Amid backlash to the City of Bloomington's decision to pull the police department from a recent immigration event, city manager Jeff Jurgens reiterated community policing is "not going away any time soon.”
At Monday's city council meeting, several community members praised Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington and the Community Engagement Unit [CEU], led by Sgt. Kiel Nowers, but were concerned the move signals a pending rollback to community policing.
Nowers spoke at Bloomington Public Library in March as part of an immigration seminar hosted by the Immigration Project. Prior to the city’s intervening, a CEU representative was scheduled to appear at a similar event at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington.
In an interview with WGLT, city manager Jeff Jurgens said the decision was an isolated incident, primarily related to a promotional flyer suggesting BPD could advise residents on what to do during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] raid in McLean County.
“I’ve spoken with the pastor from that church, and I don’t think there was any ill intent—I’m sure there was not,” Jurgens said. “But the way it was presented, it really looked like we were going to be speaking at a political event and on something we simply do not speak on and don’t get involved in.”
In March, Nowers provided an overview of the Illinois TRUST Act, a state law preventing police departments from participating in federal immigration enforcement. Nowers said these sorts of events were a way to access communities who may be fearful or distrusting of the police.
“That’s why we do community outreach,” he said. “That’s literally why this unit exists, to try to get to the people we haven’t been getting messages to.”
Nowers had reassured undocumented residents they should feel safe reporting a crime to the police and attend church, school and court. A few weeks later, a man was detained by ICE at the courthouse. A BPD spokesperson told WGLT they could no longer offer such assurances, because the department has no communication with ICE unless they’re assisting with an arrest warrant related to a criminal matter.
Assistant Police Chief Chad Wamsley declined to comment on the immigration event to a reporter while at this week's Public Safety and Community Relations Board meeting. But he said the department’s commitment to community policing is unwavering.
“Community engagement is a priority for our department,” he said. “I’ve been there for 25 years and it’s something we’ve always tried to do. We want to interact with the community. We want to have a good relationship.”
Wamsley said it’s a requirement for every officer, not just those who work in the designated Community Engagement Unit. Officers’ willingness to do community engagement is even a deciding factor in the hiring process.
Jurgens said he does not want to “micro-manage” the police department.
“They know best what events and what groups they need to be going and reaching out to. They do a great job,” he said. “I think there’s been some kind of [misunderstanding] that the Community Engagement Unit is at risk. There’s absolutely no intent to pull back on that.”
But the city is simultaneously tightening up protocols to more carefully gauge which events the city and police department participate in.
“We have to make sure as we’re doing community policing that we’re being apolitical and that we’re careful about that,” he said.
Wamsley assured community members that even benign events like Coffee with a Cop and Ice Cream with a Cop are for everyone.
“I don’t think we try to isolate one group versus another,” he said. “What I preach to the officers is I want you out there.”
