Heating Up in Richfield

Richfield It is getting hot in Richfield, and I'm not talking about the 85 degree day we had today. The battle over a new proposed ordinance in Richfield is heating things up. ISAIAH and other groups pushing this ordinance may have a head start, but opponents to it are pulling together. Here is a letter sent to the local media by a concerned Richfield resident and past mayoral candidate:

To the Editor: In the May 26 Sun Current, you quoted Joyce Craciela Stellick's description of women "beat up" and "afraid to speak about who did this" because their spouse/boyfriend might be deported and she would be left alone. She then made what I consider to be a racist, sexist and stereotyping allegations that this is what happens to "people of color." She might be surprised to learn that such behavior knows no racial barrier. Her anecdote, and those of other panelists alleging that immigrants perceived our police to be as corrupt and abusive as their police in their native countries, was designed to support a new city ordinance. I attended the forum, sponsored by the Richfield Human Rights Commission, and was surprised that the proposed ordinance was not available for review. Here are some excerpts, quoted from a copy obtained from the City: Subd. 1. Purpose and policy statement. It is the policy of the City of Richfield that all residents are equally entitled to protection and that all residents should be able to city services to which they are entitled, without regard to their immigration status under federal law Subd. 3. (1) Public safety officials may not undertake any law enforcement action for the purpose of detecting the presence of undocumented persons, or to verify immigration status" Subd. 4. (b) Complaints of a violations shall be received and investigated by the Richfield Human Rights Commission. Subd. 4. (c) If a court finds that a city employee has violated this ordinance, the city shall be liable for civil action brought by any aggrieved party in the amount of $1,000 per violation plus(expenses). If this passes, I believe all of our city employees will need video cameras mounted on their shoulders to defend themselves and our city. If immigrants can learn they can get $1,000 by complaining, they can learn that Richfield civil servants are not like those in their native country. I ask again, as I asked then (it was not posed to the panel by the screeners), "Why do you not devote this energy to telling immigrants that Richfield police are here to protect and serve?" Police Chief (Public Safety Director) Dan Scott is already doing just that. We do not need this ordinance to provide safe harbor for illegal immigrants? Robert L. Hall

Thanks for attending the meeting and the letter Bob, couldn't agree more.