100% Screening
The issue: 100% screening of all persons booked
The city said:
“It is my understanding that the Elgin Police Department intends to expand immigration screening
for arrestees booked at the city jail through an ICE program called Immigration Alien Query. I am in
support of immigration screening of ALL persons booked into the Elgin City Jail. I believe it is
extremely important for the Elgin Police Department to able to provide detailed information
regarding any arrest to be used to determine crime rates and the level of success of new crime
prevention initiatives such as ICE ACCESS (Agreements of Cooperation and Communities to
Enhance Safety and Security)."
~Councilman David Kaptain
AFLA says:
We applaud the willingness by the city to pursue 100% screening. This will allow us to see the
impact of the criminal element among the illegal aliens. But we are leery of the statistics from EPD
and suggest strong, independent oversight.
Why are we suspicious of Elgin Police statistics? Well, there is the matter of “computer problems”
in the past. And then there is the lack of data acceptable to the FBI. Did you know that crime
statistics on every town over 10,000 population is available from the FBI?
Well, every town except those in Kentucky and most of Illinois. Elgin defies comparison because
their data does not conform to FBI standards. And that has been the case for at least the last five
years.
Because of our past history regarding crime data, some details need to be made clear to the Elgin
Police Department. This 100% screening needs to be done in accordance with some established
procedure. New Jersey and Colorado both have such requirements. We would suggest that we
follow their lead. DUIs were not on the list. They must be screened.
The next element must be reporting the results. To whom?
To ICE. They must be given the opportunity to respond to the information. Part of the purpose
here is to allow them to do their job and pick up the illegals…all of them. And we need to keep a
record of those they refuse to pick up. If they remain to commit another crime, the onus is on ICE,
not Elgin PD. (Yes, we know ICE has told us they aren’t interested in DUI cases. But WE are. Do
we need to recite the litany of fatalities at the hands of illegals behind the wheel? Let ICE tell us,”
No”, every time.)
Besides ICE, the bond judge needs to know who is here illegally. They are a flight risk. The city
cannot control who is put back on the street but they CAN inform the courts. And the county
prosecutor also needs to have the information.
Finally, there must be an accounting to the public through the city council in the form of a monthly
report. Costa Mesa has already provided a template that includes the total of all arrests, the type
of crime, the country of origin, and the US hometown of the suspect.
And, of course, the number actually picked up by ICE.
But this is progress at least. In June of 2006 the same request was made and the police chief
gave a flat refusal.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE SERIES INDEX PAGE
The city said:
“It is my understanding that the Elgin Police Department intends to expand immigration screening
for arrestees booked at the city jail through an ICE program called Immigration Alien Query. I am in
support of immigration screening of ALL persons booked into the Elgin City Jail. I believe it is
extremely important for the Elgin Police Department to able to provide detailed information
regarding any arrest to be used to determine crime rates and the level of success of new crime
prevention initiatives such as ICE ACCESS (Agreements of Cooperation and Communities to
Enhance Safety and Security)."
~Councilman David Kaptain
AFLA says:
We applaud the willingness by the city to pursue 100% screening. This will allow us to see the
impact of the criminal element among the illegal aliens. But we are leery of the statistics from EPD
and suggest strong, independent oversight.
Why are we suspicious of Elgin Police statistics? Well, there is the matter of “computer problems”
in the past. And then there is the lack of data acceptable to the FBI. Did you know that crime
statistics on every town over 10,000 population is available from the FBI?
Well, every town except those in Kentucky and most of Illinois. Elgin defies comparison because
their data does not conform to FBI standards. And that has been the case for at least the last five
years.
Because of our past history regarding crime data, some details need to be made clear to the Elgin
Police Department. This 100% screening needs to be done in accordance with some established
procedure. New Jersey and Colorado both have such requirements. We would suggest that we
follow their lead. DUIs were not on the list. They must be screened.
The next element must be reporting the results. To whom?
To ICE. They must be given the opportunity to respond to the information. Part of the purpose
here is to allow them to do their job and pick up the illegals…all of them. And we need to keep a
record of those they refuse to pick up. If they remain to commit another crime, the onus is on ICE,
not Elgin PD. (Yes, we know ICE has told us they aren’t interested in DUI cases. But WE are. Do
we need to recite the litany of fatalities at the hands of illegals behind the wheel? Let ICE tell us,”
No”, every time.)
Besides ICE, the bond judge needs to know who is here illegally. They are a flight risk. The city
cannot control who is put back on the street but they CAN inform the courts. And the county
prosecutor also needs to have the information.
Finally, there must be an accounting to the public through the city council in the form of a monthly
report. Costa Mesa has already provided a template that includes the total of all arrests, the type
of crime, the country of origin, and the US hometown of the suspect.
And, of course, the number actually picked up by ICE.
But this is progress at least. In June of 2006 the same request was made and the police chief
gave a flat refusal.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE SERIES INDEX PAGE