Acting Police Chief Marcus Jones issued a statement Friday saying his officers strive to build a culture of trust in Montgomery County.
The statement comes a week after hundreds of protesters met on opposite sides of Maryland Avenue to express their opposing views on immigration.
“The Montgomery County Department of Police enforces the law without consideration of race, color, creed, religious beliefs, sexual identification, or immigration status,” the statement reads. “Providing police services in an equitable manner fosters and cultivates trust in the community that allows victims of crimes to come forward to have their voices heard without the additional fear of victimization.”
“It’s a reiteration of what we’ve always been saying,” said Capt. Tom Jordan, police spokesman.
Here’s the statement in its entirety:
The Montgomery County Department of Police strives to fulfill its mission of enforcing the law, protecting the residents of the County, and committing to care for the victims of criminal acts.
In order to fulfill our mission, it is paramount to cultivate and grow a culture of trust with our communities including those in our community who are most vulnerable. The Montgomery County Department of Police enforces the law without consideration of race, color, creed, religious beliefs, sexual identification, or immigration status. Providing police services in an equitable manner fosters and cultivates trust in the community that allows victims of crimes to come forward to have their voices heard without the additional fear of victimization.
The Department of Police do not ask for any verification of immigration status, nor have they for quite some time. Doing so would erode the trust we have built with the diverse communities within Montgomery County and silence the voices of victims who are in dire need of police services.
Our efforts to build trust within our communities have contributed to lower rates of violent crime within Montgomery County and allowed the police to reach those that otherwise would be fearful to come forward with information regarding crimes or possibly were victims themselves of a crime.
Our commitment has always been, and will remain, to care and provide services to the people of Montgomery County regardless of any immigration status or designation.
