The Passive–Aggressive Police Chief

by: michael r. shannon | published: 06 11, 2011

Who says passive–aggressive obstructionism and borderline insubordination doesn’t pay off for some government employees? We had a perfect example last month where I live in Virginia. After doing everything possible — short of calling for Jimmy Carter’s intervention — to prevent passage and subvert enforcement of Prince William County’s anti–illegal alien ordinance, Jefe de la Policia Charlie Deane achieved a two–fer.

First, the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce honored him with the “Bridge Builder” award. The award citation read, “Chief Deane has been a voice of calm and reason in Prince William understanding the importance of protecting and serving all of the residents of the County, even in the face of adversity…Chief Deane has implemented a policy in the County police department against making routine status inquiries of crime victims and witnesses.”

It did not say if the award came with a certificate granting dual citizenship.

Of course the “adversity” the Hispanic Chamber mentions depends on which side the tortilla is buttered. This advocacy group for border violators is referring to the benighted County Board of Supervisors that insists on passing, over Deane’s objections, anti–illegal alien ordinances.

Then Deane takes credit for last year’s drop in the overall crime rate without once mentioning that the absence of thousands of illegal aliens who fled the county after passage of the anti–illegal ordinance may have had something to do with the decline.

Deane can’t seem to grasp the majority of actual citizens here support the ordinance and have re–elected all the supervisors who voted for it.

El Patron is extremely vocal about his foot–dragging. As he declared, with his thumb firmly in the board’s eye, “We made it very clear . . . that we were going to focus on individuals who had committed crimes, and that we were going to protect crime victims and witnesses regardless of their status, and we were not going to do racial profiling, roadblocks, sweeps or employment investigations."

But what Deane is telling residents here is, that as long as he’s chief, the intensity of law enforcement will vary depending on the individual’s national origin.

Here’s how the system works under El Excelencia. Let’s say an English–speaking couple has a spirited discussion regarding the husband’s habit of sending au natural photos to a woman who is not his urologist. The discussion escalates to the use of cutlery, motor vehicles or firearms and someone, probably the husband, calls police.

John and Jane Doe then find themselves on the receiving end of the complete law enforcement package when officers arrive.

Background checks will be run on all the adults in the house and should one of them happen to have a warrant outstanding, say for trespassing, then they will be arrested even if they were not party to the original photo discussion. If during the investigation officers should see a stack of passports or other documents lying in plain sight featuring many names, yet the same photo, additional questions will be asked, particularly with regard to the individual’s real identity.

But now you’re thinking won’t this create a “climate of fear” in the English–speaking community? Isn’t there a danger Anglos will stop cooperating with law enforcement? If there is, El Supremo is evidently not concerned about it.

The situation is somewhat different when Pedro Perez and his esposa have the same photo debate. Officers wait outside until Chief Deane and the Mexican consul arrive.

Actually I just made that up, but the reality is not much better.

For Senor & Senora Perez the situation is similar to the Doe’s. If she drew blood, she’s going to jail. But if she does not go to jail then there is no check whatsoever regarding status because Deane doesn’t allow that outside the Adult Detention Center.

Witnesses are another gray area; officers take their information, but is it correct? Is the name false? If they don’t have a driver’s license or they give you an international driver’s license (a dead giveaway) what does the officer do now? Would additional questions be the dreaded “routine status inquiries of crime victims and witnesses?”

How thorough is the investigation going to be when your boss specifically de–emphasizes enforcement of any law relating to being in the country illegally?

I assume if an illegal went to the station and turned himself in, Deane would hold his nose and go ahead process him — on second thought, maybe he’ll just put a mental health detainer on Jose until he comes to his senses.

Dean’s policy of ignoring–while–Hispanic is just as selective and just as wrong as stopping someone for driving–while–black. How comfortable are we taxpayers supposed to be when the enforcement of the law here is subject to the whims of El Joroba?

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