Arizona P.O.S.T. Board To Train Cops on Immigration Law

The training standards board is now reviewing the law Brewer signed Friday that requires officers to detain people they suspect are in the country illegally and check their immigration status with federal officials.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer issued an executive order to the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to develop training for state law enforcement officers on the state's newest immigration law, the East Valley Tribune reports.

The training standards board is now reviewing the law Brewer signed Friday that requires officers to detain people they suspect are in the country illegally and check their immigration status with federal officials.

Many of the state's LE agencies support the bill as a tool for reducing violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The Arizona Police Association which represents 18 agencies and 9,000 officers supports it. Also officer associations in Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert support it, as does Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The Phoenix Police Department, which has 3,500 sworn officers, is reviewing the law and hasn't formally supported or opposed it.

Other law enforcement agencies, such as the Arizona Association of Police Chiefs, say the bill is an unfunded mandate that could hinder other investigations, erode trust with minority communities or lead to further jail overcrowding.

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