Sometimes it isn’t a real good idea to draw negative attention to one’s self. Now that the UVA Report on Illegal Immigration has been finalized, it will somehow be interpreted and reinterpreted as the Chairman feels necessary.
First off, YOUR UVA report that YOU, the taxpayers of PWC paid almost $400,000 for is now residing on the Chairman’s Virginia Rule of Law Act website. You can even download it from there. I suggest that the Corey Stewart read the report cover to cover because he is getting some of the information wrong–dead wrong.
Here is what the report actually say about serous crime:
Crime and arrest statistics reported by PWCPD do not, on the whole, show reductions that might be associated with the immigration policy, but they do show that serious violence, particularly aggravated assault, has dropped sharply in recent years. Considering that illegal immigrants account for only 3% of offenders currently arrested for aggravated assault, it seems unlikely that the policy was a major cause behind this trend, but it could have been a contributor. Finally, the views of officers, as measured in interviews and surveys, are somewhat mixed. Most feel that the policy has been effective in controlling crime and disorder related to illegal immigrants, but they are split as to whether the policy has reduced crime overall, and their general view is that immigrants do not contribute heavily to serious crime in PWC.
Additionally upon inspection of the crime statistics from the Prince William County Police website:
in 2007, there were 310 aggravated assaults committed by both adults and juveniles. In 2008 there were 197 aggravated assaults committed by both adults and juveniles. That is a reduction of 113 aggravated assaults or a 36.5% decrease. Yet the chair tells us there was a 47% decrease.
Mr. Stewart needs to tell the truth and stop reworking the numbers to suit his own personal goals and agenda.
Finally, in the BOCS meeting yesterday, Mr. Stewart and the other supervisors who voted in the affirmative seem to want the state to adopt PWC”s illegal immigration policy of status check post arrest. The model legislation bill (click to download) tells another story. It is an IRLI form with Virginia Rule of Law Act written on it also. It goes much further than the Prince William current model and has the thumb print of F.A.I.R. and Mike Hethmon all over it. It permits probable cause stops to check for immigration status as well as other things that just might get the state sued.
I think most of us don’t want to end up like Arizona. If Corey Stewart, Ken Cuccinelli and F.A.I.R. have their way, that is exactly where the state of Virginia will end up.
We commend the Prince William County police for the job they do, under the leadership of Chief Deane. The PWC model that questions status of all people post arrest is a workable solution to the problem. What works for our community might not work for another. Let’s not dictate what others should do. Millions of dollars were spent to get to where we are now. Its time to move on without going through all of this again. And Virginians certainly don’t need to be F.A.I.R. lab rats again.
