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05-12-2008 Minutes (Meeting with Hispanic Leaders) M INUTES The Salina-Saline County Law Enforcement Advisory Board and Hispanic leaders of the Salina community met on May 12, 2008 in the Salina Public Library, Prescott Room. The following is documentation of the meeting. Tony Blair welcomed all present on behalf of the Salina-Saline County Law Enforcement Advisory Board. The purpose of today’s meeting is to foster good relationships between law enforcement and the community. Self introductions followed. See attached list of attendees. Salina Police Chief Jim Hill and Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski advised they hoped to clear up misconceptions and answer law enforcement related questions that the leaders of the Hispanic community might have. They advised that local law enforcement is not seeking out illegal Hispanic people in order to return them to their home countries. That’s not their job and they have enough work without taking on immigration enforcement. Still, they made it clear that if someone is in this country without documentation and they commit a crime, they will be reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (formerly INS). Among the points made and rumors addressed were: ● The best way to assist illegal residents is to help them be law abiding members of the community. ● When an individual is contacted by an officer, they will need to provide a valid form of photo identification such as a driver’s license or passport. In the case of a traffic stop the officer will check with immigration if the driver does not have a valid license. There is no mandatory arrest policy but if a person can not prove their identity they could be arrested. ● Do not give a false name to the police because this could be setting that person up for arrest because they will not know to appear in court. If they don’t appear, a warrant will be issued for their arrest. ● Jail visitors will be asked to show a valid form of photo identification and they will be checked for outstanding warrants, but not for immigration status. ● Crime victims, such as domestic violence, will be asked their name but the officer will not be interested in legal status. ● There are a number of officers who speak Spanish and a list of interpreters who can be called to assist when the officer can not communicate with an individual. ● Any recent increase in deportations is because ICE has become more aggressive, not because local law enforcement is reporting more people to ICE. Local law enforcement is not necessarily informed when ICE is in the community looking for people without documents. ● A national check for warrants is required just before a person is released from jail, so if the federal computer system is down when someone is due to be released, their release will be delayed. ICE will be contacted before releasing an illegal immigrant from jail. ● Both Chief Hill and Sheriff Kochanowski emphasized that if someone has problems with one of their officers and feels like they were mistreated or a case improperly handled, they must report the problem in order for it to be corrected. To report an issue with a police officer, contact the Police Department Internal Affairs office at 826-7225 and speak with Lt. Bill Gerry by phone or in person. To report an issue with a deputy, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 826-6500. An investigation will follow and the results will be documented in letter form. A form describing the process is available on the City of Salina website. Go to www.pd.salina.org, click on How Do I, click on the Citizen Complaint Process link. ● When a person is arrested, they are allowed a phone call and can call their family from the booking area if they choose. ● All arrestees are tested for tuberculosis. ● An officer can ask for a social security number if an individual is arrested. It is not generally necessary for traffic stops. If your driver’s license has your social security number on it, go to the DMV and change the number. ● There was concern expressed about the easy availability of drugs in the schools. The police K9 teams randomly search the schools for illegal drugs but law enforcement can not run random drug tests on students. If parents know who is providing the drugs, please call either the police department (826-7210) or sheriff’s office (826-6500) or Crime Stoppers (825-8477). Law enforcement is very interested in addressing this issue with parents. ● Sheriff Kochanowski advised that his office has a drug test kit available for a $3 fee to parents who want to test their children for possible alcohol or drug use. Contact the Sheriff’s Office at 826-6500 to obtain a kit. The Sheriff’s Office can provide a number of local program options if the results are positive. ● Is it true that the Sheriff’s Office receives money for each of the illegal individuals they turn over to ICE? The Federal Government pays the Sheriff’s Office a daily fee for housing arrestees for them, including illegal immigrants. There is no profit in these fees which cover food and utility costs. ● There is assistance available through the County Attorney’s office for victims of domestic violence. Attendees were encouraged to assist non-English speaking citizens in reporting these crimes. ● The biggest problem we face is poor communication. Many issues could be solved if we can communicate and understand one another. We must treat everyone with dignity and respect and officers must enforce the law. ● Cultural awareness training is presented to officers as part of their training each year. The goal of the Citizens Academy is to provide members of the community with an inside look at the various units of the police department and sheriff's office, to help create a better understanding and communication between citizens and police through education. A date has not been selected for the next academy, however if you would like to read further about the academy or obtain an application go to www.pd.salina.org, click on Citizen Academy, scroll down and click on application at the bottom of the page. An application also can be obtained from Undersheriff Dave Dunstan at the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Hill advised his direct phone line is 826-7221. If he can answer questions or assist members of the Hispanic community with issues, please contact him.