Mark Boughton

The agreement between the Danbury Police Department and ICE (Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement) of the Department of Homeland Security has been posted on the City of Danbury’s website .

The agreement is a “template” of the actual document that all organizations participating in the 287-G program are required to sign. In an effort to promote transparency and communicate to the public the nature of the agreement, we have asked the Department of Homeland Security to give us permission to post the MOA on the City’s website and they have agreed.

The Danbury Police Department will accept comments on the document up until noon on Sept 15th.

People who do not have access to a computer can request the document from the Danbury Police Department. Comments can be mailed to:

Chief Alan Baker

Danbury Police Department

375 Main St.

Danbury, CT 06810

Almost two years ago, the City of Danbury applied to join a federal program called ICE ACCESS that would train several police officers in immigration law.

Illegal immigration has been a hot topic in Danbury over the years and this request was not without its controversy.

Advocates are fearful that a program that grants local police such broad immigration authority would be abused and that racial profiling would be the result.

Proponents of the program, myself and Chief Baker included, saw this as an opportunity to have two of our detectives receive extra training in a rapidly expanding and extremely complex field.

We also see value in the access to tools that will help our Police Department identify those who are wanted by authorities in the country that they emigrated from, as well as identify criminals who exploit others in the immigrant community, and it will ensure that people who commit serious crimes in our city and are here illegally are prosecuted and then deported.

A new agreement or MOA has been crafted by the Obama administration.

The purpose of the agreement is to“enhance the safety and security of communities by focusing resources on identifying and processing for removal, criminal aliens who pose a threat to public safety or danger to the community.”

The new MOA prioritizes enforcement action with violent crime being the highest priority.

The MOA also requires that the police pursue the original charges that started the investigation.

This requirement is designed to prevent racial profiling because the arresting agency must follow through on criminal charges hence making it difficult for an agency to engage in frivolous traffic stops based on ethnicity.

Danbury has enjoyed a remarkable run in terms of low crime rates and safety over the last several years. One of the reasons for our exceptionally low crime rate is because our police department has been proactive in its approach.

The ICE partnership is just another tool in our toolbox to ensure that Danbury remains a safe city.

Several months ago I was approached by a representative of Danbury Hospital who asked if the City of Danbury could designate the sidewalks around the hospital as a smoke free zone.

Other cities and towns have set up similar zones around their hospitals.

After all, who wants to exit the hospital after having surgery or an illness and enter into a cloud of second hand smoke? The area immediately around Danbury Hospital should set the tone for healthy behavior, and everybody (including smokers) agree that smoking is unhealthy.

After reflecting on the request I decided to move forward with a smoking ban on the sidewalks that surround the hospital and added in Library Plaza adjacent to the Danbury Public Library.

Smoking is already banned in public buildings and schools in Danbury, but Library Plaza is not included in the ban and it attracts a significant number of smokers. In fact during a recent community celebration at the plaza,  I noticed cigarette butts scattered all over the plaza.

I also noticed the children walking in out of the building and socializing in the plaza as well as many seniors doing the same. In many ways, Library Plaza has become a natural extension of the library.

Finally, the question was raised by my staff whether we should ask for an ordinance with fines attached, or take a softer approach with a resolution adopted by the Common Council.

I recommended the latter because I want the City to make a statement that smoking is not appropriate in these areas, but would leave the enforcement to signs that will be posted and staff to request the offender to either put the cigarette out or smoke outside the area.

The request was referred to committee by the Common Council, and I am sure that there will be some discussion about which approach to take and further study on the idea.

As someone who lost a loved one to lung cancer caused by smoking- and watched that person smoke right up until the day they passed, all the time wanting to quit, I know how difficult it is to quit.

I also recognize that some people just want to smoke.

That’s why I chose to ask the council to consider the softer approach.

Nobody is saying that you can’t smoke, just light up a little farther away from Danbury Hospital and from Library Plaza.