Discontinuing Special Order 40 would harm community relations and discourage illegal immigrants from reporting crimes to police, according to the new chief.
Chief Charlie Beck said Friday that the department will continue the decades-old department policy. It prevents officers from stopping people with the sole intent to investigate their immigration status.
Beck said his department should not be the primary enforcer of immigration laws.
Special Order 40 has been around since 1979. It withstood a 2007 legal challenge by officers who support checking immigrant status.
Officers still alert immigration officials if a suspect is a gang member who has been previously deported, or if a suspect is arrested for a felony or multiple misdemeanors.
No Change in Immigration Status Policy: Beck
Copyright AP - Associated Press
