Eight of the 10 Rochester police officers who assisted federal immigration agents in an arrest last week are back on patrol.
The officers were back on the street Monday after completing a two-hour training session on the city’s sanctuary city policy, a department spokesperson confirmed. The remaining two officers have not yet received the training because they had scheduled days off.
It is unclear if the officers will face any further disciplinary action.
On Monday evening, a group of around 100 protesters gathered outside City Hall and called for the officers to be fired.
“What we saw happen in our city was a clear act of collusion,” said Cassandra Bocanegra, senior manager of organizing and strategy for the Finger Lakes chapter of the New York Immigration Coalition. “It was a clear violation of our sanctuary policy here in Rochester.”
Last week, police responded to an emergency call from Homeland Security Investigations to assist in a traffic stop on Whitney Street off Lyell Avenue. The response itself wasn’t the issue. Officers can help secure scenes for any agency which requires emergency assistance in the interest of public safety. But Police Department policy forbids them from aiding in federal immigration enforcement.
When the officers arrived, there was no clear emergency, officials have said. A passerby’s video of the encounter shows officers then helped federal agents remove three men from the van and handcuffed at least one.
The three men, a father and two sons originally from Guatemala, have no known criminal record. They are currently being detained at a detention facility in Batavia.
During a news conference last week, Mayor Malik Evans reiterated the city’s sanctuary status and said “every officer” would be receiving additional training on department policy.
“I want to be unequivocally clear, as the executive of the city of Rochester, it is our jobs to make sure we follow our policy,” Evans said, standing with Police Chief David Smith and others. “And our policy clearly states that the Rochester Police Department is not responsible, and does not engage in the enforcement of immigration laws.”
That news conference received national attention and prompted a reported meeting between President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan and the Rochester Police Locust Club’s executive leadership.
Councilmember Stanley Martin has joined those calling for the firing of the officers. She said that she had requested a briefing on the status of the officers Monday, which never materialized. She was unaware the officers were back to regular duties.
“A re-training is not enough,” Martin said. “They need to be fired.”
Monday's rally also was intended to show support for the wife and stepmother of the detainees, Sarah Galvan, who was in attendance.
