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Watching The Cops Title: Police departments hiring immigrants as officers Law enforcement agencies struggling to fill their ranks or connect with their increasingly diverse populations are turning to immigrants to fill the gap. Most agencies in the country require officers or deputies to be U.S. citizens, but some are allowing immigrants who are legally in the country to wear the badge. From Hawaii to Vermont, agencies are allowing green-card holders and legal immigrants with work permits to join their ranks. At a time when 25,000 non-U.S. citizens are serving in the U.S. military, some feel it's time for more police and sheriff departments to do the same. That's why the Nashville Police Department is joining other departments to push the state legislature to change a law that bars non-citizens from becoming law enforcement officers. Department spokesman Don Aaron said they want immigrants who have been honorably discharged from the military to be eligible for service. "Persons who have given of themselves in the service to this country potentially have much to offer Tennesseans," he said. "We feel that ... would benefit both the country and this city." Current rules vary across departments. Some, like the Chicago and Hawaii police departments, allow any immigrant with a work authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become an officer. That means people in the country on temporary visas or are applying for green cards can join. Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Justin Mullins said the department usually struggles to fill trooper positions in less populous corners of the state, including patrol sectors high up in the mountains. He said immigrants from Canada, the Bahamas, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Central America who are willing to live in those remote places have helped the agency fill those vacancies. "People that want to live there and build a family there and work there is a little more difficult to find," Mullins said. "People moving from out of state, or out of the country, if they're willing to work in these areas, then that's great for us." Other agencies, like the Cincinnati Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, require that officers at least have a pending citizenship application on file with the federal government. And others, like the Burlington, Vt., and Boulder, Colo., police departments, require that officers be legal permanent residents, or green-card holders. With more immigrants moving to places far from the southern border or away from traditional immigrant magnets like New York City or Miami, agency leaders say it's important to have a more diverse police force to communicate with those immigrants and understand their culture. Bruce Bovat, deputy chief of operations in Burlington, said their immigrant officers help the agency be more "reflective of the community we serve." Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said he has no problems with green-card holders becoming police officers because they've made a long-term commitment to the country and have undergone extensive background checks. But he worries about the security risks associated with allowing any immigrant with a work permit to become an officer, especially considering that the Obama administration has given hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants work permits. "We're handing over a gun and a badge to somebody whose background we don't really know a lot about," Krikorian said. Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said any immigrant authorized to work in the U.S. has already undergone a thorough background check and will undergo even more screening in the police application process. "The security risk is a straw man," he said. "This is about people who have gone through criminal background checks, who are meeting the very high standards that we set as a country to stay here and who only want to serve and protect their communities." Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 39. #2. To: cranky, Percy Misanthrope (#0) Police departments hiring immigrants as officers Many police depts have always done this for legal immigrants/not yet citizens. See Irish cops for example. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OfficerOHara
#6. To: Pericles (#2) Many police depts have always done this for legal immigrants/not yet citizens. Name one, please.
#10. To: cranky (#6) (Edited) Many police depts have always done this for legal immigrants/not yet citizens. http://www.joinlapd.com/qualifications.html Citizenship The City of Los Angeles requires that a Police Officer candidate be a United States citizen, or that a non-citizen be a permanent resident alien who, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is eligible and has applied for citizenship. (Stupid conservatives don't know how to use google)
#13. To: Pericles (#10) Your reference discusses Police Officer candidate(s), not hired police officers. The complete reference below states that candidates must have the citizenship application "accepted" prior to said candidate taking the written exam. So no, LA doesn't hire non-citizens as police officers.
The City of Los Angeles requires that a Police Officer candidate be a United States citizen, or that a non-citizen be a permanent resident alien who, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is eligible and has applied for citizenship.
During the selection process, each non-citizen is required to prove that USCIS accepted his/her application for citizenship prior to the date the Police Officer written test was taken.
#14. To: Percy Misanthrope (#13) our reference discusses Police Officer candidate(s), not hired police officers. The complete reference below states that candidates must have the citizenship application "accepted" prior to said candidate taking the written exam. http://forums.officer.com/t35431/ One of the guys I went to the academy with was a British citizen. Our department hires non-citizens if you are legal to work here. It's the North Slope Borough Police department in Barrow, AK. http://www.north-slope.org/nsb/default.htm
#22. To: Pericles (#14) our reference discusses Police Officer candidate(s), not hired police officers. The complete reference below states that candidates must have the citizenship application "accepted" prior to said candidate taking the written exam. Your first link is a nearly 10-year old comment from a forum where people who claim a connection to various police departments chat. Nothing is sourced and the posters are anonymous. Your second link brought me to a page discussing whale biology.
#23. To: Percy Misanthrope (#22) (Edited) Hawaii Can work in any department with just a green card Alaska Can work in ANY department with just a Green Card Louisiana No state requirement for Citizenship, about 50% of departments will take you with just a green card. Massachusetts No state requirement for citizenship, several departments available that will hire with green card. Maine No state requirement for Citizenship, about 75% will take you (including state police) with just a green card and the state police academy doesn’t require citizenship. Oklahoma Will take you on a green card – see the following CLEET standards link – http://www.iadlest.org/ndakota/POSTS2.html North Dakota POST requirements state that they will take you with just a green card – See the following link http://www.oscn.net/applications/os...p?citeID=91596/ Wisconsin Cannot find any information as per a state requirement for Citizenship. Most departments websites require it – however the State police DOES NOT. Illinois– No State requirement for Citizenship, SOME departments will take you on a green card (Incl. Chicago PD) South Dakota Will take you on a Green card but you must “declare intent to become a naturalized citizen as soon as eligible” West Virginia No state requirement for citizenship, several major departments will take you on a green card (incl the state police) Vermont no Citizenship Law - Will take Green card holders, Incl. the State Police Colorado Can work in MOST departments with just a green card, no POST type requirement for citizenship. Washington No legal requirement for citizenship, nor any POST type requirement, however I only found two small departments that will take you with a green card. Virginia POST requires US Citizenship – BUT will waive the Citizenship requirement if good reason is shown and such a waiver is filed on form “DCJS Form w-1 application of waiver for minimum qualifications” Chiefs of Police and Sheriffs have the authority to approve this application for waiver – as does the POST agency Ohio No state or post requirement for citizenship, Spoke to several departments who stated over the phone that they would hire Green card holders. This is one of these stories designed to freak out an easily freakoutable conservative xenophobe base. Legal residents already can serve in some police depts - in some cases as legal aliens in other cases as pending citizens. See link above. In the military it is even more pronounced.
#25. To: Pericles (#23) xenophobe base. No foreigners should be police officers. Anyone who thinks foreigners should be police officers is a traitor and should be shot.
#26. To: A K A Stone (#25) No foreigners should be police officers. Anyone who thinks foreigners should be police officers is a traitor and should be shot. But they can be soldiers?
#27. To: Pericles (#26) But they can be soldiers? Soldiers shouldn't be foreigners. I was just kidding about the shot part. Rhetorically.
#30. To: A K A Stone (#27) The problem I have is the freak out nature of the current conservatives. We have legal resident "Green Card" aliens in the US military and in some police depts. I don't get this fear? What will they do? Carry out a coup against the desendents of the Mayflower?
#36. To: Pericles (#30) What will they do? Carry out a coup against the desendents of the Mayflower? They will take an American job. It isn't right for a foreigner to come into your country then have the authority to tell you what to do or arrest you. If you can't see that you need new eyes. Should Americans be in Russia acting as Police and arresting people?
#38. To: A K A Stone (#36) (Edited) They will take an American job. He is not a foreigner if he is a legal alien. They would be enforcing American law. So I don't get the freak out. You want the sole right for humiliating you by being arrested to belong solely in the hands of an American citizen?
#39. To: Pericles (#38) He is not a foreigner if he is a legal alien. Yes you are a foreigner. Even if you have a green card.
Replies to Comment # 39. Yes you are a foreigner. Even if you have a green card. A legal resident is not a foreigner.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 39. Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
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