The Santa Monica Police Department said Thursday it did not participate in or coordinate a federal immigration arrest that took place outside the Santa Monica Public Safety Facility earlier in the day, following community concerns about the incident.
According to SMPD, officers arrested an adult male earlier that morning on suspicion of vehicle burglary and possession of burglary tools. The man was processed, cited on those charges and released from SMPD custody. After his release was complete, federal authorities took him into custody independently, the department said.
SMPD said its officers did not participate in or assist with the federal arrest and that there was no coordinated handoff between local police and federal authorities.
The department reiterated that it does not participate in civil immigration enforcement operations or arrest people based solely on their immigration status, but said it also does not obstruct lawful actions carried out independently by federal authorities.
Officials said the position is consistent with longstanding department policy and remains unchanged, pointing to previous remarks by Police Chief Darrick Jacob on immigration enforcement.
"Our responsibility is to protect public safety and enforce criminal laws within the City of Santa Monica," Jacob has said. "Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of designated federal agencies and is not a function of this department."
Jacob has said the department's approach is consistent with long-standing Santa Monica policy and California law, including Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, and Title 8 of the U.S. Code. He has said SMPD does not conduct immigration sweeps, raids or detentions based solely on immigration status, and does not independently enforce federal immigration law.
"Public safety depends on trust between the community and law enforcement," Jacob has said. "Fear of immigration consequences should never prevent someone from calling for help or cooperating with the Santa Monica Police Department."
Jacob has also said that while the department does not enforce federal immigration laws, it does enforce criminal laws fairly and consistently regardless of immigration status. "Accountability for criminal behavior is essential to public safety, and no one should interpret our policies as tolerance for crime," he has said.
In its statement Thursday, SMPD said immigration status does not affect a person's ability to report a crime, request assistance, or cooperate with the department as a victim or witness. The department said its officers remain focused on local public safety and the protection of everyone who lives, works and visits Santa Monica.
"Community trust is essential to effective policing," the department said. "SMPD remains committed to serving every person with professionalism, fairness, dignity and respect."