Representatives from the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff’s Office and Police Department answered questions about Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the county.
The ACC Public Safety Civilian Oversight Board met with Sheriff John Q. Williams and ACCPD Deputy Chief Harrison Daniel. The board questioned the officials about the distinction between county-level officers versus federal officers.
As federal officers, ICE agents have a different set of policies that local officers are not always privy to, according to Deputy Chief Daniel. These policies, such as concealing their faces and not wearing badges when operating, are a purview of their office. Both the sheriff and the deputy chief said that ICE does not always alert them when they will be operating in Athens.
The board also asked if Athens-Clarke County law enforcement would intervene if ICE used excessive force during an operation. Deputy Chief Daniel said officers are allowed to use their discretion, “It has to be safe and reasonable for the officers, and it’s really up to that officer’s immediate judgment and discretion as to what they are observing…” Sheriff Williams said it is the same for his office.
