Letter: Tanner duty-bound to seek criminals

In response to a recent letter in reference to Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s request for the reactivation of the 287(g) task force, I offer a viewpoint as a former law enforcement officer. We are sworn in, taking an oath to not only uphold the local and state laws, but also those of the Constitution. Our elected officials at the local, state and federal levels also do so.

Reactivating the task force would free up deputies who cross paths with criminals who entered the country illegally. It would expedite the legal process for a constitutionally fair and speedy trial. It doesn’t mean that the deputies would be going door-to-door looking for people who entered the country illegally.

It is extremely frustrating when we arrest someone who committed a crime, learn that he or she not only has a criminal record, but entered the country illegally. By the time we complete our paperwork, they are back on the street, resuming their criminal activity. A friend and fellow officer Robert Machete was murdered by such an individual in 1989. Reynaldo Rayside had a criminal record dating back to 1982 and had been deported at least twice before Machete was killed in the line of duty.

When we offer the criminal element carte blanche to operate, the cost and harm to our community is irreparable. The 287(g) task force is a useful tool to reduce crime, created under President Obama’s administration. It targets those who illegally enter our country and commit crimes, not those who remain and obey our laws.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Letter: Tanner duty-bound to seek criminals."