Internal LVMPD Policy Contradict Public Comments Made By Sheriff; Metro Lobbyist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2019
Contact: Viridiana Vidal // (702) 206-2110 // vvidal@ndlon.org
DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE HERE
Las Vegas, NV – In response to a Public Information Request from Arriba Workers Center and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department produced documentation that contradicts public statements made by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
In February of this year, Sheriff Lombardo said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review Journal that he directed corrections officers in December to stop detaining undocumented immigrants with low-level traffic offenses. The misleading statement was reaffirmed by the Sheriff on Twitter the same day.
However, standard operating procedures obtained as part of a more comprehensive public record request suggest that in fact such policy change never happened. Standard operating procedures were due for review on November 1, 2018. The current operating procedure was updated on January 18, 2019, and did not include any corresponding change in priorities.
The inconsistent information was also presented before at the Judiciary Committee on February 8, 2019. LVMPD Lobbyist Chuck Calloway testified that “…Under these new policy changes that the sheriff has implemented, if that person is subject to a very minor traffic violation or something like jaywalking, the sheriff has now directed a policy be drafted that we do not detain those folks for ICE.”
“The public deserves accountability and transparency. The comments made by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police department are misleading to both members of the community and Nevada legislators” said Bliss Requa-Trautz of Arriba Las Vegas Worker Center.
Arriba Las Vegas and National Day Laborer Organizing Network sent an additional information request to LVMPD on March 19, 2019, to inquire specifically about this policy change. LVMPD has not yet responded as required by Nevada Revised Statutes.
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