The chief of the Fontana Police Department has penned a letter to the community to clear up “misinformation” on social media that has “the potential to cause unnecessary strife in our great city.”
Chief Michael Dorsey on Thursday wrote to Fontanans about the recent social media posts that have misidentified his officers as federal agents participating in recent immigration raids, which “have already been the source of conflict with several of your Fontana Police Officers.”
“It is not clear if the misinformation is deliberate or simple misunderstandings about our city and our officers, so I wanted to take a minute to clarify,” he wrote.
Dorsey explained that officers are “committed to protecting and serving all members of our community,” regardless of their citizenship, as stipulated by California state law.
“We believe that no one should fear contacting the police to report a crime, seek help, or cooperate in an investigation because of their immigration status,” he wrote, adding that a person’s immigration status “is not relevant to Fontana Police Department operations.”
“Public safety is strongest when all residents feel safe and respected. Trust is essential to effective policing, and we will continue working hard to maintain that trust every day,” he wrote. “While we continue to work to earn the trust that you have placed in us, we ask that you allow officers to carry out their duties without interference. It is not safe for our officers, or for others involved in any active police operations if misrepresentations or misunderstandings lead to inappropriate engagement.”
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has experienced similar misunderstandings, officials wrote on social media. In one case, a SBSD vehicle was allegedly run off the road.
