not agree. Chief Bratton strongly supports the LAPD’s Special Order 40 – a policy in place since 1979 that prohibits LAPD officers from initiating contact with people for the sole purpose of learning their immigration status. According to Chief Bratton, Special Order 40 is “an essential crime fighting tool for us.” His reasons come from years of experience protecting the public. Bratton understands police officers need community cooperation to control violent crime. Witnesses, victims and informants who are illegal immigrants must be willing to come forward and speak with police officers without fear of being deported. Chief Bratton along with every other LAPD chief since 1979 also believes police officers should spend their time nabbing dangerous criminals instead of arresting undocumented workers doing hone
