Law enforcement officers are ready to enforce SB 1070 — if they have to enforce it at all.
After thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent on training materials for officers and hundreds of hours went toward enforcement training,
agencies now are waiting for the courts to decide whether the law is constitutional.
After Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the controversial immigration bill into law, a year ago Saturday, she ordered the Arizona Peace Officers Standard and Training Board to create a training program and guidelines for enforcing it. AZPOST had its work finished by the May 21 deadline, but later shut down the process as the law was fine-tuned.
And although individual police departments throughout the state, including those in the East Valley, spent more than AZPOST did to train officers, the board’s executive director said he believes the training was done efficiently and prepared officers to effectively enforce the law.
AZPOST spent slightly more than $26,000 to implement enforcement training for the law — or $3.75 per officer, Lyle Mann said.
“We did what we were tasked to do, and I believe we did it well,” he said. “When the court makes its decision, we’ll ensure that the officers are prepared to do what they’re supposed to do or allowed to do.
“The bottom line of what we did was a pretty good return for our investment in the costs of implementing the training.”
While AZPost implemented a training program for law enforcement agencies throughout the state and was due to submit recommendations on how to improve the law or more effectively enforce it to Brewer by July 29 of last year, those recommendations never came. But Mann said the role of AZPOST is over.
On July 31, the day the law was set to go into effect, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton struck down several key provisions, saying most of it was unconstitutional. A higher court will now rule on whether the law will stand.
Brewer has vowed to take the issue as far as the U.S. Supreme Court.
AZPOST’s work, however, is done.
“After the judge (Bolton) came down with her ruling, there was no need for it, so we just shut the process down,” Mann added. “With the exception of the parts of the law that went into effect (stopping in the roadway targeted at day laborers disrupting traffic), our purpose was done.”
None of the police departments throughout the East Valley — Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert — has reported arresting day laborers for disrupting traffic. But those departments have completed SB 1070 enforcement training for their officers and would be prepared to enforce the law, according to information from those cities.
One of the sticking points in enforcing SB 1070 involved reasonable suspicion in seeking a suspect’s citizenship status. Opponents believed this would lead to racial profiling, Mann said.
“We believe that we had a pretty strong argument in place and would have been able to effectively articulate any arguments against racial profiling,” he said.
Up until Bolton placed an injunction on SB 1070, AZPOST spent $26,439 for training and materials that included $4,153.95 for immigration guides from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $3,000 in legal fees and $2,816 in overtime costs for staff, according to information from AZPOST.
In other agencies:
• All of Chandler’s 317 sworn officers and other department personnel went through 1,169 hours of training at a cost of $50,921 to the department, including $16,222 of overtime, according to information from Chandler.
• Gilbert trained all 222 of its sworn officers to enforce SB 1070 and will have ongoing training for new hires, according to Sgt. William Balafas, a Gilbert police spokesman.
• Tempe had 16 training sessions that lasted two to three hours per class. Overall, about 418 Tempe police employees attended the training sessions, including all 340 sworn officers, according to Sgt. Steve Carbajal, a Tempe police spokesman.
• An estimated 1,000 sworn officers, including detectives, were trained by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, according to DPS spokesman Bart Graves.
“If you think of all the fervor that was out there with SB 1070 a year ago and look at it now, you kind of think, ‘Huh,?’ ” Mann said. “Everything has moved on. Until the court does something, it’s all hypothetical.”
But while the process of training officers to enforce SB 1070 seems like ancient history, it’s still fresh in their minds.
“There’s been a year since it’s passage, so whatever is done from here on out, would have to be assessed with the passage of time.”
• Contact writer: (480) 898-6533 or msakal@evtrib.com
joelwisch2 posted at 2:13 am on Fri, Apr 22, 2011.
Everything I say is called profanity and of course, it is simply a way to limit my freedom of speech, and stop all who are apposed to your view point. But I already have won. SB 1070 will be found constitutional in front of the Supreme Court and the illegal aliens will obey our laws.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:31 am on Fri, Apr 22, 2011.
We are ready and willing to implement the law just as soon as the supreme court gives the all clear.
Brittanicus posted at 10:52 am on Fri, Apr 22, 2011.
If you want to see the 14.5 trillion dollar US deficit reduced, we must enforce our immigration laws. In 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act was a zero-tolerance policy that was subverted by business interests. We cannot afford any more half measures, from the ongoing resistance of politicians like Senator Harry Reid (D-NV in the growing reaching empowerment of the TEA PARTY. Illegal Immigration is an incendiary issue, caused over decades of Washington lack of sympathy to US worker, with estimates of 20 million foreign nationals feeding of the welfare system they have—NOT--attributed too? The worst issue is the instant baby citizenship law, which has become a perpetual foothold for hundreds of thousands of illegal families annually and probably the most fiscally of expenditure for taxpayers. Our overcrowded through k-12 schools are suffering, with hospital emergency rooms not far behind.
For the price of an airline ticket or dodging the US border patrol they arrive here with many afflictions, knowing from distant dialogue, that American physicians must treat you under the law. Arizona Policing laws subject to rejection by the Supreme Court in the future have dealt a sharp blow to the radical Leftists, that evidence is proving the laws are having a positive effect. Huge numbers of illegal unwelcome persons are moving out to places unknown. Interesting enough that I read an article that even though radical activists are boycotting Arizona in hope of eroding their commerce, the reverse has happened. Average Americans have seen through Obama's Department of In-Justice and streamed into the State, guaranteeing high concentrations of tourists. Arizona has a high foreclosure rate, but it was caused by the real estate crash, not boycotts. In fact it seems Canadians escaping from the cold weather swept in, brought properties and even my Ex-wife portends to buy a home there.
So the State of Arizona has made a roundabout turn, and the State is thriving and the populations of economic illegal immigrants are leaving for new turf. With malleable States nearby like Sanctuary California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado this is their final destination. These have been economic aliens and they have already devastated some of the Border States, with public service opportunities. President Obama held a meeting with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Trumka, leader of the AFL-CIO and a host of open border organizations and business lobbyists at the White House.
Little is known because the conference was closed to the press media, reassured it will lead to a dead end. Their evident reason to be there is to push for a mass amnesty, even at a time when 10 million Americans are still unemployed. Most people have no conception of these ramifications of a full volume amnesty, better dive into the web pages of NumbersUSA or Judicial Watch. You are assured this is only two of a nationwide grassroots revolution of pro-sovereignty entities, whose main issue is the illegal alien occupation. But even more so join a local TEA PARTY because under no circumstances will any kind of amnesty be passed. Only if President Obama successfully is reelected will this matter come up for a vote and the TEA PARTY will fight this pretense tooth and nail. You break the law; you must pay a penalty for it. Another amnesty no matter the fact will just attract more and more foreign nationals across our borders or to our shores.
The border is a volatile sticking point on illegal immigration, which other than around most cities and towns there is no real fencing. Its still is wide open to the drug cartels, the people smugglers and possible terrorist incursions according to Rancher Jim Chilton as stated this in his testimony. In a letter he drafted and claimed to the Department of Interior (DOI) and U.S. Department of Agriculture conference in Washington, that there was no border fence along 50 miles of his land. It should prove to all Americans, that there really is no serious attempt, to stop the inroad movement of foreign nationals no matter their intent? If there was illegal trespassing on sovereign land would be a felony, like Mexico and other countries. Janet Napolitano should take a trip to the ranchers land, and then declare the border was secure. What a sickening joke. One thing is for sure, the promise to the people from the TEA PARTY is that their Senators and Congressman enact bills, to build the Double Layer Fence and restrict any new laws on immigration. Illegal immigration has many financially unexposed branches, that many remain hidden from public view. Importation of less than perfect professional skills is another form of visa fraud as a demand for cheap labor. For years, a million or more semi-skilled labor has been arriving through stealth amnesties. Attn: Our election system has been compromised, as a 4 States have detected fraud from mostly non-citizens.
And Remember buy AMERICAN. Or soon your job may disappear? Elect Donald Trump! He is a billionaire and owes nobody in either party favors. He will stop the Chinese ripping us off. We owe them just this year 300 Billion dollars. He will negotiate the Free trade Agreements, as they unfair to American industry, draining billions of dollars in inferior goods. It will end Communist Buildup a military on our dollars. He will remove the tax incentives to move businesses into Mexico or overseas such as Maytag. We should give visas to the highest representatives of skilled workers, who will never use welfare, and put the enforcement brakes on impoverished illegal foreigners once and for all
Leon Ceniceros posted at 12:15 pm on Fri, Apr 22, 2011.
IS THIS STILL AMERICA..???
HAVING TO "TRAIN" LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO ...."DO THEIR JOB".
AND THESE ARE THE SAME LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT WERE WHINING AND "YOU-KNOW-WHATING" ABOUT THE PUBLIC'S....."MISCONCEPTION"....ABOUT THEIR.........."CADILLAC RETIREMENT BENEFITS".
WHAT IN THE HECK ARE WE PAYING THESE MEN AND WOMEN TO DO........EAT THEIR WAY THROUGH THE ..."DUNKIN DONUT MENU".....KNOW HOW TO ORDER FROM ....."IN-N-OUT BURGERS"....SECRET MENU ???????????????
HOW ABOUT ACTING LIKE THE .........MARICOPA COUNTY AND PINAL COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES.................AND .............."DOING THE JOB THE ARIZONA HARD WORKING TAX-PAYER IS PAYING YOU TO DO" = ENFORCE THE LAWS....ALL OF THEM....FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL..........FOR A CHANGE ! ! !
IF THESE LOCAL ......."NON"-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WANT TO GET BACK THE TAX-PAYER'S RESPECT AND ADMIRATION........DO IT THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY.........."EARN IT".
Cerulean posted at 2:35 pm on Fri, Apr 22, 2011.
“SB 1070, AZPOST spent $26,439 for training and materials that included $4,153.95 for immigration guides from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $3,000 in legal fees and $2,816 in overtime costs for staff, according to information from AZPOST.”
Republicans spent this money while waiting to see if the law past constitutional muster (which it never will). Meanwhile, people were dying as funding for organ transplants came to a halt. Also, funding for education was diverted to increase spending for the Dept. of Corrections.
NothingButTheTruth posted at 9:27 am on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
The amount you quote is a pitifully small amount of money. You make it sound like more than it actually was. 30 grand killed how many people who needed transplants? A few grand means how many children wont get a proper education? Look I know you don't like us enforcing all the laws but least least you can do is to put it into proper perspective.
Juggernaut5000 posted at 1:50 pm on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
Thank you, lame duck obama for shooting down this exceptional bill. Anyone who opposes SB 1070 should be tried as a terrorist and treated promptly and justly.
samkat posted at 8:50 pm on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
Lets see if Obamas biased Justice department goes after Utah since they are flaunting federal immigration laws their Utah Pact. I think we all know the answer to that one. One hundred percent E-Verify will fix many of our illegal immigration problems.
Masterrogue666 posted at 9:15 pm on Mon, Apr 25, 2011.
Hey, Cerulean, what about the BILLIONS the US taxpayer has to pay due to all the ILLEGAL ALIENS that are in the USA? You are whining about a speck of dust when you should be complaining about the mountain of manure that IS the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION problem...
ridiculous2010 posted at 2:46 pm on Tue, May 10, 2011.
A law that says it's illegal to be illegal... What kind of nonsense is this?? How about instead of passing a law that requires law enforcement to enforce the law - they pass a law restricting the IRS from functioning in Arizona until the federal government does it's job and protects our border??
Jesus Christo de Nogales posted at 1:08 pm on Mon, Sep 10, 2012.
Owebama’s economic plan.
Owebama and his Fleabaggers Party do have a plan to fix the economy, lower unemployment and deal with the illehal Mexican occupiers. He won't state his plan but I have it from the very same reliable source Harry Reid has. Owebama's plan is to reduce the American standard of living to equal that of Mexico. This would solve the illegal Mexican occupiers problem because they will self deport. And it will lower our unemployment rate because America's unemployed will then sneek accross the border into Mexico without documents and look for work while hanging out at the Home Depot parking lot in Mexico City. According to the Fleabaggers aka Demoncrats, this is a win win proposal. If you disagree with me you are a racist, homophobe who hates the earth!!!!