Town hall on immigration, community trust held in La Vergne
LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Wednesday night, the La Vergne Police Department held a town hall to address immigration policy and build trust between members of the community and members of law enforcement.
La Vergne Police Chief Christopher Moews began the meeting with a message to La Vergne residents that he wants to provide transparency between the department and the community. Moews added that at the moment, he senses fear and concern among La Vergne residents about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity across the mid-state.
Moews affirmed that the LVPD's primary focus is public safety, adding that the department has not colluded with any ICE agents on any operations within the city. However, Moews added that both he and other La Vergne officers are bound to follow the law, so they would be required to report anyone without documentation.
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Ultimately, police want residents to be able to report crimes without fear of detention or deportation, which Moews claimed has affected first responders' ability to help in some emergency situations.
'There was an incident in La Vergne involving a small child and we believe — we're not positive — but it's possible that the caretaker didn't call the police for the medical emergency for the child,' Moews says. '…Nobody wants to have a six-month-old pass away just because somebody may have — I'm not saying they did, but may have — feared calling the police because of their immigration status.'
News 2 asked Moews for specific details about the case involving the small child and Moews deferred to the District Attorney's Office. News 2 has reached out to both city and county officials for more information.
La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole also did not have further details about the case, deferring to the LVPD.
Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@wkrn.com.
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