Jamiel's Law: Bratton's Arrogance
By Walter Moore, Candidate For Mayor of Los
Angeles,
WalterMooreForMayor.com
April 17, 2008
Police Chief Bratton just set a new low for callous
arrogance among public officials.
The
L.A. Times today quotes Bratton as saying the following about those of us
discussing the need to amend Special Order 40:
"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."
As for Bratton's claim that we are misinformed, I invite him to visit our
website, Jamiel's
Law, and tell us if we have omitted to list any of the provisions in the
LAPD Manual about illegal aliens. I think we know exactly what we're talking
about. Prove me wrong, Chief Bratton. Can you point to any provisions other than
Volume 1, Section 390, and Volume 4, Sections 264.50 and 675.35? I didn't think
so.
By contrast, what do you want to bet Bratton has not even read Jamiel's Law?
Judging from the article, Bratton and the reporter both think, incorrectly, that
Jamiel's Law applies only after -- rather than before -- an
illegal alien in a gang is arrested for committing a crime. Read the following
passage from the article, to see how it mischaracterizes the provisions of
Jamiel's Law.
Last week, the parents of Jamiel Shaw Jr. -- the 17-year-old Los Angeles High
School football star allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant gang member --
urged the City Council to adopt Jamiel's Law, amending Special Order 40 to allow
LAPD officers to routinely check the immigration status of known gang members
who are suspected of committing a crime.
Did you notice how the reporter added the misleading clause, "who are
suspected of commiting a crime?" That phrase is not in
Jamiel's Law. The whole point of Jamiel's Law is to deport illegal aliens in
gangs before we catch them commiting a murder or other crime,
rather than waiting until afterwards.
Bratton not only criticizes those of us who want to amend Special Order 40, but
also his own officers, who should supposedly know that they can cooperate with
ICE even though the
LAPD Manual states, "Undocumented alien status in itself is not a matter for
police action." Here's the portion of the
L.A. Times article on that subject:
Officers privately say they often
avoid the issue of a suspect's immigration status altogether -- largely out of
fear it will anger superiors who see it as a lightning-rod issue. "I don't
understand that mind-set," Bratton said of such officers. "That is a cop-out."
Chief Bratton's remarks demonstrate that Council Member Zine's counterfeit
motion -- which merely "requests" that the Chief and Police Commission revise
Special Order 40 -- would be a pointless exercise. Villaraigosa and Chief
Bratton are committed to protecting ALL illegal aliens, at all costs,
including illegal aliens in gangs. That is why we must pass Jamiel's Law. We
must overrule Villaraigosa, Bratton, and, it appears, the entire City Council.
You see, to normal people, the murder of an outstanding young man like Jamiel
Shaw, by someone who shouldn't even have been in the country, is a
tragedy. It is an utter failure of City government, caused by a policy that was
supposed to protect crime victims, not criminals. It is a wake-up call to change
that policy immediately.
Chief Bratton sees it differently. According to him, the debate over Special
Order 40 "is a tempest in a teapot."
If that isn't callous arrogance, what is?