Why does the National Black Police Association oppose Arizonas new immigration legislation?
We think it’s going to hinder policing. Not just in Arizona, but in the 13 or 14 states that are considering something similar. We’ve been talking about community policing for years now, and this law is going to cause people to withdraw from partnership with the police— I mean, it’s crazy. Please explain the idea of community-oriented policing, which your organization advocates, and the impact you believe SB 1070 could have, if it were fully enforced. Community policing is something we have been involved in for at least the last 25 years. It’s a concept where you develop a partnership between police and communities to provide public safety. It’s important to know that very rarely do police officers live in the urban areas they patrol. So we utilize the vested interest and experience of people living in those communities to help solve crimes and provide prevention and intervention, tell us what’s going on. Ninety-five percent of the people who live in our communities are law-abiding, so
