VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — Vancouver’s police chief shared a video to social media urging residents not to interfere with their law enforcement operations. He said they have seen an uptick in people inserting themselves, believing their officers are with ICE or federal immigration enforcement.
“Our crime reduction unit are being approached by citizens, and in the midst of doing their duties, in the midst of effecting an arrest or approaching a residence or vehicle to make an arrest, and, people from the community are pulling up in the middle of that, demanding to know who they are, asking their names,” Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price said.
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Price said it is mostly happening to their SWAT units. In his message on social media, he pointed out the difference between what his department wears in the field from federal immigration officers, noting Vancouver PD’s patches and labels. But Price said interfering with SWAT is even more dangerous because of the operations that unit is called out to.
“When you see these units, they’re going after what we would call our top-tier criminals,” Price said. “These are people who are armed, people who have warrants for their arrest. Generally, it’s felony suspects who we need to get into custody so that our community can be safer.”…