The post came just a few days after Cincinnati declared itself a “sanctuary city.”
MORE: Cincinnati, defying Trump, declares itself a ‘sanctuary city’
The term “sanctuary city” often refers to places that does not prosecute illegal immigrants for violating federal immigration laws.
Middletown will continue to work with federal immigration agents as necessary, Muterspaw said, but that doesn’t mean officers will profile people who may be undocumented.
“If we have someone in custody for a crime that is here illegally we will contact the proper agency to let them know who we have,” Muterspaw wrote. “Unfortunately, we are seeing people that are here legally go through constant ‘proof of citizenship’ questions every time they encounter law enforcement. We have to adjust and adapt to change.”
WATCH: Butler County Sheriff wants to investigate immigration crime
To help in those efforts, the police department will send three officers to the RITE (Racial Intelligence Training and Engagement) Academy.
The training offers more than information about race, he said, noting that officers and dispatchers encounter different cultures, classes and religions.
“We want these three officers to come back and train our other officers,” Muterspaw wrote. “America is different than (it was) 20 years ago. We have to be more prepared to deal with everyone, not people that just look like us. It just makes us a better, more effective department.”
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