Chief: Sanctuary city ban could hurt Durham policing (NC)

Posted 5:16 p.m. yesterday
Updated 6:13 p.m. yesterday

DURHAM, N.C. — Police Chief Jose Lopez said Thursday that a new state ban on so-called "sanctuary city" policies could detract from Durham's efforts to work with immigrant residents to deter crime ...

Lopez said he doesn't understand the arguments of supporters of the law who say it will help police do their job. Rather, he said, the law gives people in the U.S. illegally one more reason to distrust or even fear police, even when they have been victimized by crime.

"They are going to avoid the police, and the sad part is they are going to avoid the police as victims, as individuals who have information of criminal activity and, sadly enough, as individuals participating in police-related activities," he said ...

Rocha-Goldberg agrees, predicting that the anxiety among undocumented residents will drive a wedge between the Latino community and police statewide ...

http://www.wral.com/chief-sanctuary-city-ban-could-hurt-durham-policing/15063687/