The City of Davis and the Davis Police Department have heard from local community members about fears and anxiety around immigration and deportation, especially with our local law enforcement. We are here to put rumors to rest and allay community concerns. The Davis Police Department will not inquire about an individual’s immigration status for immigration enforcement purposes and officers will enforce the law fairly and equally, regardless of an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.
The mission of the Davis Police Department is to Serve with Pride, Enforce the Law and Guard Individual Human Rights. This includes everyone who lives, works and visits Davis, regardless of their immigration status. The Davis Police Department is a partner in the community that strives to maintain the highest level of professionalism while being a leader in procedural justice and embracing their role as guardians of the community.
The Davis Police Department is also aligned with the California Values Act, also known as SB 54, that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from using their resources to investigate, detain or arrest individuals solely for immigration enforcement purposes. SB 54 also limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including not inquiring about immigration status unless required for a criminal investigation with specific exceptions for serious crimes and judicial warrants.
The Davis Police Department wants to reassure the Davis community that they are focused on the well-being and safety of everyone who calls Davis home.
In addition, the City of Davis is a Sanctuary City, of which we reaffirmed this commitment in 2007 and 2014. In 2008, the City of Davis, UC Davis and Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) adopted the Principles of One Community. Later in 2022, the City, County and Campus came together with Hate-Free Together, a community-wide initiative, and to reaffirm in a resolution our commitment to nonviolent exchange of ideas, condemn hate speech and online targeting, support and protect individuals, groups and the community, heal and strengthen relationships, develop and offer resources, encourage and demand inclusion, inspire and applaud acts of courage, and proactively influence the growth of our community to be centered around respectful curiosity, compassionate progress and restorative transformation. The City has and continues to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our residents from hate and persecution based on race, class, gender, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation or immigration status. This value is present in all of the City’s departments and staff, including our Police Department.
- For more information about the Davis Police Department’s policy on immigration, visit: https://documents.cityofdavis.org/Media/Default/Documents/PDF/Police/Manual%20changes/New%20Manual%209-20-2024/Chapter%204%20General%20Operations/423%20Immigration_Procedures.pdf
- For more information about the California Values Act, visit: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB54
Sincerely,
Mayor Josh Chapman
Police Chief Todd Henry
