What is the WPBPD`s practice regarding Immigration issues and illegal aliens?
A. Officers do not inquire about the immigration status of a victim or others they encounter unless the person has committed a serious crime or is being investigated for the commission of a serious crime. If the person is arrested and booked in the Palm Beach County Jail the Sheriff`s Office checks to determine the immigration status. This is the practice that all large urban police agencies follow. There are only a few jails that have the authority and access to the immigration data base. There are several reasons why this policy makes sense in dealing with illegal immigration, including: Victims of crime will not report to the police if they believe they will be arrested or deported because of they are in the country illegally or undocumented. WPBPD Officers do not have the authority to arrest an illegal immigrant if the only violation is being in the country illegally which is civil not criminal. The authority to do that rests with Federal law enforcement agents. Even if officers ha
