Common Sense

Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton has finally spoken about the controversy swirling hysterically in local political circles over Special Order 40, a decades-old LAPD policy that prevents officers from scaring undocumented immigrants shitless and preventing them from reporting crimes or serving as witnesses.

Bratton, as the LA Times reported this morning, said that pretty much everyone in Los Angeles misunderstands the policy, which does not prohibit officers from helping deport criminals who are in this country illegally.

The issue, a long-simmering issue for right-wing talk show hosts, racists, and anti-immigration crazies, came to a boil a few weeks ago, after fringe mayoral candidate Walter Moore sucked the family of Jamiel Shaw into his crusade. Shaw, a promising youth athlete, was tragically killed last month. His accused killer is an undocumented immigrant with a long criminal record.

Moore and his supporters tried to link the killing to Special Order 40 -- although, as has been reported, there is no connection.

In today's paper, Bratton promised to clarify the LAPD policy, which he said even some cops don't understand or enforce properly:


Bratton said the recent criticism is based on a faulty understanding of the rule.

"There is a misrepresentation, misinterpretation, misunderstanding on the part of all the concerned parties here -- whether it is immigrant advocates, immigrant haters, the talk shows, drive-time radio talk-show hosts," Bratton said. "When it comes to our situation in L.A ., . . . the vast majority of them don't know what . . . they are talking about."

Bratton acknowledged some of his own officers were also confused about the policy. For example, he said, he has heard accounts of officers who believe they are prohibited from calling federal immigration officials to report known gang members who have committed crimes and reentered the country illegally."

Bratton continued:

"If you are an illegal immigrant out there and basically you are obeying the law and you are not preying on others, you don't have anything to fear from the Los Angeles police in terms of us approaching you solely on the belief you are here illegally," Bratton said.

Bratton acknowledged that his position was likely to infuriate both sides of the immigration debate, but he said he was confident he was acting in the best interest of the community.

"It is a tempest in a teapot," he said of the controversy over the policy. "It is so hopelessly, totally misunderstood by just about everyone."