By Matt Jenkins
As Healdsburg’s Chief of Police, I am proud to lead a department dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of every member of our community, regardless of their immigration status or national origin. I write today to reaffirm the policies and values that guide our approach to immigration enforcement, ensuring that all individuals feel safe and respected when interacting with members of the Healdsburg Police Department.
The Healdsburg Police Department’s policy is clear: We are committed to the equal enforcement of the law and the equal service of all community members. Trust between law enforcement and the community is essential for effective policing. When individuals fear that calling the police could lead to questions about their immigration status or potential deportation, crimes go unreported, cooperation in investigations wanes and public safety suffers.
Our officers are trained to avoid inquiries about immigration status. Officers do not engage in immigration enforcement, nor do they detain individuals based solely on federal immigration violations.
This approach aligns with the California Values Act, which prohibits local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement. Under this law, officers cannot ask about immigration status, make arrests for deportation orders alone or share personal information with immigration authorities unless it is publicly available. Additionally, requests from federal immigration officials are carefully reviewed to ensure compliance with these state protections.
Our mission is to protect and serve everyone in Healdsburg. By prioritizing public safety over immigration enforcement, we build stronger, more inclusive communities where all individuals feel secure in seeking help when they need it most.
I want to assure everyone in our city that the Healdsburg Police Department is here to serve you. We will continue to uphold our commitment to fairness, dignity and the values that unite us as a community.
Contact Chief Matt Jenkins at mj******@He********.gov.
As long as I don’t get deported back to Seattle, I’m happy.